Shooting Straight

...sang REM. Obviously, this inspired the film's setting. Gambling gangster Richard Dix (Lucky Larry) goes on the run and ends up in Rockville. Is there a link between Dix's character and real-life mobster Lucky Luciano and his gambling interests? Dunno. Whilst in Rockville, Dix falls for plain Mary Lawlor (Doris). I've seen her act in Good Times (1930) as well as this film. She was pretty rotten in that as well and guess what? ...............she never made any other films. What a surprise! So, Dix wants to stick around in Rockville and help the uninteresting Mary sort out a problem with her brother William Janney (Tommy) who is getting himself into gambling debts with local Rockville gangster Matthew Betz (Ace). And Betz wants payment from Mary in the bedroom if you get what I mean.

Unfortunately, the film is a bit boring and the way it ends is a complete cop-out with the policeman revealing some extra details to the story. Richard Dix is a manly lead with a big build and this just doesn't work for me. I need to identify with a skinny good-loocking guy and that wasn't on offer in this film. And the leading woman was just a complete wall-flower so there was no interest there either.