Movie #1993: Untamed Youth (1957, Howard W Koch)
It's the "Gone With The Wind" of JD flix. Mamie Van Doren and Lori Nelson (and a bunch of other very tame youth) get caught hitchhiking and are sentenced to 30 days of pickin' cotten. All kinds of goofiness ensues.
Just one thing holding this one back: the music. It's supposed to be rock'n'roll but they got Les Baxter to write the music so it's all pretty square (even with Eddie Cochran in the cast - they shoulda got him to write the music). Also, the added on calypso number is a waste of time.
Howard Koch must be the king of the low angle shot. Always effective.
This got a 24 on IMDB! Those people obviously don't dig trash.
Movie #1994: Death In Small Doses (1957, Joseph Newman)
Chuck Connors in his real life role as the Dodger's second baseman
From the mid 1940s until the 60s there were a series of "cautionary tale" movies made. Each described some horrible societal ill and the brave men of some-or-other federal agency who worked to eradicate it. These movies were all staunchly anti-whatever while at the same time trying to make a buck from portraying it onscreen. This one describes the scourge that is "bennies" - pills taken by truck drivers to keep them awake on long hauls.
True to form, the bad guys (bennie pushers) are captured and the Feds get a well deserved pat on the back. Nothing special but some OK truck drivin' scenes and neat scenery chewing by hop head (and former Brooklyn Dodger) Chuck Connors.
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