Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

edwagreen A very good plot is offset by horrendous acting in this film.As far as the gang of criminals, bring in West Side Story, Rebel Without A Cause or even The Deadend Kids. The acting by many of the thespians is quite amateurish.Jeffrey Hunter is miscast as a man who witnesses a murder and agrees to testify. The gang goes on a campaign of terror and harassment against his family. The gang members act in an inane way and don't take their parts serious enough.The problems of urban decay are barely shown here. The cleaning lady, mother of one of the reluctant members of the gang, speaks as though she is a guidance counselor.The weaknesses of our criminal justice system are exposed here. The film might have been better served if it had been told in documentary-like form.

jefbecco I think that people miss the historical aspect of this movie. It was 1960 and Hollywood was just figuring out how to make a "real" and gritty crime drama. Yes the film is bizarre - Father Knows Best meets The Wild Ones or The Blackboard Jungle. The average scriptwriter probably wasn't real familiar with the daily life of street criminals and the language would have gone right over their head.But the movie shows the by 1960 crime was becoming more of a concern for the average middle class American family. People were starting to learn that their safe, secure little worlds, weren't and that the crime of the "lower class" neighborhoods was moving into their daily life.By 1970 middle class America would be much sadder and wiser, but this film shows that crime was a concern in during the good old days of President Ike.Basically it's an interesting look at the time.It's one of the few older movies I've come across in which there is a reference to a character, even a villain, using Cocaine. Yes the thugs are too clean and they don't look like they smell. As a cop I can tell you the one thing that movies don't convey is the smell of that world. How can they?The only movie that I can think of that came the closest was "Training Day".Don't compare this movie to modern productions, it isn't fair. Overacting and melodramatic scripts were normal and expected. Just watch shows like Star Trek,Route 66, The Big Valley and The Fugitive. Those shows were over the top by our standards, but not back then.It isn't that bad.

aimless-46 "Key Witness" was Sam Katzman's inspiration for "Hot Rods to Hell" (1967). In both, wholesome (All-American) families are terrorized by over-age wimpy teenage hoods. Katzman replaced Jeffrey Hunter with a bottom feeding Dana Andrews, Patricia Crowley with Jeanne Crain, and Dennis Hopper with Paul Bertoya. He substituted a Corvette for the XK Jag and moved the action out of the family living room and onto the road. And for some reason "Hot Rods to Hell" became a revered cult classic (with its own website) while "Key Witness" was assigned to daytime TCM obscurity. This despite a bigger budget and superior performances from pretty much the entire cast. Susan Harrison (as the delinquent teen girlfriend who starts all the trouble and keeps it going until the end) is especially good. Ironically, it is the much better acting for the camera directing in "Key Witness" that keeps it from cult status. With these lame scripts competent performances tend to spoil the fun.The two films have equally preachy themes although "Key Witness" works harder to pound you over the head about the duties of a good citizen. That is what businessman Fred Morrow (Hunter) is; as the title character. Fred stops at a hangout in East Los Angeles (circa late 1950's) to use the phone. Along with a small crowd he witnesses a gang murder. The crowd is composed of ordinary but bad citizens who refuse to cooperate with the police. But Fred considers it his duty and when Hopper's gang learns his identity they begin a campaign to discourage him from giving further testimony. To the tune of "Ruby Duby Du", the gang torments the family members until a final big showdown scene. Hopper's gang is a pretty strange outfit. Hopper looks as wimpy as he did in "Giant" (where he actually played a wimp). The gang is multi-racial and they kill a Hispanic kid who looks about 30 and about as Hispanic as David Soul. The teen gang inexplicably has a garage full of cars and Hopper drives a large V-Twin motorcycle (probably a Harley) in the opening scene.If you suspend disbelief and allow yourself to get into it, "Key Witness" will get your reactionary juices flowing and prove relatively entertaining. Not campy enough to be a classic it can still provide some good laughs, if that's your idea of a good time.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

reelguy2 Key Witness verges on the point of hysteria, and lacks credibility throughout, but it's still a riveting drama, directed by Phil Karlson in typically tough fashion.Most of the performances are over-the-top, but as the witness to a gang stabbing, Jeffrey Hunter gives a standout performance. Without overacting, he brings plenty of energy and intensively to his role, playing an Everyman driven to the breaking point by the mob terrorizing him and his family. Next to Brainstorm (1965), this is his best work.Although the film may infuriate you with its pat ending, you shouldn't be bored for an instant.