William Bendix, before he became well-known as the lovable "Chester A. Riley" of TV's "The Life Of Riley," was an actor who played a lot of brutal gangsters in movies. He once punched Alan Ladd in a movie and knocked him out cold. (Bendix, apparently, wasn't acting!). Anyway, he's back in this late '50s crime show playing another tough "animal," was Walter Winchell describes him in the introduction. Bendix plays "Wally Legenza," a savage killer and leader of "The Tri-State Gang," which hijacked a lot of trucks.
This episode features a number of "name" actors in addition to Bendix: Alan Hale, Jay Adler and Gavin MacLeod, to name three. Florence Halop may not be a "name" but she's face you've seen many times if you are over watcher of classic TV shows.
Nonethess, Bendix makes this best show thus far in Season One. He has a lot of the wisecracks like I loved hearing so much in "The Blue Dahlia," a film noir of the '40s. Here, as "Wally Legenza."
Bendix just made me laugh out loud a number of times with his brutal tough-guy dialog. Great stuff and great photography, once again, too. This looks as good as any noir. This episode makes the purchase of this half-season on DVD worthwhile.
This episode features a number of "name" actors in addition to Bendix: Alan Hale, Jay Adler and Gavin MacLeod, to name three. Florence Halop may not be a "name" but she's face you've seen many times if you are over watcher of classic TV shows.
Nonethess, Bendix makes this best show thus far in Season One. He has a lot of the wisecracks like I loved hearing so much in "The Blue Dahlia," a film noir of the '40s. Here, as "Wally Legenza."
Bendix just made me laugh out loud a number of times with his brutal tough-guy dialog. Great stuff and great photography, once again, too. This looks as good as any noir. This episode makes the purchase of this half-season on DVD worthwhile.