The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

He lived as he died - violently and bloodily! "Well-made gangster biopic." Variety A stand-out performance by Ray Danton in the title role of this slick, action-packed and very exciting gangster thriller adds to the impact of an unforgettable movie with, said The Hollywood Reporter, "Pace and suspense." The vivid, incident-filled screenplay by Joesph Landon compellingly charts the violent life of Jack 'Legs' Diamond from the early days as a small-time criminal in New York to his time as the most notorious hoodlum in the city in the Twenties. Becoming a dancer at the Hotsy Totsy Club (and gaining the nickname 'Legs'), Diamond becomes the bodyguard to gambling czar Arnold Rothstein. And, after Rothstein's mysterious death, he takes over his crime empire and forces the other gangsters -after they have failed to kill him - to pay protection. But Finally, betrayed by his ex-mistress Elaine Stewart, Diamond meets a bloody and violent death . . .Danton, noted Variety, is "believable as the man who used people as stepping stones," and excellent support comes from Karen Steele as the woman he eventually marries, Stewart, Simon Oakland and Warren Oates in a movie that is a must for all fans of fast-moving action entertainment. © (USP) United States Productions Inc.