Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely Done, April 28, 2005
Here I am 50 years after the release of this film writing a positive review of it. The storyline is relatively complex for this era. It shows how a player gradually got caught up in something he never planned. His motives might even have been considered somewhat admirable as he had the interest of his girlfriend and little brother in mind in deciding, reluctantly, to get involved.
The subtle nature of temptation is conveyed in that he is not called upon to lose any games, merely play poorly enough for them to be close. Marshall Thompson plays the lead role of Johnny Long. Sports journalist Pete Ferreday is played by John Ireland. The screenplay is written in such a way that the characters nuances come through. Felix Feist did a nice noir-ish type film. It all comes together in a way to hold your attention to the end.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Film Noir Basketball Classic Movie!!, March 15, 2005
This is a great film noir basketball classic movie about a basketball star getting involved with the mob and point shaving and a sportswriter trying to get him on the right track.It's a must see!!!
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
"You don't like talk, Johnny, you like action.", May 15, 2005
Johnny Long (Marshall Thompson) is a young basketball player with dreams of becoming a rich star so he can support his girlfriend Pat (Vanessa Brown) that he wants to marry. He's discovered by a sportswriter, Pete Ferreday (John Ireland), who wants to help him get the money he wants legally without going to mobsters like Mike Taft (William Bishop) for help. But over time Johnny realizes that he needs the money that Mike has been offering him, so he starts working for him in a points-shaving scheme that'll earn Mike and his mob a lot of money. But, as you could guess, everything falls apart and Johnny must pay for his unwise choices.
I am totally puzzled by the previous five-star ratings of this awful 1951 movie which is falsely marketed as film noir. With the ever-increasing popularity of film noir, it seems like any old movie from the 1940's and 1950's can be marketed as noir by dvd companies. Trust me, this movie is about as noirish as "Gone With the Wind"! Anyone buying this because they're expecting a film noir will be entirely disappointed. In fact, most people who buy this for any reason will be VERY disappointed! And as if the movie weren't dreadful enough, the dvd quality is awful, especially the sound.
This movie was supposedly a bold look at the college basketball point-shaving scandals of the 1950's, but it is boring and unintentionally hilarious. For example, the idea of Marshall Thompson playing a teenager was ludicrous and unbelievable, and the cast was almost entirely either emotionless or totally over-the-top, as Vanessa Brown was. Even John Ireland, who was usually great, seemed very bored with his role. Bottom line, a flashback and a handful of gangsters doesn't make this a film noir, and I'd say avoid this flop like the plague.
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