T-Bird Gang (1959)

Touches You

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

T-Bird gang is a fun quick one from the 50's, complete with hip talk and beat music. Despite the title and some descriptions, this is definitely not a car movie at all, and especially not a hot-rod movie. The title of the film really just relates to the white T-Bird that Alex, the brains of the criminal gang, drives and that car is hardly even in the movie at all! But it's an OK flick about a young man who infiltrates a local gang to get to the killer of his dad, a cop. There are some dull sequences where nothing much happens and there are some pretty girls too. It all comes down to not exactly the ending you thought would happen, but something similar.The leader of the gang does a few funny things, such as spill milk on the dress of his "moll" because she was laughing too much, and boss his workers around by giving sudden orders and snapping his fingers. The rest of the cast isn't bad and they probably had a good time making this movie. Definitely a fun way to spend 65 minutes.

The acting's middling, the direction poor, and the sets look cheap. Then there's the cinematography. They must have used really low-budget camera and film, because the DVD shows little detail, and in some scenes the white levels are so high, details are lost. Now, I love old black-and-white films that have high production values (Casablanca and Citizen Cane come to mind) but this film isn't in their class.Now for the flaw in the plot. The gang's leader drives his white T-Bird to every crime they commit. Then why would the cops go to the trouble and risk of putting a stool pigeon in a gang, when it be easy for the cops to tail the T-Bird and catch the crooks in the middle of their burglary?

John Brinkley & Tony Miller wrote & star in this tale of a high school student that goes undercover to bust a gang of twisted youths. Watching these kids rob houses, even the rooms occupied with sleeping occupants, is simply delightful. These guys are slick! Big belly laughs at the similarities between some of these "sneaking" scenes and the dance in "Beat It". Worth watching a couple of times. This film has recently been re-released on DVD & VHS.

The T-Bird Gang, a Fifties masterpiece, is one of my all-time guilty pleasure classics. I watch it at least once a month and have never stopped discovering new aspects of its scope and grandeur. Vic Tayback is outstanding in a minor role.