The Cry Baby Killer
Directed by Jus Addiss
Written by Leo Gordon and Melvin Levy
1958/USA
Allied Artists Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
My motto is: more good times. — Jack Nicholson
Mostly for those completists who want to see Jack Nicholson’s film debut.
Nicholson plays high-schooler Jimmy Wallace. As the film begins he is beaten up by a gang of his ex-girlfriend Carol’s boyfriend’s henchmen. Jimmy heads to the malt shop to confront Carol. There is another slugfest during which Jimmy picks up a gun dropped by one of the thugs and accidentally shoots a couple of people. Convinced he has killed them, he takes hostages including a mother and baby. Much drama ensues.
In Corman’s introduction to the film on the DVD, he says that he spotted Nicholson during an acting class he was taking. He offered the actor the job as he was the best in his class. Corman certainly could recognize (cheap) talent when he saw it, giving many famous actors and directors their first breaks. Nicholson is 100% Nicholson from the get go. The film is kind of all over the place and mediocre.
