The Hoodlum Priest *** (1961, Don Murray, Keir Dullea, Larry Gates, Cindi Wood, Logan Ramsey) – Classic Movie Review 8953

Director Irvin Kershner’s 1961 black and white drama The Hoodlum Priest stars Don Murray as St Louis Jesuit priest, Father Charles Dismas Clark, who tries to keep hoodlum Billy Lee Jackson (Keir Dullea) on the straight and narrow. But, when the ex-con hoodlum loses his job, he loses his marbles as well.

The Hoodlum Priest is an involving melodrama, directed in convincing realist style by Kershner. But Murray’s film-star performance as the real-life Rev Charles Dismas Clark and the lashings of sentimentality make the film seem pure fantasy. However, Dullea makes a strong impression in his feature film début, aged 25.

Murray helped to produce (with co-producer Walter Wood) and write (with co-writer Joseph Landon) credited as Don Deer. It was his nickname as a track and field athlete in High school at Rockaway, NY.

Also in the cast are Larry Gates, Cindi Wood, Don Joslyn, Lou Martini, Roger Ray, Kelly Stephens, Bill Atwood, Sam Capuano, Joseph Cusanelli, Jack Eigen, Joseph Hamilton, Al Mack, Vince O’Brien, Logan Ramsey, David Sproull and Walter L Wiedmer.

The Hoodlum Priest is directed by Irvin Kershner, runs 101 minutes, is made by Murray-Wood Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by Don Murray and Joseph Landon, is shot in black and white by Haskell Wexler, is produced by Walter Wood and Don Murray, is scored by Richard Markowitz, and is designed by Jack Poplin.

It was shot at Jefferson City, Missouri, and St Louis, Missouri.

Dullea upset Noël Coward, who retaliated by saying: ‘Keir today, gone tomorrow’. But, happily, Dullea is still here, and still filming in 2019.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8953

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com