Machine-Gun Kelly

Plot synopsis:
We open with the title and credits over newspaper headlines and gun images and a jazz score. The opening scene is the Main Street of a small town and George "Machine Gun" Kelly (Charles Bronson) wearing coveralls and a hat. He is carrying a musical instrument case and walking towards a bank. He sees the word "Funeral" in a store window, winces, and turns away to light his cigarette. Anything associated with death or dying upsets him. He enters the back seat of a stolen car driven by two men. The three men drive to the Lebanon bank. They enter and rob the bank. The driver, Maize (Wally Compo) and passenger, Howard (Jack Lambert) assist Kelly with their elaborately planned and timed robbery. They discard their clothes and weapons and the loot is passed to a fourth man, Michael "Fanny" Fandango (Morey Amsterdam). Kelly exits the getaway car and meets up with a waiting Florence "Flo" Becker (Susan Cabot) in her car.A couple are stopped at a police road block and wait their turn for questioning. Harriet (Mitzi McCall) and Teddy (uncredited) are asked about a car and three men. Harriet is a little confused, and they are allowed on their way. Flo and Kelly drive up and wait for questioning. Flo is cautious but unconcerned. Kelly is angry and resentful and his attitude raises suspicion. A police call informs the roadblock officers that the car they are looking for has been found, abandoned. Before things escalate between Kelly and the police they are sent on their way.Kelly and Flo stop at a gas station along the road. They chat with an accomplice, Harry (Frank DeKova). Harry has a drinking problem, a character weakness Kelly exploits. Harry collects animals for his roadside zoo. He has a mountain lion he claims he captured himself, with a little help. Harry demands his $200 fee for his part in the robbery, but Kelly is reluctant to pay him. An encounter with Harry's cat convinces him otherwise. Harry gets his money, but also a beating for the way he convinced Kelly to pay. In addition, he gets a healthy scratch from his pet.The headlines in the local newspaper claim that $41,000 was taken. Flo loves to flirt, because she likes men, and she knows it annoys Kelly. The gang reassembles at a hotel room and waits for Fanny, a nickname Fandango really dislikes, to arrive with the money. When he does finally show he is short about $5,000. Fanny was holding out and they find it in his money belt. At police headquarters, Detectives Clinton (Michael Fox) and Drummond (Larry Thor) meet with a witness to go over mug books. At the hideout, Howard annoys Kelly with a jade figurine of death. He also knows that any mention of death sets Kelly off. The gang is getting a little stir crazy. Flo returns from casing a bank for their next job. Flo informs Kelly that Fandango plans to avenge himself for his rough treatment by Kelly. Kelly meets with Fanny at Harry's gas station. After a brief chat, Kelly pushes Fanny against the mountain lion's cage. His arm is mauled and will be amputated later.The gang reviews their plans for the bank robbery. An armored car with a large construction payroll delivery is planned, and they intend to intercept it. Flo will block traffic with her car as the others rob the bank. Howard enters the bank and will use a bathroom break as a pretense to get near the vault. Kelly walks towards the bank. The delivery of a coffin to a local funeral parlor spooks him and he retreats unable to complete his part of the robbery. The vault guard notices Howard and a gun fight ensues. The bank manager is killed and the guard chases Howard out of the bank. Kelly finally arrives at the bank but it is too late and he flees. Howard and Maize drive off with Joe (uncredited) and his driver in hot pursuit. They were supposed to pick up the construction payroll. They stopped earlier to assist Flo with her "inoperable" car. In the hail of bullets, one manages to hit Maize and he loses control of the getaway car and crashes. Howard escapes on foot with a non-lethal bullet wound. Kelly and Flo hide out at Flo's mom's house.Ma Becker (Connie Gilchrist) greets her daughter, Flo, and takes an instant dislike to Kelly. She tells her daughter, "You never could pick your men, could you?" Flo's mom is a Madame and runs a house of prostitution. She has five girls working for her, including Martha (Shirley Falls). Kelly and Flo sit down for a meal and we meet her Dad, Frank (George Archambeault). Frank gives Kelly a drink and talks. When Kelly sees a tattoo of a skull and crossed bones on Frank's hand he immediately shuns Flo's father. Mrs. Becker just loves to needle Kelly and remind her daughter that she isn't a very good judge of men, even crooked ones.Flo stops at a bar and is noticed by Philip Ashton (Jay Sayer). He was waiting for her, and invites himself to join her at her table for a drink and a chat. He explains that he is, "A friend of Michael's...you call him Fandango, I believe." He informs Flo that Howard blames Kelly for the botched bank job and he intends to kill him. Ashton also informs Flo that Fandango lost his arm. He closes with a warning that Howard and his new gang wants Kelly out of the bank robbery business.At the house, the girls are entertaining Kelly. Martha has taken a real shine to Kelly. When Flo gets back to the house she expresses her disapproval. She slaps Kelly and gets slapped in return as she is explaining that Howard intends to kill Kelly. Flo reminds Kelly that the botched job was Kelly's fault, but she helps him locate Howard and his new gang. Mrs. Becker continues to needle Kelly after which he visits Howard and his new gang and kills them all while they are playing poker. Kelly decides there isn't enough profit in bank robbery and decides more money can be made with kidnap for ransom.Flo and Kelly wait in their car outside a school to intercept a little girl. Sheryl Vito (Lori Martin as Dawn Menzer) is the last to exit the school. The kidnappers talk to the little girl while she looks for and waits on her nurse/governess, Lynn Grayson (Barboura Morris) who happens along just as the girl is abducted. Since the ransom note is already being delivered, Flo's suggestion to abandon the plan is overruled. They decide to kidnap both. While Flo escorts the girl into the car, Kelly pulls a gun on Lynn and coerces the nurse into the car. They drive off and meet up with another accomplice, Apple (Richard Devon). All but Flo leave in Apple's car. Flo goes home to pick up clothes and supplies. The gang holes up in a house in the country. Kelly explains the rules to Lynn, and under duress Lynn cooperates fully. A radio broadcast reports Lynn as being an accomplice in the kidnapping, as this was her first day on the job. Also reported is the fact that a ransom note was delivered to Mr. Andrew Vito (Robert Griffin), but no details were released.Flo arrives with her mom and dad in tow. Kelly is upset, as he doesn't like Flo's parents, but Mrs. Becker explains that, "The child is probably cold, frightened, and hungry, and I'm not leaving until I see that she's all right." Mrs. Becker brings the little girl a doll and reassures the pair they'll be all right if they just do as they are told. Lynn attracts the roving eye of Apple, who pesters her. His untoward sexual attention is deflected by Kelly's intervention with his machine gun. He orders Apple to, "Go outside and look around." Lynn thanks Kelly and is informed she will be a lot of trouble. Mr. Vito's voice comes in on the radio. He is speaking to the gang and tells them he wasn't able to get the phone number to contact them. Flo is sent back to the store to contact her father to make another call to Mr. Vito.At the local general store the owner is talking to the local policeman, Freddy (Ted Thorpe). Flo walks in to exchange cigarettes she purchased earlier, and to make her phone call. Freddy talks to Flo to inquire about who she is and why she's in the area. Flo asks for a sack of flour to be put in the car. This task gives her a chance to make her phone call unheard. The cop noses around her car, then sees her off. After she drives away, the cop returns to the store to call in. He suspects something and asks the operator about the last call made from the general store phone. He then asks to be connected to the state police to report his findings. When Flo gets back and tells her story about the cop, Kelly gets suspicious and decides to take everyone to Harry's gas station.The two detectives get a lead on the bar where Flo met with Philip Ashton. They check up on anyone associated with Maize or Howard, now both dead. At the gas station Kelly decides to add Fandango to the caper. He intends to clean up some loose ends and knows given the opportunity Fanny will seek revenge. He wants Fanny to pick up the money from Mr. Vito. Flo and Kelly get into an argument about their life together. Kelly strikes Flo, which brings Apple to her rescue. He knocks Kelly to the floor. Apple asks Flo, "Flo, baby, you want a new man now?" "Sure," is her response. Harry helps Kelly to his feet and gets rebuffed for his trouble. Kelly gives Harry a beating, and as Apple intervenes, Kelly draws his gun on him. The treacherous Flo returns to Kelly, leaving Apple angry, confused and unarmed. Kelly shoots and kills Apple and asks Harry to remove the body. Kelly phones Fandango to engage his services for the ransom pick up. Fanny, now missing his left arm, agrees and leaves the bar. He is picked up and taken to police headquarters. He is questioned, but isn't very cooperative and escapes before he can be followed. A short time later he calls the police to tell them of Kelly's involvement in the kidnapping. Kelly sends Harry to escort Fanny back to the gas station after he collects the money. Kelly doesn't trust Fanny and he is right in his assessment. He informs Flo that he intends to kill his hostages and leave the country with the money.The police arrange the drop and order the arrest of Flo's parents. Mr. Vito drops the money into a trash barrel and a short time later Fanny picks it up and departs the area. Harry intercepts his quarry and escorts him back to the station at gun point. Kelly awakes on the bottom bed of a bunk bed and images he's in a coffin. He panics and begins screaming and shooting. Fanny makes a run for the door but is stopped by Harry. The police announce they've surrounded the station. Fanny gleefully volunteers that he ratted them out. He eggs Kelly on to shoot it out with the police. That gets him shot and killed by Harry. Harry then shoots at the police and is killed by their marksmen. Flo then confronts the police and threatens to kill the hostages. She is informed her parents are under arrest. His cowardice showing, Kelly thinks he can negotiate with the police to avoid death. Kelly knocks Flo out, blaming her for all his troubles. The police enter and arrest Kelly and Flo and free the hostages. We close with a close up of Kelly's machine gun on a card table.

Tags: cult, violence

Review:
George Kelly is a small-time crook looking to make some big newspaper headlines to impress his imposing moll Flo. After one successful bank robbery after another, one turns into a botch job with Kelly's phobia of death leaving on his men dead and the other wanting his blood.
"Machine-Gun Kelly" is another fine example of perfect film-making on a minimal budget and time restraint, where he's still able to deliver a sturdy, brisk and fleshed-out b-gangster film with a professional touch.
One of the major curiosities however, would be that of Charles Bronson's sterling performance as George "Machine-Gun" Kelly.
A unique crime story -- a small-time thief (Bronson) is turned into a legend by his tough-as-nails moll (Cabot).
"Machine Gun" robs a chain of banks and finally turns his ambitions to kidnapping -- hounded all the way by a compulsive fear of death.
A tight, efficient telling of a memorable tale, peopled with all sorts of interesting characters (the gas station owner/accomplice who keeps a deadly menagerie behind the garage, Cabot's mom who keeps telling Kelly what a disappointment he is because he hasn't broken into the "big time", etc.).
Interestingly, this film takes the gangster genre beyond film noir (finally, after 3 decades) by making his characters not only self-loathing but WORTHY of self-loathing!One of Corman's very best films as a director..
"Pop Gun" Kelly and Morey's best performance in film.
If you watch this movie to understand the story about the kidnapping of Oklahoma oil magnate Charlie Urchell in 1933 by George "Machine Gun" Kelly and his gang, you are going to be disappointed.
But aside for one moment at the tail end of this movie where an F.B.I. man summarizes Kelly correctly (he calls him "Pop Gun" for his lack of real courage) this film is totally wrong about the story - it basically jettisons it.That isn't necessarily bad.
Here we are watching the rise and fall of a criminal legend, played well by Charles Bronson, and directed with some restraint by Roger Corman.
Given acceptance of Corman's production value limits and the script's, Amsterdam's Fandango is a really vicious character, and a welcome surprise to people who just recall the marvelous comic performer.
Machine Gun Kelly is directed by Roger Corman and written by Robert Wright Campbell.
It stars Charles Bronson, Susan Cabot, Morey Amsterdam, Jack Lambert, Frank DeKova and Connie Gilchrist.
George Francis Barnes Junior, AKA: Machine Gun Kelly, was a prohibition era American hoodlum, this movie is an interpretation of his time in the public enemy limelight.
The makers paint Kelly as something of a weak willed type of guy who is impotent without his Thompson Submachine Gun. This is a man firmly dangling on the end of the puppet strings being twirled and pulled by his Moll, Flo Becker.
Oh he's not beyond slapping his woman around, or bullying one of his weaker willed accomplices, but Corman and Campbell assure us that Kelly is not to be gloried, even giving him a pathological fear of dying that shows him in this movie form as something of a coward.
Of course this is just a movie, and for historical facts and figures et al, folks are warned this is not a biography to use as a starting point to explore Kelly's reputation Bronson as Kelly is wonderfully broody and he handles the fluctuations in Kelly's psyche with convincing skill.
Cabot as Flo is a sex-bomb, and deviously appealing with it she is as well, while Amsterdam gets to play a character so colourful and kinked, it wouldn't be out of place in classic era film noir.
Machine Gun Kelly (1958) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Low budget gangster film has Charles Bronson playing the title character, a harden criminal who always has his Thompson machine gun in hand but he also has a fear of being killed.
This Roger Corman quickie is pretty good throughout, although the film really doesn't offer anything new the to the genre.
The most interesting thing about watching this movie today is seeing the young Bronson give a performance, which he certainly wouldn't give after becoming a star.
Susan Cabot is very good as Bronson's girlfriend, a dirty little girl who doesn't mind looking at other men.
The action is very good throughout and the film has a great music score but I wish it had tried something a little different every once in a while.
Many people have a certain degree of affection for Roger Corman's schlock classics, "Little Shop of Horrors," and "Bucket of Blood." "Machine Gun Kelly" was slightly earlier than those two, and it has a more conventional genre structure.
None of us would think of Charles Bronson as a great actor, but he was a step up from Corman's usual stock company.
Supporting roles are well cast, especially Morey Amsterdam as "Fandango,"  Connie Gilchrest as Flo's mother, and Frank DeKova as the tall tale spouting but cowardly gas station owner.
Of course there are Corman regulars in the cast, such as Barboura Morris, Wally Campo, and one time Universal starlet, Susan Cabot (who overacts as usual).
Seeing the movie 50 years later, I now know that Bronson can smile and squint at the same time.
If anything, it's a worthy homage to the tommy-gun inspired gangster flicks of the 1930s, done without pretension and with a gutsy leading man.Charles Bronson stars in the title role, and it's by some of Bronson's own ingenuity with a part like this, and on the part of the script to try and add a little dimension to what could've been a one-dimensional crook into a somewhat sympathetic criminal.
While this leaves a little character development up for grabs, and some of the usual lot of not too great acting, there's some real fire going on in the conventional storytelling.All around, a terrific little B-movie, probably one of Corman's best (in short, not at all a disappointment, especially for those looking for a great early Bronson in tip top shape, and with some range of emotions to boot)..
Save your time and bucks by going straight to this excellent crime thriller.See Bronson create the screen persona that would stay with him the rest of his long career.
Bronson shines as the notorious and tough as nails Machine Gun Kelly.
I'm not sure how accurate this was to the real life of Machine Gun, but Bronson brings to life his character in a way that grabbed the attention of a young Hollywood.If you love the tough guy Bronson and are trying to add to your collection, skip most of his later films (Assasination, 10 to Midnight, Kinjite, Messenger...)and go straight for Machine Gun Kelly.
Bronson Turns Punk and Morey Goes Gay. For anyone who's looking for the real story of George 'Machine-Gun' Kelly they'll be in for a disappointment.
Both the major studios and independents like Roger Corman took a crack at all their stories.Although Kelly in real life was as big a punk as Charles Bronson plays him here, this is not his real story by a mile.
He turns out in the film to be very good at bullying people, but when in a fight for his life, does a begging act that hadn't seen a cinematic equal since James Cagney turned yellow going to the chair in Angels With Dirty Faces.The one with the real gonads in the outfit is his wife played by Susan Cabot.
She's a woman who's been handling his type for years.The most interesting character in the film is Morey Amsterdam playing the flamboyantly gay Fandango, Kelly mob member.
This was a time when gay was practically invisible and only an independent producer/director like Roger Corman in 1958 would have had a gay character.Would that Amsterdam played a positive role model or that a positive role model was in the film to counterbalance.
Over twenty years later there was a great hue and cry over the film Cruising and that would have been nothing had Machine-Gun Kelly come out then.
Machine-Gun Kelly is far from the best work that either Roger Corman or Charles Bronson ever did.
"Machine Gun Kelly" had one more minute before I was going to turn it off.
Then I found out what a raging a-hole Machine Gun Kelly (Charles Bronson) was.
From the 50's movies I've been watching the good looking female roles have been reserved for blonds.I liked these two characters but I had problems with the plot.
Machine-Gun Kelly & his boys, along with his girl Flo, are becoming successful at knocking over banks, but distrust among the ranks leads to double crossing & murder.
So soon Kelly scales down his crew & turns to kidnapping.Charles Bronson, in his first leading role, stands out as a tough lead with secret vulnerabilities, and Susan Cabot is sharp, mouthy, & predictably gorgeous as his girlfriend.
'Machine-Gun Kelly' is pretty fine film-noir directed by no other than great sleaze fest master Roger Corman with Charles Bronson in his first leading role and Susan Cabot as his on-screen partner in crime.
The film is loosely based on real life criminal George 'Machine-Gun' Kelly (in real life Kelly never killed anyone for example).
Bronson does fantastic job as fictionalized 'yellow' gangster Kelly who is nothing without his gun.
Crosby's beautiful cinematography.'Machine-Gun Kelly' upon its release brought director Roger Corman his first serious critical praise..
These are all terrific movies, and then I haven't even yet mentioned all the guilty pleasures (like "Murphy's Law", "Telefon", "The Stone Killer"), but now I can safely guarantee that you simply haven't seen the true nature and versatile talents of Charlie Bronson before you've seen "Machine Gun Kelly"!
This is truly a spectacular one-man tour-de-force performance that provides more than enough evidence that Bronson can carry an entire film, memorize a scenario full of dialogues and bring depth and personality to a seemingly bland character!
Not only did this man discover numerous of greatly talented people and offered them their first chances in the film industry, he often also provided them the opportunity to demonstrate their versatility and potential, like here with Charles Bronson.
For those too lazy to read Wikipedia (and I don't blame you), George "Machine Gun" Kelly was a real gangster during the 1920s and 1930s, active around the same time as other infamous and often heard names like John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson.
That may be true, but still I 'm sure that both Corman and Bronson carefully studied the personality and factual crime cases that George Kelly committed in great detail, because it's too intense and plausible to be invented by a scriptwriter.
In fact, if you watch both "Machine Gun Kelly" and also "The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre" (1967), you find it almost regrettable that he didn't make any more factual mafia/gangster sagas.
Bronson's performance is one of the most impressive ones I've ever seen in a low-budgeted B-movie.
One of the more overstated was George "Machine Gun" Kelly--a mostly unsuccessful loser of a criminal who is given star treatment here in a low- budgeted Roger Corman film.
So understand...much of what you see is fiction...especially the way Charles Bronson plays the guy like he was a complete psycho.
It IS enjoyable to watch...just understand it's really not a history lesson!In the film, Kelly mostly threatens and kills his criminal associates with the exception of his girlfriend.
However, having just watched MACHINE-GUN KELLY, a true-life biopic of a Prohibition-era gangster, I have to say that I feel Corman's efforts were best suited to the horror and sci-fi genres.The problem with MACHINE-GUN KELLY is that it just isn't very interesting.
Sure, there are some decent sequences along the way, including a couple of exciting bank robberies and some interesting interludes with a big cat, but that's about it.The focus of the film seems to be on characterisation, and in particular providing a character assassination of Kelly himself.
Charles Bronson is great fun, of course, and it's nice to see him being more expressive than he would be in later years, but he has little to work with and long stretches of the film fall flat..
The movie is so so but the acting of Charles Bronson shines even in this early career low budget film.The movie is made by American International Pictures that produced many low budget movies of the '50s with varying qualities.
Charles Bronson was on the verge of breaking big with this movie.
He plays a mean character, but he has charisma that's not of a rough gangster without principles.The production of the movie is woefully basic, but actors are good, and the way the scene changes is very different from the movies made today, which gives the feeling of nostalgia.
Tedious, low budget gangster biopic of interest mainly to Roger Corman fans.
Susan Cabot turns in another of her strangely charismatic performances as Kelly's moll.Veteran bad guy Jack Lambert is well cast as a surly gangster, with Morey Amsterdam a bit incongruous as one of the mob.
The most memorable character might well be Connie Gilchrist as the bordello madam ,who is the mother of Kelly's girlfriend.
This movie is mainly of interest to Roger Corman cultists and Charles Bronson fans.
Machine-Gun Kelly, Baby Face Nelson, Legs Diamond and Pretty Boy Floyd are some examples.
Gangster movies were particularly popular in the 1950s and during the period 1957-1960, movies about each of the aforementioned anti-heroes were released.Roger Corman's "Machine-Gun Kelly" provides a fast-paced and exciting account of Kelly's career after he'd graduated from bootlegging to bank robbery and although not everything depicted is factual the characterisation of him as being dominated by his girlfriend and having an inordinate fear of death and everything associated with it (e.g. coffins, wreaths, a tattoo of a skull and crossbones etc.) is undoubtedly more accurate.George "Machine-Gun" Kelly (Charles Bronson) and two other gang members carry out a bank robbery during which Kelly kills a security guard.
The three men make a well-planned escape by dumping evidence as they travel and switching cars before Kelly meets his girlfriend Flo (Susan Cabot) and they successfully get through a police checkpoint before returning to their hideout close to "Harry's Gas Stop".
His weakness in allowing himself to be dominated by the manipulative Flo, who had openly ridiculed and taunted him, also left his destiny in the hands of someone who was utterly self-centred and driven by greed and ambition.Charles Bronson in his first starring role capably shows the various sides of Kelly's character and Morey Amsterdam provides the best of the supporting performances.
Roger Corman's legendary skill at directing on low budgets is evident throughout this movie and the way in which the first robbery is filmed stands out as being economical, effective and quite original..
This film however, one of five he made in 1958, is firmly a B Movie that has not dated well.An episodic, over ambitious story appears in staccato form ,part of an otherwise technically proficient and effective production.Charles Bronson plays the eponymous role with a brooding viciousness which he would reprise in the 1970's in the, "Death Wish" series.
Yet his girlfriend, gangsters moll, Susan Cabot steals the film as Flo Becker, his hard bitten side kick.
(Some Spoilers) Early Roger Corman AIP collaboration that comes across pretty good with a cool jazzy score by Gerald Fried.
We find out right away that this killer of a gangster George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Charles Bronson, is anything but a killer when he freezes at the sight of a bouquet of flowers at a local Lebanon funeral home.
This happens at the start of the movie when Kelly and his gang are about to knock off a bank.
Ripping off $41,000.00 in the bank robbery the gangs pick-up man Mike "Fanny" Fandango, Morey Amsterdam, takes $6,000.00 for himself before Kelly and his gang have time to split up the take.Outraged at Fanny's two-timing Kelly later, after working him over, has Fanny served up for lunch to a caged mountain lion who ends up ripping off his left arm.
It's this act of unnecessary violence that in the end, according to the movie, has Fanny turn against Kelly which leads to his retirement as a big time gangster.
It's later in the movie during another attempted robbery in the small Oklahoma town of Elizabeth Kelly once more screws up.
Kelly panicked when he sees a coffin being delivered to a funeral home, they always seem to pop up at the wrong time for Kelly in the movie, which in the series of events that follows cause his wheel-man Maize, Wally Campo, to end up getting shot to death after a wild car chase.Howard, Jack Lambert, who was in the bank when Kelly, who was to help him rob it, chickened out escaped.
It took Kelly's gun moll Flo Becker, Susan Cabot, to get the wimpy hoodlum to get his courage back by taunting him in what a gutless coward he really was.Hiding out from the police at Flo's mom's Ma' Becker, Connie Gilchrist, home Kelly dreams up a new scheme in making big bucks without the dangers of robbing banks; kidnapping.
Whatever happened to Fanny next, getting his brains blown out from behind, had nothing to do with Machine Gun Kelly who was too chicken to do anything with the cops and FBI men shooting up the place.
A terrified Kelly ended up cowering in a corner and weeping like a little boy as the lawmen finally put the cuffs on him and took this poor excuse of a gangster.Unlike the legendary hoods of that time, Dillinger Pretty Boy Floyd and Bonnie and Clyde, George "Machine Gun" Kelly lived to eventually die in bed not in a blazing shootout with the local police or FBI Agents.
Kelly's who life as a fearless gunslinging, with his tommy gun, gangster was all a myth made up by his gun moll and partner in crime Flo Becker.