Get Outta Town (1960)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

***SPOILERS*** Said to have inspire the movie "Get Carter " ten years later the film "Get Outta Town" is about ex-hood & safe-cracker Kelly Olsen, Doug Wilson, who comes to town-L.A-to attend his kid brother Tommy's funeral to find out that he was murdered after a blotch mob hit that his boss messed up by killing the wrong person. With Tommy's boss trying to save his butt from the syndicate for his actions he had Tommy act as the fall-guy, without him knowing about it, to take the blame as well as hit by those that they both worked for: The L.A Mob Syndicate.Right away Kelly runs into interference by the L.A cops in the persons of Sgt. Willis & Officer Kemper, Frank Harding & Steve Bradley, who tell him he's not wanted here in L.A-good for him-and to get out of town as soon as possible or at least after he attends Tommy's funeral. Still determined to find Tommy's killer Kelly checks out all the places and people that Tommy was involved in by getting to the bottom of his murder. He gets no help from his, as well as Tommy's, mom Mrs.Olsen,Beppie De Vires , who literally kicks him out of her apartment and calls the cops on him and his girlfriend Claire, Marilyn O'Connor, who holds Kelly responsible for Tommy's murder.***SPOILERS**** The very unsurprising ending-In that we as well as Kelly by then knew Tommy's killer's identity- has Kelly find out who Tommy's killer really was and while confronting him allows him to make a run for it, Kelly didn't have the heart to kill him, straight into the arms of Sgt.Willis & Officer Kemper who were waiting for him in the building lobby. Not being able to distinguish the plain clothes police from the mob hit-men sent out to knock him off Tommy's killer shoots it out with them ending up dead even before he makes it to the street: Where a number of L.A policemen armed to the teeth are waiting to arrest him. With his job now over in finding his brother's killer and bringing him to justice-Street justice-Kelly can now finally get outta of town-like everyone wanted him to- together with his old girlfriend Jill, Jeanne Baird, and get back to his old job that he was last employed at the San Francisco fish market: Sure like Kelly says it smells but at least it's an honest living.

Carrying a 1960 copyright date but with a decidedly 50's feel, the plot, mood and vivid use of locations of this ultra cheap gangster movie shot out and about in Los Angeles all remarkably anticipate 'Get Carter' ten years later. Aided by excellent photography by Larry Raimond and second unit cameraman Meridith Nicholson and a rousing jazz score by Bill Holman, Bob Wehling's script is crammed with crackling film noir dialogue. Maybe too much; good as much of the talk is it's at the expense of visual exposition, it's rather slackly paced, and the tremendous dialogue is not always done justice by the frequently amateurish acting.Described by a cop as "Rough as a stucco bathtub", co-producer Douglas Wilson as ex-safe cracker Kelly Oleson looks rather middle-aged in the lead, and almost as old as the actress playing his mother. But we meet some hot chicks along the way, hottest of all being gangster's moll Marilyn O'Connor, who we're expected to believe Kelly slept with solely in the line of duty (like James Bond and Fiona Volpe in 'Thunderball').

"Get Outta Town" is an amazing film. After all, it features a leading man who only made six films (this was his last) and isn't exactly the Hollywood type. It also features a lot of other rather unknown actors. It also has a budget that appears to be negligible. Yet, inexplicably, it's a very good film! I love seeing films like this--little hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.The plot of "Get Outta Town" is very, very similar to that of the Michael Caine film "Get Carter". However, its character is a bit different and the resolution very different.It all begins when Kelly learns that his younger brother died. Kelly was a hood and the last time he was in his hometown, folks were afraid of him. Not surprisingly, his mother and ex-girlfriend want nothing to do with him--he's bad news. Yet, he insists that he's changed and wants to turn his life around once and for all. However, his resolution to change is challenged when he learned that his brother MIGHT have been murdered--and he's out for revenge.Except for a few problems with the ending (it came a bit too quickly and Kelly behaved a bit oddly when confronted by the police), it was a very good film. I liked the dialog and Wilson's acting was surprisingly strong. If you like film noir, this is up your alley. While it isn't quite as dark as many films in the genre, it is a nice tough little picture.

Doug Wilson is a reformed small time hood who hits LA after a 3 year absence. He has just heard about the death of his younger brother in an accident. He wants to go to the funeral and make peace with his mother.Because Wilson had been a real hard-case in the past, no one swallows that he is on the straight and narrow now. Not his, mother, not his ex-girlfriend, not the cops, and not the local mob.After a sit down with the ex, Jeanne Braid, Wilson discovers that his little brother's death had been anything but an accident. He decides to dig into it and see what he can find out.Wilson first questions the bartender and waitress at the bar where his brother met his untimely end. They of course, saw nothing. Wilson then decides to look up the two former members of his hold-up crew. He hits the bars and bookie joints till he finds the first, Lee Kross. Kross now runs a small time crew that make a living doing break-ins of liquor stores. He has just gotten out of prison on a 2 year bit.Wilson grills him on his brother's death. Kross tells him he knows nothing about it, but that Tony Louis, the third member of Wilson's old crew, might. Louis has moved up in the world and is now a made guy in the mob. Kross gives Wilson the address of a bar and bookie joint Louis now runs. Kross also warns Wilson not to trust Louis anymore, "He runs with a new crowd," he tells Wilson.Wilson hits the bookie joint where he runs into Marilyn O'Connor. O'Connor was a hanger on in the old days, but is now married to Louis. It takes all of 10 seconds for O'Connor to offer Wilson a taste. Wilson pretends to be interested but just wants to know where her husband is.Louis finally shows and seems somewhat rattled that Wilson is there. Louis invites Wilson up to his apartment for a talk. He tells Wilson that he likewise knows nothing about the brother's death, but offers to help. "We have an interest in the bar where he died, maybe I can get them to talk." The two have a talk with the bar staff but nothing new is learned. Louis says goodnight and heads home. Wilson goes off for a walk and a smoke. Several minutes later a car pulls up. Three large men with a definite anti-social bent, pile out of the auto and proceed to pummel Wilson.Five minutes later, a bloodied Wilson picks himself up and staggers off to the ex's place to recover. "I must have upset someone", he mutters to himself.The next day, a couple of Police detectives, Frank Harding and Steve Bradley, grab Wilson up. There had been a robbery the night before that fits his m.o. The ex gives him an alibi. Harding and Bradley tell Wilson he best be on the train out of town a hour after his brother's funeral.Later that morning, Wilson goes to have another word with Kross at his warehouse. He gets there just in time to see Kross and his boys being hauled away by the Police. As Kross passes Wilson on the way to the paddy wagon, he asks for a light. He then whispers to Wilson that his brother was involved in a mob hit.Wilson now beats the feet over to the Louis apartment. No Louis, but O'Connor is willing to go a couple of rounds of clutch and grab if Wilson wants. Wilson complies hoping to get some info on Louis. He sees there is a packed suitcase by the front door. He has a quick look-see while O'Connor is fixing a drink. "Louis is going out of town on business" O'Connor says.Louis now shows. He sees Wilson and pulls a piece out of his suitcase. Louis waves the piece towards the door and Wilson takes the hint. Needless to say that Wilson now knows who killed his brother.Louis takes Wilson over to Braid's apartment. Louis intends to kill Wilson and Braid and make it look like a murder suicide. Wilson asks why Louis killed his brother. Louis tells him that he had used his brother, a mechanic, to build him a trigger for a bomb. Louis wanted to move up in the mob and had pulled a hit on a rival. When the hit went wrong, Wilson's brother was simply a loose end that needed to be tidied up.Louis points the automatic and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. Wilson steps up and decks Louis. Wilson then pulls the pistol's magazine from his own coat pocket. "I lifted it from the gun when I looked through your suitcase." Louis now breaks down and admits he sent the men to give him the beating. Louis just wanted to scare Wilson off. Louis begs Wilson to let him go. He needs to grab a train and leave town before the mob figures out the botched hit was his doing.Wilson loads the gun and hands it back to to Louis. Louis says thanks and heads out the door and down the stairs. Waiting at the bottom are Detectives, Harding and Bradley. Louis starts blasting with the Police returning fire. Louis loses the exchange and is left in a heap on the stairs.Wilson, listening upstairs, just smiles. He knew the Police had been following him.A quick and to the point 62 minute quickie! Some really nice location shooting here with nary a sound stage in sight. The whole cast and crew rises above the low-low budget.