Biographical drama starring David Janssen, Dianne Foster and Mickey Rooney. New York in the 1920s is a city of jazz, hoodlums and crooked politicians. Into this world comes Arnold Rothstein, whose swiftness of intellect is matched only by his ambition. A natural gambler, Rothstein is soon a key player in a business renowned for its glamour and its ruthlessness.
Like its companion piece The George Raft Story, which was also directed by Joseph M Newman, this marks a fascinating return to the gangster era. David Janssen, of TV's The Fugitive fame, makes a seductively likeable Rothstein, the infamous 1920s gambler, and since audiences had barely heard of him, let alone remembered that he was fat and squat, Janssen gets away with it. The supporting cast is notable, featuring Mickey Rooney and the ever-welcome Jack Carson, plus Diana Dors near the end of her ill-advised Hollywood experience. The black-and-white photography is crisp enough, but the pace falters, and the film has a very artificial feel.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Arnold Rothstein | David Janssen |
| Carolyn Green | Dianne Foster |
| Johnny Burke | Mickey Rooney |
| "Big Tim" O'Brien | Jack Carson |
| Madge | Diana Dors |
| Phil Butler | Dan O'Herlihy |
| Jim Kelly | Mickey Shaughnessy |
| Tom Fowler | Keenan Wynn |
| Abraham Rothstein | Joseph Schildkraut |
| Hecht | William Demarest |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Joseph M Newman |
