King of the Roaring 20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein ** (1961, David Janssen, Dianne Foster, Jack Carson, Diana Dors, Mickey Rooney) – Classic Movie Review 8486

‘THE HELL-BENT, JAZZ-CRAZED ERA AND THE MAN WHO RULED IT ALL’ Director Joseph M Newman’s 1961 black and white B movie biographical crime drama King of the Roaring 20s – The Story of Arnold Rothstein [The Big Bankroll] is the struggling and somewhat dodgy, untrue-to-life biopic of ruthless, infamous New York gambling kingpin, gangster and bootlegger Arnold Rothstein (David Janssen) who rises to the top of the mobster pile in the Prohibition-afflicted Twenties.

The glum Janssen proves a poor choice as Rothstein, who is supposed to be a flamboyant and ruthless character, and a fine support cast is largely wasted amid the regulation violent gangster antics and slackly-moving, misleading story that refuse to stick to the truth.

However, eye-catching if over-signalled performances from Diana Dors (as Madge!), Dianne Foster, Mickey Rooney, Mickey Shaughnessy, Dan O’Herlihy, Jack Carson, Keenan Wynn, William Demarest, Joseph Schildkraut, Regis Toomey, and Murvyn Vye at least liven it up.

Jo Swerling’s screenplay is based on the book The Big Bankroll by Leo Katcher, and hence the British title for the film of The Big Bankroll.

Also in the cast are Teri Janssen, Robert Ellenstein, Jim [Jimmy] Baird, Paul Bryar, John Damler, Dennis Moore and Tim Rooney.

King of the Roaring 20s – The Story of Arnold Rothstein [The Big Bankroll] is directed by Joseph M Newman, runs 106 minutes, is made by Bischoff-Diamond Corporation, is released by Allied Artists, is written by Jo Swerling, based on the book The Big Bankroll by Leo Katcher, is shot in black and white by Carl E Guthrie, is produced by Samuel Bischoff and David Diamond, is scored b y Franz Waxman and is designed by Dave Milton.

It is Carson’s final film before his death on 2 January 1963, aged 52.

Dors had returned to the US to be with her new husband, the comedian Dickie Dawson, and took a cabaret contract to headline at the Dunes hotel and casino in Las Vegas and was back appearing in some American films.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8486

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