Highway 301 (1950)

Absolutely the worst movie.

Absolutely Brilliant!

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Here Come the 1950's and There Goes Film-Noir or at Least there is an "Evolution" of the Noir Sensibilities. Hollywood Now Seems to have been Pressured into Cleaning Up Their Act, or Pretending to be On Board with Pro-Post-War Conservatism.The Government, Law Enforcement and J. Edgar Hoover were Infiltrating Every Aspect of American Life (sound familiar Today), Dictating Mores and Clean Living (for the Proletariat that is but not for that Hypocrite Hoover). The HUAC Hubris is On the Horizon.So the Film Opens with Big Brother State Governors Reading Cue Cards about the Folly of Crime and it Doesn't Pay and All of That. Then Director Andrew Stone Seems to be Saying OK now that's Out of the Way, and Let's Loose with Some Gritty Up Close and Personal Violence. In Fact One Such Shooting of a Female Gang Moll is Point Blank and that is Dialoged About Afterwards and No One can Figure Out How She Survived.The Movie Clips Along at a Rapid Pace and there is Much Suspense and Action with a Finale that has a Guns Blazing Car Chase that Ends with a Speeding Train that is Quite Startling. Steve Cochran Steals the Show as the Gang Leader and gets Good Support from Everyone Else. Overall, an Above Average and Forgotten Crime Noir that is Stylish, Brutal, and Nasty. It is a LIttle Known Movie that is Highly Recommended.

A gang of well-dressed armed robbers, unimaginatively dubbed the Tri-State Outfit by police, go on a crime spree across three states. The opening bit with the real governors of Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina giving speeches about law & order will have you rolling your eyes. But stay with this one because it does get better. Steve Cochran is great as the cold-blooded leader of the gang. Robert Webber, Wally Cassell, and Richard Egan are among the other familiar faces in the cast. Lovely actresses Virginia Grey, Gaby André, and Aline Towne pretty things up as molls. Grey's character is a radio junkie, which leads to some funny moments. I liked the location scenery and the cars, fashions, and architecture of the period. It's a well-paced B crime picture with lots of grit and some atmosphere. Cheesy at times and never anything deep but it is solid entertainment. Were it not for the corny "crime does not pay" messages, this one would probably be more well-known and liked.

The criminal exploits of a small group of gangsters working in the Maryland/Virginia/North Carolina area. The docudrama subgenre of noir tends to produce few masterpieces and a lot of mediocrities. This one is closer to mediocrity, but has a few worthwhile assets. The intro, with "crime does not pay" lectures by the governors of the three states, sets the self-righteous, judgemental tone for the film's narration and messages. The story follows a standard formula, with early successes by the gang followed by the net of the law gradually closing around them and forcing their hand. The characterizations are fun but one-note. Steve Cochran in the lead has an edgy brutality but not much else. However, the action sequences are well done, and there is one nail-biting, suspenseful scene as one of the gangster's gals tries to escape. The photography is quite nice as well, at least during the gloomy night scenes.

I saw this very exciting and fast paced gangster movie over 50 years ago and remember it fondly to this very day. I even remember the theater I saw it in on a Saturday matinée. It kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and the action never lets up. It's a classic Steve Cochran performance. A real bad apple with no redeeming qualities. Andrew L. Stone directed which is really no surprise because he specialized in action and suspense films which don't allow the viewer to take a deep breath such as the Last Voyage, Cry Terror and Blueprint for Murder. This is the kind of cops and robbers film that they don't make any more.