New Orleans Uncensored

William Castle directed this 1955 film, New Orleans Uncensored, filmed on location. It stars Arthur Franz, Michael Ansara, and Beverly Garland.

Dan Corbett (Franz), a Navy vet, buys a dilapidated government ship and looks for a job so that he can keep up with the payments and fix it up.

What he runs into is a racketeer, Zero Saxon (Michael Ansara) who is stealing cargo and switching it with phony cargo. Many people are on the take and afraid of Saxon's ruthless killers.

Dan befriends Joe Reilly and his wife Marie, unaware that Joe is on the take. When he tries to quit, he is murdered. Dan winds up working for Saxon, but then helps the cops investigate Saxon, putting himself in danger.

This is done with some narration, very common for this type of film done in the '50s. Also several of the local politicians played themselves.

New Orleans' crooked government and police force is well known. In fact, a family friend, a civil rights attorney, had to move north to keep from being killed.

The film is well done. Both Garland and Saxon's girlfriend (Helene Stanton) had short blond hair - a mistake, as they looked too similar.

Beverly Garland, as Joe's unhappy wife, does a great job. She was one of my favorite people- I was privileged to meet and interview her. She was a delightful, upbeat woman with a wonderful sense of humor and fantastic anecdotes about her years in show business. I miss her.

Convincing story of docklands pilfering racket with actual pols playing themselves, narrated at start and finish. Lots of shots of New Orleans, not all of them flattering. There is a prolonged climax with fast pace, twists and violence starting when he kills the guy. The protagonist becomes an expert on police work when he takes his findings to the authorities.

Dan Corbett (Arthur Franz, "The Sniper") is an ex-sailor from California who's come to New Orleans to buy a boat and start a business. In need of a steady supply of money, he finds work on the docks, and ultimately becomes aware of the complex schemes being engineered by local racketeer Floyd "Zero" Saxon (Michael Ansara, "The Doll Squad").

Although this routine B crime picture is no great shakes in terms of direction (by William Castle) or script, it still remains pretty watchable, thanks largely to its setting (the film is partly a little love letter to New Orleans) and to its solid cast, which also includes lovely ladies Beverly Garland ("Not of This Earth") and Helene Stanton ("The Big Combo"), Stacy Harris ('Dragnet'), William Henry ("The Thin Man"), Michael Granger ("Creature with the Atom Brain"), Ed Nelson ('Peyton Place'), and notable tough-guy character actor Mike Mazurki ("Some Like It Hot"). A few of the local personalities also have roles in the film as authority figures.

In any event, "New Orleans Uncensored" is short & fairly snappy, with convincing atmosphere and some decent action sequences. (Such as the big brawl that erupts early on the picture.) Much like other 1950s movies, it's told semi-documentary style, with a narrators' voice turning up here and there.

Six out of 10.

...so I'm watching this B-grade waterfront drama and suddenly I see Ed Nelson in a fight scene. Ed went on to star in dozens of tv shows in the 50's and 60's. Excellent actor.

But let's not forget Arthur Franz, who was also quite good. Released the year I was born, I was too young to see 'New Orleans Uncensored' at the local theater, though I begged mommy and daddy to take me.

Did I pitch a fit...My first tantrum. Oh well, I had to settle on a Disney flick years later.

'Son of Flubber', I think.

Hey, I just had a thought. How many people who posted a review on this website fifteen or twenty years ago are still alive? Am I still alive as you read this? Who knows...

Similar to its Brother-Genre "Police Procedural", is the Sub-Genre that Emerged in the Low-Budget World of B-Movies in the 50's were "Exposes" with Sub-Titles like "Uncensored, Confidential, Exposed" Etc.

Usually Attached to a Big-City or Big-Corps (Garments, Docks) that Organized Crime Infiltrated after the Repeal of Prohibition.

Most were Unremarkable, although a Few like "Kansas City Confidential" (1955) and "The Phenix City Story" (1955) are Bona-Fide Classics of the Genre.

This One, takes an Obvious Cue from "On the Waterfront" (1952) the Marlon Brando Award Winner.

It Pales in Comparison but does have a Certain Gravitas Helped by B-Movie Stalwart Director William Castle.

Arthur Franz who Made quite an Impression in the Psychological, Pathological, Film-Noir "The Sniper" (1952), is Solid as the Protagonist.

Also some Good Character Actors like Mike Mazurki, Michael Ansara, and B-Movie Babe Beverly Garland Help this Rise Above Average.

The On-Location New Orleans Footage Helps Set the Stage and the Movie Contains some Genuine Intrigue of Mob Infiltration, On the Docks Violence, and Worker Intimidation.

Overall, Better than Most.