La gang che non sapeva sparare

I always want to see a movie that has Robert DeNiro starring in it, so seeing him play Mario an imported Italian bicycle racer who will steal anything even if it is nailed down, was unique. This movie was made in 1971 when Mr. DeNiro was very hungry for lead roles so you can't blame him for the movie's poor content and flow. The movie evolves around a band of goofy dressed Italian mobsters led by Jerry Orbach as Kid Sully who spoof the Mafioso, and Kid Sully's Big Momma (the Godmother figure) is played by a convincing Jo Van Fleet. She certainly nailed her part and blends sweetness with ripe viciousness.

There were some smaller parts for good actors such as Burt Young, as Willie Quarqulo the bomb maker, Jack Kehoe as a scared bartender assigned to spike two of the rival gang's drinks, and Lionel Stander as the made man Baccala.

I guess the animal rights groups made pictures like this a target for changing the times, as the poor lion was mistreated in front of the camera by a few of the actors, including a scene which shows the fully grown lion shackled to the conveyor belt in a car wash and forced to go through the car wash even if it was just with sprayed water. The lion appears in quite a few scenes and does some stunts that needed a great Animal Trainer to handle. I was very surprised that the lion did not receive any acting credit what so ever, nor did the animal trainers. Shame on you MGM.

Well I wouldn't roar about this movie, (no pun intended) but it is a victim of the times, and the screenplay could have been a lot stronger even for a mafioso spoof.

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.

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.

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.

Baccala is the rich, powerful mob boss of Brooklyn. His subordinate Kid Sally Palumbo (Jerry Orbach) hates getting cut out of the money and being disrespected. Baccala assigns him to supervise a six day bicycle race which is important for the Italian community. Mario Trantino (Robert De Niro) is one of the racers from the old country. He is coupled with Kid Sally's sister Angela.

This is an odd mix of very broad comedy, and an indie mobster movie. I wouldn't mind the indie mobster movie. The very broad comedy almost never works. The story telling is messy and there's a lion. I would cut out the bicycle thing. De Niro should simply be a young hustler from the old country. It is interesting to see him before he joined Scorsese and the early 70's NYC style. It does need to cut the attempted comedy and clarify the script.