From Cinema Retro
Ed here: This is based on a fine little Jack Finney Dell pb original. BTW Lee is right is citing Brian Keith for his work here. He really never did get his due as a dramatic actor. I caught him recently in a
anold "Fugitive" as a wife stalker would be-killer and he was chilling.
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By Lee Pfeiffer
Sony has released the 1955 crime drama 5 Against the House as a burn-to-order DVD. The little-remembered film is interesting on a number of levels and boasts an impressive, eclectic cast. The low-budget flick depicts four young ex-G.I.s who fought in Korea who return to the States and enroll in college. Al (Guy Madison) is a straight-as-an-arrow type who is engaged to sultry nightclub singer Kay (Kim Novak). Ronnie (Kerwin Matthews) is a brainy upstart with delusions of grandeur and a superiority complex. Roy (Alvy Moore) is an affable joker who is very much a follower, not a leader. Brick (Brian Keith) is the most troubled of the group. He bares psychological problems from his combat experience and has a hair-trigger temper. The guys' only vices are taking an occasional trip to Reno, Nevada and engaging in some minor gambling and womanizing. However, Ronnie concocts an audacious plan to prove he can outwit the authorities and rob a casino.
for the whole piece go here:http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php
for the whole piece go here:http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php
I agree that 5 AGAINST THE HOUSE is a nifty B that deserves more attention than it's gotten, and that Keith's performance is outstanding. Correction re the novel, though: it was published first in hardcover by Doubleday, then reprinted in pb by Dell.
ReplyDeleteReminiscent of Ocean's Eleven. Last I saw Novak was in Vertigo.
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