The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

Director: Bud Boetticher, Budd Boetticher Bud Boetticher

Overview

The notorious Legs Diamond works his way up the underworld latter in a matter of fact, casually told depiction of the 1920s crime boss. Legs (Ray Danton) extorts money from gamblers, bootleggers and speakeasies after taking over for his slain mentor, Arnold Rothstein. He lights a girl's dress on fire in order to win a dance contest and seemingly murders as easily as he breathes.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/26/2011
UPC:	0883316353646
Original Release:	1960
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:41:00
Sales rank:	31,879

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ray Danton	Actor
Karen Steele	Actor
Elaine Stewart	Actor
Jesse White	Actor
Simon Oakland	Lt. Moody
Robert Lowery	Arnold Rothstein
Judson Pratt	Fats Walsh
Warren Oates	Eddie Diamond
Frank de Kova	Chairman
Gordon Jones	Sgt. Cassidy
Joseph Ruskin	Matt Moran
Dyan Cannon	Dixie
Richard Gardner	Vince Coll
Sid Melton	Little Augie
Nesdon Booth	Fence
Buzz Henry	Bodyguard
Dyke Johnson	Bodyguard
Roy Jenson	Bodyguard
Joseph Marr	Officer
Jim Drum	Officer
Dorothy Neumann	Woman
Frances Mercer	Woman
Judd Holdren	Haberdashery Clerk
George Taylor	Switchboard Operator
Robert Herron	Thug
Carey Loftin	Thug
Norman Dupont	Maitre d' Louis
Dick Cherney	Herman
Paul Comi	Paul
Leonard Rosenman	Composer

Technical Credits

Joseph Landon

Budd Boetticher	Director
Milton Sperling	Producer
Joseph Landon	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

A terrific B-movie, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond is no more faithful to fact than most Hollywood biopics, but that doesn't matter. What's important is the sheer electricity that surges through this little foray into gangsterdom. While the elements of the screenplay are certainly familiar, Legs transcends those elements thanks to a ruthlessness that is present in every scene and that mirrors the ruthlessness of the title character. Director Budd Boetticher doesn't try to soften Legs, doesn't try to make him a likeable character. He's a sociopath, someone who will stop at nothing and will use anyone and everyone to get what he wants, and without a moment's hesitation. There's almost a gleeful abandon to the director's work, a black comedy approach to the material that gives it a tremendous energy. He is aided enormously by Ray Danton's spot-on performance. Moving with grace and agility, a panther on the prowl, Danton is all amoral cunning and "to-hell-with it" attitude; even when standing still, he practically leaps from the screen, a nervous energy infusing even his stillest moments. There's also good work from Warren Oates and the rest of the supporting cast, and Lucien Ballard's cinematography is sensational.