Running Wild

For 1955, well-made exploitation teen car-thief ring story with William Campbell (decent actor) as the lead and Keenan Wynn (wonderful actor) as an adult type throw this flick into second-gear immediately with a great dance scene, BUT..I only wish Mamie Van Doren had a bigger part. She was still a supporting B-actress in '55, but she's gold with a great blonde ponytail and some flashy jitterbug/rock dancing. Young John Saxon in small part is authentically youthful and naive.

A 5 out of 10. Best performance = Mamie Van Doren. Terse, almost powerful, yet topical. What can you say? Check it out and don't hold your nose in the air to films like this (which always made money and got no respect).

William Campbell is undercover, trying to figure out how Keenan Wynn is pulling off his stolen car racket. He's set up some local kids as his gang, and using a local rock & roll club as a base of operations. He's also got Kathleen Case as his girlfriend, and she hates him.... although, as Campbell's lieutenant tells him, some women like that sort of thing. Campbell isn't sure.

It's a pretty good movie with a real story amidst the G-rated exploitation, notable for being the second movie to use Bill Haley & the Comets' music. They're playing "Razzle Dazzle" when we get introduced to Mamie Van Doren. She's second billed, even though she has only a few scenes, but she's a whirlwind of motion, bending on her back for the camera to shoot down on her, as if director Abner Biberman is as crazy about her as George Sidney would be about Ann Margaret when shooting VIVA LAS VEGAS. Well, it wouldn't be the first time a director had gone gaga, or perhaps Biberman had orders from higher up.

Campbell is surprisingly good as a mouth-breathing guy with a conscience. The wrap-up is a little neat, but that's the way they liked to do them.

"Running Wild" is a decent relatively low budget film starring William Campbell. Don't know who Campbell is? He starred in a few films here and there but mostly was a TV actor with a couple credits from the original "Star Trek" (playing the Squire of Gothos as well as a Klingon Captain in the Tribble episode). Here, he plays an undercover cop...one who pretends to be a dirtbag so that the local car theft gang will take him into their confidence and he can bust the gang. In addition to Campbell, there's also Mamie Van Doren (though billed second, she was noticeably absent from much of the picture), Keenan Wynn and John Saxon (in his first film).

So, is it any good? Yes...though I'd hardly say rush to see it. It's an agreeable time-passer and not nearly as salacious as I expected given that it's about 'youth run wild' and co-stars Van Doren.