The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

My parents' taste in films they took me to as a kid was quite questionable. Yes, at age 4 I went with them to see "Rosemary's Baby". At 6, "Start the Revolution Without Me". And, at age 7, "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" and Woody Allen's "Bananas". No wonder I am a weirdo today.

I decided tonight to watch "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" as I can only recall tiny bits and pieces of the film...such as the mobster's wife starting his car each morning. After all, my parents loved the movie....and I have no idea if they were right or wrong about this one.

The first thing that struck me when I began watching was the very interesting cast. With the likes of Robert De Niro, Jerry Orbach, Jo Van Fleet, Lionel Stander and, of all people, Hervé Villechaize (who is badly dubbed) it certainly isn't a typical movie!

So is this story of two rival mobs fighting each other any good? At times, yes...as watching the idiot gangsters killing themselves when they try to make hits is kind of funny...like in "The Ladykillers". And, while the film isn't the rollicking comedy that they intended it to be, there was enough enjoyable about it to make it a worthwhile time-passer.

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971)

** (out of 4)

Weak adaptation of the Jimmy Breslin novel (adapted by Waldo Salt) about a Mafia family (led by Jerry Orbach) who try to take out a rival crime boss but every time they get close to killing him something goes wrong. I haven't read the novel that this film is based on but I've heard it's actually quite funny. With that said, clearly something didn't come over from the page to the screen and I think a lot of the blame has to go to director James Goldstone. The entire movie has such a serious tone that you're often having to remind yourself that you're watching a comedy because the film just needs to loosen up and let the cast do their job. For the life of me I couldn't understand why the comic moments weren't handled better and there are several scenes that should have been so much funnier. One example is when a couple guys are chasing a man they want to kill but they get to some dirty water and they don't want to mess up their expensive shoes. Flat. Another sequence happens when we learn that Mafia leaders send their wives out to start the car each morning just in case there's a bomb. Flat. The strange thing is that a love story breaks out between Orbach's daughter (Leigh Taylor- Young) and a guy named Mario (Robert DeNiro). This love story is actually the best thing about the film and I wondered if perhaps the two actors were so good that they just kept building up more scenes around them. Considering how far DeNiro's name is in the credits and the fact that he's got perhaps the biggest role tells you something. Both of them are quite good together and it's fun seeing a young DeNiro looking exactly like he did a few years later in MEAN STREETS only here he's nice. Orbach is good in his role as is Jo Van Fleet, Burt Young and Herve Villechaize who would appear in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN in a couple years. THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT is certainly a complete misfire in terms of a comedy but fans of DeNiro might want to check it out. It's also worth noting that his role was originally going to be played by Al Pacino but he had to back-out once Paramount agreed to let him have the part of Michael in THE GODFATHER.

This movie is a complete misfire, and a very talented cast (Jerry Orbacj, Lionel Stadler, George Loros, Joe Santos) is wasted thanks to a bad script and very sloppy direction. Comedy sequences fall flat; some scenes are so incomplete you can only guess they failed to get some shots; Herve Villacheve's dubbing is almost painful to watch.

The only reason to see this today would be if you are studying Robert DeNiro's acting career and want to see him in some early roles. He's actually quite good as an Italian biker come to New York who gets involved in a gang war. But he's not enough to save the movie, at least not for me.

Robert DeNiro has a comedic role in this movie as a member of an Italian cycling team who is stranded in New York City. It is the first movie in which I saw him, and I still recall his wonderful portrayal of a not too bright guy who raises money by impersonating a priest. He is very funny.

I bought this film because it's one of DeNiro's first roles. Based on a book by Jimmy Breslin, the movie has a dated flavor to it that renders it rather stale; my kids didn't care much for it. However, it can still charm at times and the cast was very good overall. Orbach, without a drop of Italian blood in his veins, does a first-rate penny-ante mobster. There are plenty of sight gags, some more subtle than others, and many do make the viewer groan. The real problem is this type of movie requires a serious attention span on the part of the viewer, something sadly lacking in the modern era. DeNiro was no disappointment---he was fresh, funny and charming. The price of the video was worth every cent just to see him in such an unusually lightweight role. Who knew from watching this that he'd end up as one of film's toughest dramatic actors? In summary, not a great movie, but not awful, either.