Review of Highway 301 (1950) by Greg W — 28 Jul 2010
Based on a true story,"Highway 301" is a seldom seen gangster picture filled with a substantial amount violence for a movie made in 1950. Andrew Stone's film was released a year after Raoul Walsh's classic, "White Heat." In that film, James Cagney's Cody Jarrett is an unhinged psychopath who, among other things, shoots holes in a car trunk in order to give the captive within some fresh air. "Highway 301" contains some nasty moments as well: grisly shootouts, a woman murdered at point blank range, and a fleeing gangster run over by a train. This is extremely violent by 1950 standards for sure. In order to reassure its sanitized Cold War audience, the film opens and closes with statements from "honorable" governors of the states depicted in the film reassuring folks that crime doesn't pay and all the bad guys were caught and punished. Nonetheless, the film is able to get away with a remarkable level of violence for its era, making this film a must for gangster movie fans. The movie is available on DVD for the first time through the Warner Archives site. The print encoded on the disc is nearly flawless, and may not have been shown since its original theatrical release!
*** Three Stars.
-Oliver Spivey.
This review of Highway 301 (1950) was written by Greg W on 28 Jul 2010.
Highway 301 has generally received mixed reviews.
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