Product Details

• Actors: Lawrence Tierney, Allene Roberts, Marjorie Riordan, Lisa Golm, Edward Tierney
• Directors: Max Nosseck
• Writers: Nat Tanchuck, Sam Neuman
• Producers: Jack Schwarz, Maurice Kosloff, Nat Tanchuck, Sam Neuman
• Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Run Time: 61 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BVNS84
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,382 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Hoodlum" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

HOODLUM - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A word about Image's transfer..., May 30, 2010

By 

Brian (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hoodlum (DVD)

I've owned two public-domain versions of this vicious, bare-bones B-flick and recently upgraded to Image's comparably inexpensive release despite the dire warnings of other reviewers on this site. While I still would only recommend the movie itself to fans of Tierney, or those interested in noir's darker subgenres, I'm happy to report that Image's print is far superior to what you'll find in the bargain bin. There are specks and audio pops, yes, but the picture is much cleaner, the contrast sharper and the sound clearer. Until a major distributor adopts 'The Hoodlum' and performs a proper rehabilitation, Image is hands-down the way to go.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Effective Low-Budget Crime Thriller, March 15, 2006

By 

peterfromkanata (Kanata, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hoodlum (DVD)

While I agree with the previous reviewer's comments on the disappointing technical quality of this disc--or at least the source material--I still found "The Hoodlum" an interesting way of spending 60 minutes. This 1951 "B" movie will still appeal to fans of old gangster flicks and "films noir".

The plot is familiar. Vincent Lubeck is a career criminal, and definitely the "black sheep" of his family. Because of Vincent's numerous crimes, and prison sentences, we are told that his father "died of a broken heart". His mother is in a constant state of worry, and his younger brother, Johnny, holds him in contempt. He is paroled from prison because of his mother's pleadings, but Vincent has no real interest in "going straight", even though his brother gives him a job at his gas station. Contacting some of his old cronies, Vincent plans and carries out a bank heist--a heist that results in several fatalities. A showdown with the police seems inevitable--but perhaps there are "family issues" to be settled first.

Lawrence Tierney is terrific as Vincent. This man is a thug, a thief, a liar, a rapist and a killer--a soulless, remorseless excuse for a human being. Mr. Tierney is totally convincing in this role, although in films like "Dillinger" and "Born To Kill", you could say that he had plenty of practice ! Other screen "tough guys" of the forties and fifties are still remembered today--Alan Ladd, Dan Duryea and, of course, Cagney and Bogart--except with genre fans, Lawrence Tierney seems to be forgotten, which is a shame. Certainly, in this type of role, the man had real presence.

Lawrence Tierney's brother, Edward, plays Johnny Lubeck--an interesting piece of casting, although his performance is no more than adequate. Lisa Golm, as Lubeck's mother, has several strong scenes--her final one with the "son from Hell" is a pip !

Again, the black and white, full-screen picture has much "wear and tear", even a few scene jumps, clearly taken from an old, flawed print. I suppose it beats having no film at all. Don't look for extras.

If you can overlook the technical quality, "The Hoodlum" is a very diverting, if somewhat bleak, hour's entertainment. For this viewer at least, Mr. Tierney is worth the "price of admission".

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great Film Noir - Dissapointing Release, June 21, 2006

By 

Moviefanatic (Chicago, Il) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hoodlum (DVD)

The movie itself is a wonderful film noir and Laurence Tierney was born to play this part. Image Entertainment's release, on the other hand, is a disgrace. They are consistently using very poor images of great movies and sell them at overblown prices. 'Too Late for Tears', is another example to prove this point. I highly recommend Dark Crimes 50 Movie Pack. It contains 50 public domain movies on 12 DVDs (Hoodlum included) for about $16-$17. You get decent quality recordings at an unbeatable price. Image DVDs are not worth spending money on.