Grade B cult fave from the producing King Bros (released by Monogram) has an unusually strong cast in Edmund Lowe, Anne Jeffreys, Elisha Cook & Eduardo Ciannelli, all in support of debuting tough guy Lawrence Tierney playing tough guy John Dillinger. But even with atmospheric noir lensing from the unheralded Jackson Rose & a surprise Oscar nom for scripter Philip Yordan, the film offers only modified rapture since director Max Nosseck can’t string more than two shots together without tripping up. This renders all the action sequences and robberies impossible to follow and with little dramatic charge. When in doubt, drop a shot. Still, the tone and swift story arc allow Tierney to come across in his scarifying way as does the grubby set design, especially a garret near the end of the pic.
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