Never Love a Stranger (1958)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Admirable film.

A Masterpiece!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film while not exactly a clunker could have been a lot better.it has that late 50's b/w gangster feel to it like "Studs Lonigan" a couple of years later. A young Steve McQueen cast as a Jewish kid who becomes an attorney does what he can in a supporting role. The person who did have me riveted throughout was John Drew Barrymore who is pretty good in this although his character gets more absurd as the film goes on. Barrymore was a striking looking actor & had talent enough to have a much better career than he actually ended up having.His lifestyle choices ruined all that, Lita Milan who plays Barymore's girlfriend retired from films all together shortly after & married the Prime minister of the Dominican Republic or something.

Frankie Kane(John Drew Barrymore)is kicked out of a Catholic orphanage after it is found out that his mother was Jewish. Having some trouble out on his own in the neighborhood, he is befriended by Martin Cabell(Steve McQueen), who teaches him to fight. Martin's sister Julie(Lita Milan)instantly becomes Frankie's love interest. The bitter young man enters a life of crime running numbers for gangster 'Silk' Fennelli(Robert Bray)and as time passes, Martin studies law and becomes a district attorney while Frankie progresses into a mob boss heading his own successful racket. As soon as Frankie reaches a peak, he finds himself in major conflict with his old boss, as well as his old school friend. Screenplay is by Harold Robbins, who adapts his own novel. Robert Stevens directs and other players include: R.G. Armstrong, Felice Orlandi and Salem Ludwig.

For once I am in agreement with the majority of posters. The plot may be accurately described as a cliché's cliché since it is that old chestnut about two childhood friends who take different paths until they wind up diametrically opposite one another. Having established something of a neat twist - a mother dies in childbirth and her child, with the best of intentions, is placed in a Catholic orphanage and raised in the religion; years later an accidental discovery reveals that the mother was really Jewish. Rather than exploring the moral and other dilemmas this raises the film prefers to segue into a run-of-the-mill gangster melodrama. It may be novel to see Steve McQueen bullied to such an extent that he needs to be given lessons in self defense but novels don't necessarily make good movies not even when they are written - as this one was - by Harold Robbins. For trivia buffs only.

I came to own and watch this film because the score was written by musician and inventor Raymond Scott. The acting is very wooden. but fans of Steve McQueen might get a kick out of seeing him in an early role, not to mention the Buddy Holly glasses!