The Grissom Gang

Overview

The Grissom Gang is a remake of the notorious 1949 British melodrama No Orchids for Miss Blandish. Kim Darby plays a 1920s-era debutante who is kidnapped and held for ransom. Her captors are the Grissoms, a family comprised of sadists and morons, and headed by Ma Barker clone Irene Dailey. One of the Grissoms, played by Scott Wilson, takes a liking to his prisoner, which results in a bloody breakdown of the family unit. Both The Grissom Gang and the original No Orchids for Miss Blandish were inspired by the best-seller by James Hadley Chase, though neither film retains Chase's original ending.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/27/2018
UPC:	0738329230319
Original Release:	1971
Rating:	R
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	2:08:00
Sales rank:	47,633

Special Features

Interview with star Scott Wilson; Audio commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kim Darby	Barbara Blandish
Scott Wilson	Slim Grissom,Jerry McGowan
Tony Musante	Eddie Hagen
Robert Lansing	Dave Fenner
Irene Dailey	Ma Grissom
Connie Stevens	Anna Borg
Wesley Addy	John P. Blandish
Joey Faye	Woppy
Don Keefer	Doc
Dotts Johnson	Johnny Hutchins
Mort Marshall	Heinie
Michael Baseleon	Connor
Ralph Waite	Mace
Hal Baylor	Chief McLaine
Matt Clark	Bailey
Alvin Hammer	Sam
Dave Willock	Rocky
Elliott Street	Station Boy
John Steadman	Old Man
Raymond Guth	Farmer
Dick Miller	Actor
Irene Daly	Actor
Gerald Fried	Composer

Technical Credits

Leon Griffiths

Robert Aldrich	Director,Producer
Leon Griffiths	Screenwriter
Richard S. Church	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- The Grissom Gang
1. Chapter 1 [11:24]
2. Chapter 2 [15:54]
3. Chapter 3 [21:03]
4. Chapter 4 [23:10]
5. Chapter 5 [7:40]
6. Chapter 6 [12:16]
7. Chapter 7 [9:19]
8. Chapter 8 [12:07]
9. Chapter 9 [15:18]

Menu

Disc #1 -- The Grissom Gang
   Play
   Chapters
   Bonus
      Audio Commentay By Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell And Nathaniel Thompson: Off
      Audio Commentay By Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell And Nathaniel Thompson: On
      Play
      Interview With Star Scott Wilson
      The Grissom Gang Trailer
      No Orchids For Miss Blandish Trailer
      The Killing Of Sister George Trailer
      Ten Seconds To Hell Trailer
      What Ever Happened To Aunt Alice? Trailer
   Subtitles
      English Subtitles: Off
      English Subtitles: On
      Play

Editorial Reviews

Of all the rural gangster films to come out in the wake of Bonnie and Clyde, this by far is the toughest and darkest. In other words, you have to have a thick skin to appreciate The Grissom Gang, but it offers plenty of rewards for the viewer tough enough to take it on. Leon Griffiths' script avoids romanticizing its subjects, instead hitting the viewer hard with a barrage of stylized brutality and dark humor. Director Robert Aldrich captures the gritty narrative in an inspired comic-book style whose visual hyperbole lives up to the wild storyline, and he also finds surprising moments of tenderness and humanity in this tale in the relationship between Barbara and Slim. The latter element adds a surprising emotional punch that other directors might have overlooked, and this aim is beautifully realized via a pair of excellent performances from Scott Wilson and Kim Darby. Wilson hits the right blend of scariness and vulnerability needed to make Slim a sympathetic villain, and Darby gives a carefully modulated, yet emotionally intense, performance in a difficult role that requires greater subtlety than any of the others. Wilson's and Darby's sterling efforts are nicely backed up by a great supporting cast who offer a variety of stylized turns. The best come from Irene Dailey as the ultimate domineering mother and Robert Lansing as a sardonic detective who turns out to be the film's moral conscience. In the end, The Grissom Gang's unusual mix of action, gallows humor, and tough-guy sentiment isn't for every viewer, but it's well worth a look for crime-movie enthusiasts and anyone interested in Robert Aldrich's finest work.

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