Gangsters, Murders and Rhumbas
Movie Lover:
Pecos Kid from
The Bijou, US -- April, 7, 2010
One of those movies of the type that used to show up on the Late, Late Show all the time, "I'll Sell My Life" , while no Oscar winner, has its moments.
When a gangster's girlfriend is murdered, Rose Hobart agrees to take the rap in exchange for money to help her sick brother. Thats pretty much the plot,and its the individual performances that stand out. Micheal Whalen is pretty good as the lead who befriends Hobart but the best perfomance of all goes to Stanley Fields as the gangster Bochini. He plays him as a likeable rogue--who may just be a cold blooded killer. Of course any movie with Joan Woodbury in it will raise every male's blood pressure and here she gets to slink around in some gowns that fit snugly in the right places, and even gets to sing a song "Incidentally", which incidentally was blissfully forgotten all about within weeks after the movie's release. Rose Hobart plays pretty much a depressing wet blanket so the viewer kind of wonders why Micheal Whalen would bother with her, but hey, thats Hollywood.
As an added bonus, this may be the only screen appearance of the not so legendary Eddie Durant and his Rhumba Orchestra. His band plays some pretty odd instruments, including a wooden chair and what looks like the jawbone of a rhinoceros. If you pick up this DVD, you can surprise your friends at your next party by knowing the words to Durant's "Mysterio", which I am sure would impress just about everybody.
5.5/10
