moonspinner55 Robert Aldrich's brutal, quasi-black comedy "The Grissom Gang", a reworking of the 1948 British film "No Orchids For Miss Blandish", has 1920s heiress Kim Darby kidnapped by a pack of clumsy thieves; soon, that gang is dispatched and poor Kim is then transferred into the clutches of another crooked bunch--third-rate gangster brothers with sweaty, pasty faces and a mother who looks like Buddy Ebsen in drag. At first, Darby (not very plucky, and not very smart) attempts to escape this drooling brood, but they're onto her. Eventually she just gives up trying, and therein lies the trouble with the story. Are we in the audience supposed to sympathize with her? Is her growing concern for the family half-wit supposed to be heartwarming? These are disgusting, cretinous characters, and I wanted to see as little of them as possible. But since the side-stories (the progress of the cops on the case and another one involving floozy-singer Connie Stevens) are rather dull, the director has no choice but to keep foisting those sweaty faces on us. Pretty soon, nervous Darby starts sweating too, although her scene up in the hayloft is sensitively performed and Aldrich's climactic moments are thought-provoking, if disorganized. ** from ****

JasparLamarCrabb Robert Aldrich's lurid film has a lot going for it and a lot not going for it. On the plus side there is a dynamite performance by Kim Darby as a kidnap victim who may or may not be starting to enjoy her grim predicament. On the minus side, the gang of kidnappers, a Ma Barker-type and her motley brood, simply is not threatening ENOUGH to make you believe Darby is in a lot of danger. I couldn't help wondering why she didn't just up and leave. Another deficit is the TV-movie feel of the whole thing -- this is definitely NOT Aldrich's most stylish film. Irene Dailey is fine as the mother, but it would have been more fun had the role been played by Cloris Leachman or Shelley Winters. Featuring Scott Wilson, Tony Musante, Robert Lansing and, in a brief but foul-mouthed cameo, Connie Stevens!

shepardjessica This little gem of a film was treated as exploitation trash, but a fascinating kidnapping tale with unrequited love and dysfunctional family relations. Scott Wilson (so brilliant in In Cold Blood) is incredible as Slim, the lonely offbeat member of the gang who is somewhat understood (but very edgy). Throw in Kim Darby, Tony Musante, Irene Dailey (more demented than she was in Five Easy Pieces), and Joey Faye as Woppy, how wrong can you go?There's a good sense of time period. This film is nothing compared to Bonnie and Clyde, but closer to Thieves Like Us. Connie Stevens is an added attraction. Give these folks a chance. Rated 7 out of 10.

shark-43 Man, is this an early 70's movie or what?? Made around the time realistic brutality and violence were embraced, this film makes sure you embrace it too. The camera stays on the murder victims for a long period of time and makes sure the blood is red, REALLY red. Machine gun riddled bodies litter this fun mess of a movie. At the height of Kim Darby's fame, she gives it her all, desperately trying to make ridiculously written scenes work with Scott Wilson, who chews up the garishly decorated scenery. (Wilson's work with Robert Blake in IN Cold Blood still ranks as some of the finest in American film). The actress playing Ma is so over-the-top you gotta love it. It lookslike she was directed with Think Bette Davis!! She snarls, whoops, shouts, I even think they give her a moustache. And boy do they sweat in this movie. The lighting is designed to bring it out and everybody sweats. The cops sweat, the gangsters sweat, the stoolies sweat, even Connie Stevens sweats!