JinRoz For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

dglink Saddled with a colorless generic title, "Gangster Story" plays like an episode from a 1950's TV show like "Dragnet" or "Highway Patrol." Drifting bank robber, Jack Martin, casually cons local police and robs a bank in broad daylight, drops into the public library and picks up the blonde be-spectacled librarian, then accepts her job offer to work at a small ranch outside town. Martin's successful bank job is noted by the town's mob boss, who then hires him to beef up his own bank robbing operations. The body count rises, while the totally unconvincing plot unfolds, and Martin embarks on a low heat affair with the librarian.Walter Matthau directed and stars as Martin. While his direction is lackluster, his acting is acceptably professional; however, better known now as a comedian, Matthau at times comes across as playing for a laugh rather than straight. Other than Carol Grace as the librarian, the cast is largely non-professional, and the B-minus budget kept filming locations to real banks, country clubs, and apartments. The black-and-white cinematography is flat like a vintage television show, although classic car buffs will delight in shots of Cadillac, Ford, Chevrolet, and Hudson models from the mid to late 1950's, when fins and chrome ruled. Based on a story by Richard Grey, the script for "Gangster Story" is lame and has enough bad dialog and situations for an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000;" in fact, the action often resembles that of a cheapie sci-fi movie from the period, only a giant mantis or tarantula is missing. Obviously, Matthau went on to better roles, and this early low-budget entry on his resume offers a glimpse of the young actor while still learning his trade. "Gangster Story" is for complete-ists among Matthau's fans, aficionados of 1950's American automobiles, and those who relish the delights of B movies.

J B Thackery The only good thing in this flop is Matthau himself, due to his ever-reliable acting. It looks like a high school student's first film-making project.The script is halfway digestible, but forget it as a film overall. The physical quality of the film is poor, rendering a hard-to-watch amateurish mess that looks like it was shot in Super 8 B&W.Some aspects of the directing are good, such as continuity, camera angles, consistent characterizations, balance of lighting throughout, good splices between medium shots and close-ups, and between location long shots and close-up's, etc. But this is not enough to negate the schlockiness factor. The term "campy" camps in this film.The casting was, for the most part, amateurish. With a big-name cast and higher quality filming, and maybe a slightly punched-up script, it might have gotten a few feet off the ground.There is enough good acting on Matthau's part, and that of his girlfriend (played by his newlywed real-life wife, Carol Grace), to somehow help you struggle through this weak effort at cinematography, just to see how in the world it could possibly end. And it does end with an unusual surprise.

GUENOT PHILIPPE What a real pleasure for me to discover this flick. I was really amazed. Not a great picture, but short, sharp, accurate in action and characters. For a B movie I mean. No wasted shots in directing. Of course, we have already seen this scheme a thousand times, but it is still effective. Matthau is excellent and prepares us for "Charley Varrick", shot a decade later: A bank robber with the crime syndicate on his heels. No user seems to have noticed that.Description of the two heists of the film are delightful, meticulously described. And the bank robbery at the beginning is very funny. But this doesn't alter the tragic content of the story.

whpratt1 Never viewed this film until I noticed it showing on TCM and found out that Walter Matthau directed and also acted in this film as Jack Martin. Jack Martin is a crook who is very calm, bold and deadly with a gun in his hand. He pulls off a bank robbery and the cops are closing in on him and he decides to go into a Public Library and meets a blonde librarian named Carol Grace, (Carol Logan) while he is dodging the police, he hits on Carol Logan and she becomes very interested in him immediately, even when Jack tells her he is bank robber. There are many hold ups and plenty of cops are killed and Jack still takes on more hold ups for millions of dollars. This is not a bad film for 1960 and is great to see some of the old 1960 automobiles being driven around. Enjoy