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This film was being shown on a specialty TV channel named "Drive-In" that plays obscure B movies. Right away, the low "production values", i.e. the money spent on sets and location, became apparent, so much so it reminded me of a 1940s era episode of a serial like Space Gordon.

True to it's B movie stature, there are obvious flaws, primarily the "wooden" performances. Occasionally, the actors' dialog would hesitate as if the next line of the script was forgotten. Some of the acting was altogether unbelievable, bordering on the ridiculous. For example, in a scene toward the end of the movie, the lead actor was slapped across the face with a left hand, but his head spun to the right so that he would fall through a doorway and down a flight of stairs! Was a director on the set?

I suppose this movie with it's dim lighting was attempting to be a "film noir" of some variety. But no matter what the genre, the film seemed too dark and shadowy, at least as it appeared on my TV. After awhile, a daylight scene came as a relief! Finally I found the abrupt and otherwise amateurish scene transitions and loud jazzy score intrusive. So much so they were not only distracting, they competed with the plot for interest. As the film skipped along, it became fascinating to see what laughable scene the movie would stumble into next. The movie suddenly ends with no credits, just the film title!

As much as I thought I could make an amateur movie that would compare favorably, the movie had enough merits to hold my interest. And even seem likable. The plot, such as it is, does move quickly, the culture of the late '50s and early '60s was fascinating and you couldn't predict how the next plot twist, or yet another incongruous exchange of dialog, would unfold. So in the end, I found I couldn't take my eyes off it!

The local head of the Syndicate is killed, and the police pick up Ed Dugan. He's confused and adamant that he didn't have anything to do with it. He was driving by when the hit took place. He escapes, and now he has the police and the crooks after him. The Syndicate originally looked on him as a convenient fall guy, but now that he's gone in the wind, they're worried.

It's an interesting story, but there's a lot of clumsiness in transferring it to the screen. The actors are a mixed lot, from competent to inept. The camerawork by Vilis Lapenieks is fluid, with lots of dramatic shots. the blaring jazz-influenced score by Jaime Mendoza-Nava is intrusive rather than supportive. these things make what could have been an interesting if cheap B movie into an overblown effort.

"Fallguy" is a very cheap crime film with small-time actors. Yet despite this, it's effective and worth seeing.

When the story begins, the mob tries to kill one of its own members. However, the killing is bumbled and the man is run off the road but is very much alive. A young man sees the car go off the embankment and goes to help--only to have the man draw a gun on him and force him to drive to a doctor's home. The doctor, too, is part of the gang and the intended victim and doc soon get into it and the doctor kills the man...and the young man sees it all. However, the local cops are also in on it and instead of arresting the doctor, they spend the movie chasing the innocent man. Does this poor schmuck stand a chance?!

As I said before, the film is a cheapo production. It also has a few deficits--such as a cheap musical score as well as a few scenes where the acting is a bit suspect (such as the crazy catfight that comes from out of no where midway through the movie). But on balance, the good outweighs the bad and it's a pretty good suspense film.

If you do watch the picture, you might try finding it somewhere other than on YouTube, as the copy there is very dark and murky.

Looks like everyone is on the take in Fallguy featuring a one an done cast an director taking torpor to another level. A mess from the outset your interest wavers from the plot to how bad this film can get and it does not disappoint.

Sonny Martin experiencing a case of dullsville at the hop, jumps into his Austin Healey and roars off into the night. He comes upon a mob whack gone wrong and is forced to assist the mortally wounded thug. Powers that be (a newspapaer editor and a chief of detectives) who orchestrated the hit set the kid up to take the fall and be eliminated by what turns out to be the worst hitman in film history who goes zero for three before getting himself killed.

Fallguy's major appeal is in its attempts to spice matters up in this directorial debut and swan song of Donn Harling. Infected with a slight case of Max Ophuls syndrome, panning tracking and zooming in on hamburgers and VW radios with Bose quality as well as adding a sloppy trailer gold cat-fight to go along with a myriad of wooden performances Fallguy offers up more than its share of so bad it's good moments to make it slightly easy to endure over its hour running time.

While driving home one night, Ed Dugan spots a car accident. When he goes to check up on the driver, the badly injured driver pulls a gun on him. He forces Dugan to drive him to local doctor Don Alderette, where he dies, after accusing the doctor of double-crossing him. Dugan is taken into custody by police chief Louis Gartner, but when he realizes Gartner is trying to use him as a fall guy by faking an accident, Dugan manages to escape. Soon Dugan finds out that Alderette, Gartner and local newspaper owner George Mitchell are the main guys behind a local crime syndicate.

There really isn't much to say. Most of the principal cast & crew members have a handful of credits on here if that, and it shows. Aside from the nicely done opening credits, obviously inspired by Saul Bass's work, and the 'hip' jazzy score the movie feels amateurish on almost every level. One-time actress Madeline Frances as the doctor's daughter is a welcome breath of fresh air, I actually enjoyed her performance. Then again, she had very little competition here, when at times some of the actors seem to have trouble remembering their lines.

I can forgive a lot of stuff for these low/no-budget movies. But there's just too much that needs forgiving here. The movie takes itself way too serious, which is its biggest crime. 'Fallguy' tries too hard to be better than it is. It's probably for the best that director Donn Harling produced and directed only one movie. Avoid. 4/10