UnowPriceless hyped garbage

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Phillim Like Bogie in 'The Harder They Fall', here good egg Edmund O'Brien is seduced by degrees into lowlife violent crime -- main motivation: an honest working man can't make it, so if yer smart enough to work a con you'd best get to getting', especially if invited in by a big player.Barry Kelly repulses as a small-time crime boss bully who fancies himself a legitimate businessman. Otto Kruger as the faux-elegant big-time crime boss nauseates, and Don Porter (Gidget's TV dad) as psycho wife-beater and wife-pimp, puts a bland smiley face on pure evil. As his punching bag, Joanne Dru -- beautiful, smart, dignified -- wins and breaks your heart. Robert Osterloh's reptilian hit-man is on target. Sammy White's simple-loyal 'best friend' exemplifies the powerlessness of all the bookies just in it for a decent living. Dorothy Patrick as the mind-my-own-business employee is glamorous and forceful as she wises up.The climax at Boulder/Hoover Dam can't compare with Hitchcock's thrilling finales at famous colossal landmarks, but is skillfully done, and suits the tone of the film. The script stays real and logical, the suspense earned -- all the more satisfying for being somewhat understated.Edmund O'Brien's nice-guy doughy everyman persona works well here -- he trusts the script to show the villainy and does not gild the lily. Smart actor.Honest script and dialogue respects and entertains the audience. It means to teach us how things function and malfunction in illegal horse- and dog-race betting, and succeeds painlessly. 'Preachy' bits exhorting America not to support illegal gambling are merely tacked on to the front and back -- and don't mar the film one iota. If there's any didactic message here, it's that honest work don't pay in today's (1950's) world.

blanche-2 "711 Ocean Drive" is an interesting '50s film noir set in Los Angeles. Edmond O'Brien stars as Mal Granger, a nice telephone repairman who is into a bookie for some gambling debts. The bookie makes a deal with him and, since he's a technician, has him do some modernization on the illegal gambling in the area that uses the wire service. The O'Brien character turns out to be pretty ambitious and greedy and starts making his way up the ladder in the syndicate. He does well until some guys from the East coast show up and want some of his action.The O'Brien character really changes from the beginning, when he's a relaxed, friendly guy. Then he becomes ruthless and murderous. O'Brien does a great job in making this change believable. There are also very good performances from Howard St. John as a police officer, Bert Freed as a hit man, and Otto Kruger as a mob boss. Joanne Dru is the object of Mal's affections, although she's married to someone else.Seeing Los Angeles in the '50s is one of the best parts of this film. Recommended for Edmond O'Brien, the scenery, and the noir style.

whpratt1 Enjoyed this great 1950 film starring Edmond O'Brien, ( Mal Granger) who plays the role of a telephone repair man with great skills in communications and all kinds of ability to set up telephone lines anywhere he so desires. Mal gets tired of his old routine job and meets up with his bookie who places his bets on the race track and offers him a very profitable job with the big time gambling bosses. Mal gets very powerful with all the bookies and begins to disturb the big shot bosses from other states and that is when Carl Stephens, (Otto Kruger) decides he is going to cut in on Mal Granger's business. Mal joins up with Carl Stephens and then gets himself involved with a married woman named Gail Mason, (Joanne Dru) and they fall madly in love with each other. There is many twists and turns in this film and you have some fantastic scenes all around Hoover Dam with non stop entertainment right to the very end. Enjoy.

BruceUllm Unless I have been taken in by some very good set design, there are several scenes filmed in the famed Musso-Frank's Grill on Hollywood Boulevard. It's been about 15 years since I was in there, but remember it very well: it's a time warp! Now that Chasen's is gone, Musso-Frank's remains one of the few fine old dining establishments in Los Angeles from the golden era of Hollywood. The place dates from 1919 and the decor is timeless. Sort of a 1930's feel to it. The bar is a special treat. You can imagine dialogue from a period movie spoken in such a setting.I still remember the wonderful vodka martini (straight up, two olives) that I got there. One (or two) of those and you can almost forget the present, save for the prices, of course!