L'Ennemi public

a decade not over-endowed with great movies this has to be one of the most under-rated and underplayed. Don Siegle even stops Rooney from over-acting. No mean feat. The result is a chilling portrayal that has to rate with Rooney's best. In terms of genre this must rate in the top ten of gangster movies. Why has it never been seen on TV? Good knows they dig deep enough sometimes dredging up the most turgid pap especially for day-time TV. Rooney's portrayal of the murderous psychopath could possibly only have been bettered by Cagney at his best. The dialogue is suitably hard-nosed and cynical. By the time they get to 1933 and the end of prohibition Rooney (Nelson) takes a drink in their hide-out and a colleague remarks 'Hey haven't you heard? It's legal now' to which Rooney replies 'No kiddin. Kinda takes the fun outa drinking it'. Watch it if you get the chance.

Don Siegel's low budget gangster tale has a nasty uncompromising sting to it. Siegel's Direction is spare, but efficient. Mickey Rooney plays the title hood for all he's worth - a bitter thug with a chip on his undersized shoulders. Carolyn Jones is his sultry moll, Sue Nelson, who doesn't have that much cheerier a disposition. Irving Shulman and Daniel Mainwaring's (who previously had written INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS for Siegel) screenplay plays loose with the facts, if not the essential essence of Baby Face's story. Along the way, Baby Face and Sue join up with John Dillinger's (Leo Gordon) gang. Cedric Hardwicke is his oily best as a shady Doctor and George Stone plays a Bank Manager who Baby Face takes an unexpected kinship with. Jack Elam, Dabs Greer and Elisha Cook Jr. provide sturdy support. BABY FACE NELSON is a bit too clipped to fully deliver the goods, but, it's a more than competent B movie with an edge.

Mickey Rooney stretched the limits of his talents and continued to live down the image of all American Andy Hardy in this blood and guts portrayal of Baby Face Nelson. In the title role Rooney dominates this film and that's no small achievement for him as he is supported by a really good bunch of character players, especially for a small independent United Artists film. This part was certainly a better fit for him than that other true life short man he played Lorenz Hart.

One of the nastiest of the famous public enemies of the Thirties, Lester Gillis aka Baby Face Nelson had some real issues. A nasty temper and some inferiority feelings about his short size are what makes him what he is. Give him a Thompson submachine gun and he cuts all down to size.

Reading the Wikipedia article and knowing what I know about him, Rooney really captured his character well. His fans should love what he did in this. Only the cheapness in production values prevents me from giving Baby Face Nelson a higher rating.

Mickey Rooney gives an energetic ,scary and persuasive performance in this crisp and edgy don Siegal movie.The businesslike script by Irving Shulman and Daniel Mainwaring traces the rise of Nelson from apprentice gunman to Rocca(Ted de Corsia),through his meetings with Dillinger(Leo Gordon), his incarceration and subsequent escape aided by girlfriend Sue(Carolyn Jones)and his rise to the status of Public Enemy Number 1 Little is said about the background to the story-prohibition is scarcely touched on -or about Nelson's personal motivation .Instead it records -even ,disquietingly ,celebrates his achievements and behaviour.

The support cast gives Rooney solid backup and special kudos go to Sir Cedric Hardwicke ,Jack Elam and Emile Meyer It looks cheap and low budget but this actually helps the impact of this slick ,anti-social pulp movie

A classic 1930's Warner Bros. gangster movie...except that it isn't. Don Siegel made "Baby Face Nelson" in 1957 and for United Artists but it has the look and feel of the very best gangster movies from a couple of decades earlier. Mickey Rooney plays the title role and, of course, he's perfect for the part and the wonderful Carolyn Jones is his girl. It's also got a killer supporting cast that includes Anthony Caruso, Jack Elam, Ted DeCorsia and Leo Gordon as Dillenger as well as an excellent Cedric Hardwicke beautifully cast against type as a doctor on the wrong side of the law. Irving Shulman wrote the original story and he and Daniel Mainwaring did the screenplay. The suitably seedy black and white photography was by Hal Mohr.