Mad Dog Coll

Initially rejected by the British censor, this violent biopic of the eponymous gangster marked the film debut of Gene Hackman, in a small role as a policeman. It's unlikely that the critics or the paying public would have foreseen that the 30-year-old Hackman would go on to inherit the mantle of Spencer Tracy as the screen's most accomplished character actor and star. The eagle-eyed will also spot early screen appearances by a hirsute Telly Savalas and a youthful Vincent Gardenia. The movie was one of a handful directed by Burt Balaban, an ex-marine and combat cameraman, who made the impressive Murder, Inc (1960). Four years later he died, aged just 43.