Guns Girls and Gangsters

There is a scene in this movie that totally sums up the 1950s. Mamie Van Doren, bleached hair flowing in the wind, glamorous sunglasses glinting in the sun, drives a 1958 Edsel Citation Convertible, no doubt pink, that is pulling a horse trailer. It doesn't get any more 1950s than that!!!!

Enjoy this movie for its 1950s clichés. All the good girls are brunettes, and the bad girls are blondes. Men in tight suits and skinny ties. Crappy Rock-n-Roll. Cops save the day. Bad people get punished. People talk tired Film-Noir-speak. Mamie Van Doren's Bullet Bra and wide hips encased in an iron girdle.

Show this movie at your next 1950s party.

This film begins with an ex-convict named "Charles Wheeler" (Gerald Mohr) going to a nightclub in Las Vegas to meet a showgirl named "Vi Victor" (Mamie Van Doren) who just happens to be the wife of his former cell mate "Mike Bennett" (Lee Van Cleef). As it turns out, Charles has discovered that Vi has been having an affair with a man named "Joe Darren" (Grant Richards). That being the case, Charles needs Vi to set up a meeting between him and Joe. To further elaborate, Charles has formulated a plan to rob an armored car worth $2 million and he needs Joe's connections to the black market to launder the stolen money. But having spent several years in prison staring at a picture of Vi, the money isn't the only thing that Charles wants. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film turned out to be slightly better than I anticipated due in large part to the interesting plot and the presence of the incredibly beautiful Mamie Van Doren who dominated every scene she was in. Of course, being a low-budget production this film had some limitations but even so it managed to keep my attention for the most part and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Given the title Guns, Girls And Gangsters I was ready to trash even with what I thought was an interesting cast. But this independent film from United Artists turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be given budget constraints.

Gerald Mohr is newly released from prison and he's got the germ of an idea for an armored car heist on the highway from Las Vegas to Los Angeles near the California/Nevada state line. It takes some split second timing and someone, namely him, who has to make a very accurate rifle shot.

It also depends on Mamie Van Doren checking into and occupying a room at a motel with a gas station and auto repair shop within feet of the spot picked by Mohr.

Mamie being Mamie has a lot of men interested in here, but they keep some distance because her husband Lee Van Cleef was Mohr's cellmate in the penitentiary is a most jealous type with a hair trigger. In fact the whole idea for the heist came from Van Cleef while he and Mohr were together in prison.

As in these films things that you can't plan for usually are what upsets the apple cart. In this case a jealous Van Cleef busts out of the joint with only three months left on his sentence.

Due to the nature of the plot Van Cleef only appears in the second half of the film. But when he comes on, he dominates. This is definitely one of his best early films.

The whole cast is outstanding. Mamie Van Doren always gives us something to look forward to. But Lee Van Cleef just totally steals Guns, Girls, And Gangsters.

Don't dismiss this one because of the exploitive title. This one is a real find.

Guns, Girls and Gangsters (1959)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Chuck Wheeler (Gerald Mohr) gets released from prison and decides to hold up an armor truck outside of Las Vegas. He gets involved with his cell mates former squeeze (Mamie Van Doren) but everything gets messed up when that guy (Lee Van Cleef) breaks out of prison and wants in on the action. The best thing about GUNS, GIRLS AND GANGSTERS is the rather catchy title and while nothing new is done for the crime genre, overall this here is a pretty fun "B" movie as long as you don't take it too serious or expect any sort of masterpiece. A lot of the film's entertainment value must be given to the cast who manage to fit their roles nicely and they help keep the film moving. I thought Mohr did a nice job in the role as the baddie as he had no problem being tough but you could also like him. It was fun seeing Van Cleef in a film long before he hit that image of the Sergio Leone films. He too manages to do a nice job in the role of the real villain without any redeeming factors. Mrs. Mamie Van Doren certainly is a looker and she manages to fit the role nicely but I will freely admit that her singing numbers were rather painful and should have been cut out all together. Director Edward L. Cahn manages to build up some nice drama at the end during the finale, which also includes some excellent gun fights and a rather violent conclusion. The narration that runs throughout the picture is certainly something very weak and just wait until you hear that closing line! I'm sure it was meant to be tough or raw yet it comes off hilariously bad. GUNS, GIRLS AND GANGSTERS should appeal to those who enjoy "B" pictures.

With this great title we get Guns (45's, rifles with scope and silencer, 38's), Girls (Mamie and a Nuclear White Bread Wife), and Gangsters (cons, gamblers, techno-nerds, thugs). Mamie Van Doren was the third-rate platinum blonde (after Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield) of the 1950's.

She had a hard look and demeanor contrasting Marilyn's doey-eyed sweetness and Jayne's playful pin-up, so she played Molls and Dames and wore her skin-tight, reflective attire with seductive charm. Here she is also allowed two "singing and dancing" numbers that are pedestrian but passable.

Lee Van Cleef's sneering and devilish face provide the violence and nastiness. It is a somewhat boring pace but kick's in after a very slow start with a gabby set-up and less than interesting compositions.

Not a bad B-Movie and is welcome enough but just isn't too remarkable. Some blame could be put on the over-age, unattractive, baggy-eyed Mohr who was one of the most unappealing self-conscious "leads" around the Drive-In Movie circuit.