clanciai Review of Pickup Alley

Pickup Alley (1957)

Victor Mature chasing Trevor Howard, both having an interest in Anita Ekberg

[8/10 · 9 November 2023]

Like so many drug trafficking films, this Is slightly confusing, especially as some cities are mixed up with each other, like Athens with Naples. There is no harbour of Athens except at a far distance, and the Napolitan surroundings are too obvious, even if they try to bluff you with Greek signs. It's a thriller all right with plenty of murders, but fortunately Anita Ekberg fails as a murderess. There are plenty of other more efficient ones. Trevor Howard shows off as usual in the one real character role here, although it is abominable, while Victor Mature, who is always impressing and good enough, cuts a rather plain figure here as a police avenger of his little sister, who opens the film by getting murdered. You will recognise many of the other types here. You are brought from New York to London, to Lisbon and to Rome, to Naples and a phoney Athens and then back again to New York, where you'll meet the same bartender all over again. Trevor Howard visits many night clubs here, each one with very sexy entertainers, and that's all what this film is: a flashy entertainment.