Guns Girls and Gangsters

I watch this movie every two years. It's a great classic grade B thriller, perhaps the greatest of the 50's; and the best picture shot by Edward L Cahn. The director usually gives us sleepy flicks, always built on the same frame, except his first ones, the 30's ones, as "Law and order". He lost his soul during the 50's and early 60's, till his death.

A little masterpiece. Mamie Van Doren, Lee Van Cleef contribute much for it.

A fast paced and pretty shot little thriller. If you are a caper movie lover as I am, DON'T MISS IT.

I would put it on the same scale as "Plunder Road".

Chuck Wheeler (Gerald Mohr) leaves prison and plans an armored truck robbery which is carrying money from a Las Vegas casino. He forcefully recruits night club singer Vi Victor (Mamie Van Doren), the wife of his possessive ex-cellmate Mike Bennett (Lee Van Cleef). Mike escapes right before the planned robbery and all hell breaks loose.

The first memorable visual is Mamie Van Doren with those pants. One expects a ball gown but no, it's pants. She's the definition of the blonde bombshell. It's a little bit of a grind for a small time until Lee Van Cleef comes crashing in on the party. It's no doubt a B-crime thriller but it's still a good fun little short movie.

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.

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.

Released from San Quentin, slick and ingenious Gerald Mohr (as Charles "Chuck" Wheeler) travels from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. There, Mr. Mohr plans to carry out a $2 million dollar heist. He needs assistance from dangerous gangster Grant Richards (as Joe Darren), who runs the nightclub where blonde bombshell Mamie Van Doren (as Vi Victor) performs. All hell breaks loose when Mohr's steely-eyed cell-mate Lee Van Cleef (as Mike Bennett) escapes from prison. Having helped Mohr concoct the plot, he wants his share of the action...

The men must decide how to divide Ms. Van Doren and the money. They do well amid silly narration and lesser production values. Filmmakers Robert E. Kent and Edward L. Cahn know how to showcase Van Doren's notable assets. This is not one of better her acting vehicles, but Van Doren is arousing throughout. She has an outstanding lingerie scene and saunters two songs. Sung in a sultry Christmas scene, "Meet Me Half Way, Baby" is pedestrian, but "Anything Your Heart Desires" is a nicely staged (by Jack Baker) number for Van Doren.

***** Guns, Girls and Gangsters (1/59) Edward L. Cahn ~ Mamie Van Doren, Gerald Mohr, Lee Van Cleef, Grant Richards