Lady Gangster

"Lady Gangster" is a fun and fast B movie from Warner Brothers in 1942, and stars Faye Emerson, Julie Bishop, Frank Wilcox, Jackie Gleason, and Ruth Ford (Mrs. Zachary Scott).

Emerson plays Dot Burton, who was a decoy in a bank robbery. She winds up getting arrested, and an old friend from childhood (Wilcox) believes she's innocent. She isn't. Before she goes to jail, she steals the $40,000 from her cohorts and leaves it with her landlady.

This prison is like something out of Stage Door, with a common area and people knitting, dancing, and listening to the radio. Two women out to get Dot, Deaf Annie (Dorothy Adams) and her pal Lucy (Ruth Ford) have the lowdown on Dot thanks to Annie's lip-reading (total 2001: A Space Odyssey) and get her into lots of trouble.

Very entertaining.

I had a lot of fun watching this crime quickie from Warner Brothers studios. Lasting a rapidly paced 62 minutes, the film definitely entertains if your into the genre. Faye Emerson plays a would be actress who gets caught up with a gang of bank robbers and takes the rap for a $40,000 heist the gang pulled off. She ends up in jail and what follows is as many double crosses, prison spats, car chases and shootouts as you can possibly cram into 62 minutes. The film is directed with a nice flair for action by Robert Florey under the pseudonym of Florian Roberts. Good support for Emerson from a cast that includes Julie Bishop, Frank Wilcox, Ruth Ford(cute as a damn button) and a young Jackie Gleason. I must have really enjoyed this one as I couldn't believe how fast it flew by.

Dorothy Burton helps with a bank robbery and ends up in the slammer for it, while her radio presenter friend tries to help her get off. Faye Emerson plays Dorothy as well as more famous actresses would and is supported by a pretty good cast which includes a young Jackie Gleason and DeWolf Hopper (son of Hedda).

'Lady Gangster' is pretty formulaic, with an ending which stretches credibility, but its production values are fairly high, which always makes a film worth a look. Dorothy's conviction relies on some misunderstandings and a dog which doesn't belong - but we wouldn't want to begrudge her the scenes with the catty inmate and strong matron, or the scene where she's visited by her sister!

For a B-movie lasting only 62 minutes, this picture was surprisingly entertaining. Faye Emerson stars as a failed actress named "Dorothy Burton" who is almost broke and needs money. So she agrees to help three criminals rob a bank. The problem is that she gets caught. Even so, she remains loyal to her companions and refuses to tell the district attorney, "Lewis Sinton" (Herbert Rawlinson), anything. Now, rather than revealing what happens next and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it, I will simply say that Faye Emerson's performance was superb. Not only was she beautiful, but she also possessed an intangible and unique quality that was absolutely delightful. Be that as it may, in my opinion, this film didn't last nearly as long as I would have liked, and due to these time constraints, some scenes could have been played out a bit more effectively. In any case, if a person enjoys movies of this type from this particular era, I think they may be pleasantly surprised by this movie. Slightly above average.

The "B" films from major studios usually look far more glossy and professional than those turned out from Poverty Row, even when the subject matter is virtually identical. This is not to say that they are necessarily more entertaining. A fair case in point is this cleaned-up version of a gritty Barbara Stanwyck melodrama. It looks slick and it runs smooth, but although competently acted, it doesn't hold a candle to the more earthy original. Mind you, there are compensations. It's always good to see Faye Emerson in a lead role, and she receives great support from Julie Bishop, Dorothy Vaughan, Virginia Brissac and Vera Lewis. But it's Dorothy Adams, in a meaty role for once, who actually steals the acting honors. By contrast, the male players contribute considerably less to the movie's fair-enough success. Roland Drew makes an attempt at the chief villain, while Frank Wilcox takes aim at the hero. Both fall short. Jackie Gleason in a straight role here as one of the gangsters might have had a chance had his role not been so disappointingly small. Ever reliable Charles Wilson gets the nod instead.