Customer Reviews

T-Bird Gang

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I enjoy good moves and I also get a hoot out of camp. This is neither. This is not a hot rod movie. There are no drag races, no street rods etc and worst of all absolutely no one is cool in it. There is only one "T-bird" and it is a 2 seat 56' not a 4 seat 58' or 59' as depicted on the cover. So it only holds one other person. They also have one other beat up car. This consitutes "the gang's" cars and with the two seater you are not going to be able to haul around a lot of gang members so it is a terribly small gang. The leader of the gang wears a sport coat and tie and drives around in the white T-bird with the top down even while pulling his "jobs" - I guess so everyone can get a good look at him and discribe him accurately to the police. Save your money and if you want true 50's camp buy the Peter Gunn TV series which is now out on DVD (2 sets)good action, great music (by Mancini). He has a cool girl friend that sings in a 50's lounge (Mother's), drives cool cars, wears cool cloths - he is 50's cool.

This Filmgroup release features John Brinkley as a young man whose father is killed in a robbery. He joins forces with the T-Bird gang in order to exact revenge on the killers. Some of the performances are a bit rough, but Ed Nelson as the leader of the T-Bird gang, and John Brinkley both put on a good show. Brinkley, who seemed to make a career of appearing in these juvenile melodramas, also co-wrote the screenplay along with his co-star Tony Miller. The low budget show throughout the film but it generally holds the viewers interest and for the price this is a hard DVD to pass up!

Roger Corman is the uncredited producer of T-BIRD GANG. Script is by its young star, John Brinkley.


The best aspect of this rather amateurish effort is an excellent beatnik-styled jazz score, as provided by drummer Shelley Manne and his Men: Monty Budwig (bass), Russ Freeman (piano), Charlie Mariano (alto sax) and Stu Williamson (trumpet).

The film opens with Manne's hand-slapping tom-tom solo while a warehouse is being sacked. A night watchman is stabbed when he confronts the robbers. After the juvenile gang drives away in Alex Hendricks' (Nelson) white Thunderbird, the critically injured guard manages to set off an alarm, then he collapses by the loading dock. His son, Frank (Brinkley) happens by, is told of the getaway car, then dad dies in his arms.

Police Capt. Prell (Francis) postulates to Frank that this may be the work of the Hendricks outfit. Seeking revenge, Frank decides to locate and infiltrate the gang.


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(5.0) T-Bird Gang (1958) - John Brinkley/Ed Nelson/Tony Miller/Pat George/Coleman Francis/Nola Thorp/Beach Dickerson/Vic Tayback


CAST--
ED NELSON got his start with King of the 'B's Roger Corman. One year before "T-Bird Gang" he was the giant crustacean in Corman's ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS. He later appeared on TV's PEYTON PLACE(1964).

JOHN BRINKLEY worked with Nelson in Corman's A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959). His 7-year cinematic career is evenly divided between TV series and 'B' grade films.

The last acting job for COLEMAN FRANCIS was a "rotund drunk" in cult classic BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970).

VIC TAYBACK cameos as a cop. Here in his second film he's credited as "Tabback."

"T-Bird Gang" was also TONY MILLER's second movie. His first: ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS. (a pattern?)

BEACH DICKERSON's big screen debut: ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS!!!

"T-Bird Gang" was PAT GEORGE's only picture, otherwise she would've been in "Crab Monsters," too.

I picked this DVD up cause I like the 50s JD stuff and figured I couldn't go wrong at the price. Well, the movie itself isn't disappointing, but the DVD quality is lacking. The image overall is very soft, like a poor quality EP mode VHS tape, and quite dark, especially in the night scenes. If you're desperate to see every JD epic ever made, go for it. If you're looking for a quality addition to your movie library I would have to say pass on this one, even at the price (although in perspective it's not as bad as some Madacy and Diamond discs I've seen in the same price range). The star rating is for the DVD, the movie would get about a 3 or 4.

Frank (John Brinkley) is looking for the gang that killed his father who was a watchman. They know they got away in a white T-Bird automobile. Frank has a hunch it was Alex Hendricks (Ed Nelson). He goes all over town asking people and looking at every T-Bired car. He must get proof. In a bar, he catches up with the T-Bird gang and after proving himself in a fight, he joins the group. Frank gives them a fake name. If Frank is going to beat them he has to find out how they work. Can Frank keep himself out of trouble while trying to avenge his father's death? You might be surprised by the appearance of Vic Tayback (Alice tv series) who plays the first cop at the gas station. Jazz music trys to help this film.

this movie was great i think it shows how teens were back then in tha 50s. the gangs intead of gangs from nowadays usen guns. they use there fists. so it shows if u wana deal somethin deal it with ur hands not guns.