King of the Roaring 20's - The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Joseph M. Newman

Writers:

Leo Katcher (book)
Jo Swerling (writer)

Release Date:

11 June 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The Roaring 20's. The Vice-Ridden Years Of The Jazz-Mad Era!

Plot:

The story of flamboyant Prohibition-era gangster, gambler and bootlegger Arnold Rothstein.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Independent Film | Based On Book | Character Name In Title

Cast

David Janssen	...	Arnold Rothstein
Dianne Foster	...	Carolyn Green
Mickey Rooney	...	Johnny Burke
Jack Carson	...	Timothy W. 'Big Tim' O'Brien
Diana Dors	...	Madge
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Phil Butler
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Jim Kelly
Keenan Wynn	...	Tom Fowler
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Abraham Rothstein
William Demarest	...	Henry Hecht
Murvyn Vye	...	Williams
Regis Toomey	...	Bill Baird
Robert Ellenstein	...	Lenny
Teri Janssen	...	Joanie
Jim Baird	...	Arnold Rothstein as young boy

Also Known As:

The Big Bankroll (UK)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Bischoff-Diamond Corporation

Trivia:

Final film of Jack Carson.

" If you're going places, . . you gotta look ahead "

When I first started going to the movies, I found many actors who had such charisma, I found I was overwhelmed with their persona. Thus it was when I came to select, David Janssen as my all time favorite star. I have seen every movie he has ever made. The good, the bad and the ones I believe, he should have passed by. This is one such film. I so admire Janssen that he is super cool as a private detective, like Richard Diamond, crafty as O'Hara Treasury Agent and he is ultra believable as the innocent escapee, in the TV series, The Fugitive. But although he portrayed 1920's gangster Arnold Rothstein, he is far from threatening enough to personify the infamous double dealing, backstabbing hoodlum who became notorious during the age of the flapper. Furthermore, his sidekick Johnny Burke (Mickey Rooney) played his role as an ignorant stooge and thus garnered more sympathy, than admiration. Finally there was Dan O'Hererlihy, terrific as many an Irishman, but overbearing as a corrupt cop. Ultimately, the story of Arnold Rothstein, social criminal and despicable character, will have to wait until, Hollywood finds somebody, deplorable enough to be hated for what he really was. That surely was not my favorite thespian. **