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| Cliff Robertson | ... |
Tolly Devlin
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Dolores Dorn | ... |
Cuddles
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Beatrice Kay | ... |
Sandy
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Paul Dubov | ... |
Gela
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| Robert Emhardt | ... |
Earl Connors
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| Larry Gates | ... |
John Driscoll
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Richard Rust | ... |
Gus Cottahee
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Gerald Milton | ... |
Gunther
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Allan Gruener | ... |
Smith
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| David Kent | ... |
Tolly - Aged 14
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Tina Pine | ... |
Woman
(as Tina Rome)
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Sally Mills | ... |
Connie Fowler
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Robert P. Lieb | ... |
Officer
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Neyle Morrow | ... |
Barney
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Henry Norell | ... |
Prison Dr. Meredeth
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Fourteen-year-old Tolly Devlin sees four hoods beat his father to death. Twenty years later, the killers have risen to the top of the crime syndicate and Tolly has a plan for revenge. Written by Erik Gregersen <[email protected]>
Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Sam Fuller's movies have an edgy, reckless quality to them, as if lacking propriety. Which is good. What Underworld U.S.A. lacks in subtlety it makes up for in surprise and a kind of sultry sizzle, something very different than more usual "romance" that other crime and noir movies have. There is some second rate acting throughout, but if you accept some of this as "style" and go with the flow, it's click along nicely. In fact, the lack of star power makes the film a hair more everyday, and therefor a hair more realistic in a good way. And the lead male going solo through much of it is first rate, Cliff Robertson.
Not that this is actually believable--it feels contrived all the way--but it has a modern interpersonal selfishness and sometimes cruelty that is fun to watch. The plot? Great enough. But the searing looks, the slaps, the brooding closeups. This is movie-making! Certainly an influence on Tarantino.
As a black and white crime film with a slightly low budget feel, this naturally comes labelled as a film noir. And there are some similarities. But it's also a crime drama, more directly, and it explores (and exploits) the violence of cops and robbers circa 1960. There a lot of unsavory types involved, and some crisp filming. If you like other Sam Fuller films, you'll like this one.