Baby Face Nelson

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.

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.

In "Baby Face Nelson" Mickey Rooney has come a long way from his "I know. Let's put on a show" Andy Hardy solution to meeting the problems of the Depression. The cherubic teenager has become a cold eyed, cold blooded killer with a chip on his shoulder who delights in showing that despite his five foot three inch stature, he is a big man with a Tompson submachine gun.

This film has been somewhat hard to find over the years, but I got hold of a copy last year that surprised me with its quality.

Rooney is totally committed to the role of the trigger happy Nelson, and makes you forget all the lovable roles he has played. His bantam gangster is startlingly convincing.

The rest of the cast is adequate and the Depression atmosphere is fairly believable. Jack Elam and Sir Cedric Hardwicke stand out in their oddball unexpected roles. Leo Gordon is his usual intimidating self as Dillinger.

But it is Carolyn Jones who gives the most memorable performance as Nelson's moll. I was amazed at her portrayal of the very sensual girlfriend. She showed a range of emotions and actions that I would have never guessed from seeing only her Morticia Addams and other notable roles. The movie is worth seeing just for her amazing incarnation of the loyal, loving Sue.

Anyone who likes gangster movies should check out this little B movie gem.

Baby Face Nelson is directed by Don Siegel and co-written by Daniel Mainwaring, Robert Adler and Irving Shulman. It stars Mickey Rooney, Carolyn Jones, Cedric Hardwicke, Leo Gordon, Anthony Caruso and Jack Elam. Story is based on the notorious criminal who became public enemy number one in the first half of the 1930s.

Gangsters have always been a profitable source for film makers, with many of them proving to be the basis of classic cinema. The story of Baby Face Nelson is ideal for cinematic treatment.

Don Siegel's 57 movie is tight and taut, yet still briskly paced, and in the main as per the characterisation of Nelson, it's pitched right by Siegel and Mickey Rooney. Nelson is seen as a pocket rocket of inferiority complexes, a deluded bully held in the grip of jealousies. He's a trigger-happy punk with anger issues, while Siegel is professional enough to ensure the little thug is not glamorised (the film opens with a written statement pouring praise on the FBI). The recreation of the period is grand, those cars, those guns, the latter of which get a good amount of screen time as Siegel gives us gun play aplenty. While visually (Hal Mohr on cinematography duty) it's lighted for shadows and period starkness. There's even a pitch black noir ending to round it off.

The flaws? Rooney never fully convinces in the role of Nelson, where perhaps he is a mere victim of following in the footsteps of greater characterisations in the genre? Or maybe it's just a case of being familiar with him in more airy roles? But with Hardwicke doing fine work as a boozy lecher, Jones appealingly knowing and sexy as Nelson's moll, and Elam and Elisha Cook Jr bolstering the support ranks, film is in capable acting hands. Narrative is a bit scratchy, not quite a complete whole, more a case of a number of great scenes inserted here and there, but it doesn't hurt the picture too much. Overall it gets in and does its job in next to no time, never out staying its welcome, it overcomes its faults and entertains the genre fan with ebullience. 7/10