Review of The FBI Story (1959) by Chrisanne S — 16 Nov 2009

Although THE FBI STORY survives on the charisma of its leading man, James Stewart, only the a viewer interested in a McCarthy-era curio should see this one. Technical proficiency from director and Hollywood shill Mervyn LeRoy (THE GREEN BERETS, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO) is not enough to commend this dated piece of propaganda.

LeRoy manages to keep a pulse in this 2 1/2 hour long FBI advertisement, but the viewer must sit through Stewart's domestic troubles and mid-life crises.

But even in its overlength, THE FBI STORY has enough to earn a "fresh" rating from me-- just barely. Chief among the film's boons are its several chase scenes and shootouts, my favorite being the shot on location Dillinger sequence.

The film is also unintentionally risible at points, including Stewart's earnest quip: "On Sunday morning he left the house. He couldn't be going to work. Since he was a Communist, we knew he wasn't going to church." That was perhaps the highlight of this Pinko-era flick, which doesn't leave it with much to stand on.