User Reviews

When they made this film, the film makers had no idea that years later the star, Leonard Nimoy, would become an iconic figure and as a result this small movie would become much more fascinating. All they probably thought was that they were making a passable low-budget B-movie and nothing more. Now if you are young and don't really know who Nimoy is or have any sort of connection to him, then it's not a film I'd recommend. But for folks like me who grew up with "Star Trek", it's well worth your time.

The film begins with a new priest coming to the Parrish. He convinces some of the local gang to give up their sordid ways and take up boxing. The most promising of these young thugs is Monk Baroni (Nimoy)--a guy with a lot of anger, an ugly face (thanks to some makeup) and a heart of gold that is hidden quite deep inside. Through the course of the film, Baroni is a man pulled in opposite directions and he can't seem to decide if he's a jerk or a saint. The scales are tipped towards him becoming a jerk when he gets reconstructive surgery and goes from ape-man to a guy who isn't all that ugly any more (though the film goes overboard--and has Nimoy acting like he looked like a matinée idol--which he really wasn't'). Can Baroni somehow redeem himself and by the end of the film return to the straight and narrow? Aside from being predictable and clichéd here and there, the film is moderately entertaining. In addition, you'll get to see Baroni's buddy (Jack Larson from TV's "Superman") in one of his earliest roles. Not bad, not great--but very, very interesting due to the casting.

By the way, this is NOT at all a criticism but I did find it ironic that the church-loving Baroni was played by Nimoy--a man who is Jewish. Now that's acting! hilarious boxing style

Probably one's only interest in seeing this movie would be to catch Leonard Nimoy in his first starring role, no mean feat as the actor had only two prior roles in film, one of them uncredited. The story itself is entirely uneven, and one is kept constantly off balance as to what Paul Baroni's (Nimoy) intention and motivations are.

I had to do a double take as the opening credit introductions rolled, and we learn about the 'Billy Goat' gang, of which Baroni and his pal Angelo are members of. There's not one shred of difference between Angelo and the Daily Planet's Jimmy Olsen, as portrayed by Jack Larson. As for the gang itself, they looked like they could mop up 106th Street and 3rd Avenue with the Dead End Kids, even with Leo Gorcey at the helm.

I guess my main problem with the story is that there's never any real compelling reason for the decisions Baroni makes. For example, what was behind his desire to sing in the church choir, thereby alienating himself from the rest of the 'goats'? How does one run away from almost killing a priest, only to turn up in the headlines of the local sport pages - couldn't the authorities make a connection? And above all, how do you double cross the bookmakers and then get to do it again with even bigger money riding on the outcome? Which by the way, got the biggest ho hum reaction from a trio of losers I'd ever seen after dropping twenty grand.

If only Mr. Spock could have foretold his future stardom he might well have passed on this groaner, but then again, who's to know - one has to start somewhere. Still, the first time you see Nimoy straight on with that goofy make up job of a nose you'll double over. Did anyone else get the impression that it was about to fall off? I'm impressed though, that two Star Trek alumni got their start by actually starring in full length film roles. The other would be DeForrest Kelley, who did the same in a somewhat better picture, a psychological thriller called "Fear in the Night" from 1947.