The Hoodlum (1951)

Hoodlum Glum!

The Hoodlum is directed by Max Nosseck and written by Sam Neuman and Nat Tanchuck. It stars Lawrence Tierney, Allene Roberts, Marjorie Riordan, Edward Tierney and Lisa Golm. Music is by Darrell Calker and cinematography by Clark Ramsey.

Career criminal Vincent Lubeck (L. Tierney) is paroled five years into a ten year stretch for armed robbery. Moving in with his Mother (Golm) and Brother Johnny (E. Tierney), he goes to work for Johnny pumping gas at the family gas station. Sure enough though, with a bank over the road from the gas station, it's not long before Vincent is up to his old tricks again.

"It's like a kid working in a candy factory. First he tastes everything that comes along, after a while the only thing he touches is the silver wrapped stuff. Then he's sick of that and he looks for something real special - like you!"

Real life tough guy Lawrence Tierney slots seamlessly into another portrayal of a remorseless thug, the actor and the characterisation at home in such a low budget short length (61 minutes) feature. Vincent doesn't care about who he tramples on, he is all about self preservation. Using family and women alike to further his ends, it's the character's traits that give the pic its edgy appeal.

In the mix is sexual menace, bolstered by Calker's imposing music which paints the picture for us. Suicide features, as of course does murder and robbery, so the makers get some good story strands into the hour long play, but they feel like vignettes, with so many promising ideas undeveloped.

Things aren't helped by the poor acting around L. Tierney, while crude back projection and old stock footage shots compound the cheap feel of it all. Ramsey's photography is suitably dark in filters, befitting the story of course, but the key robbery scene is poorly constructed by Nosseck to leave the viewer confused as well as disappointed.

There's still enough to enjoy here for fans of 50s crime or noir in tone pictures, and it's a must for fans of big bad Lawrence, even if ultimately it's just a short sharp shock type filler piece. 6/10