The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

1960
Approved
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

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Ray Danton in The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960)

Neo-noir about a small-time New York City criminal whose ambition is to become a big-time crime boss during the Prohibition era.Neo-noir about a small-time New York City criminal whose ambition is to become a big-time crime boss during the Prohibition era.Neo-noir about a small-time New York City criminal whose ambition is to become a big-time crime boss during the Prohibition era.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

1.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total

Photos38

+ 31

Top cast83

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Ray Danton

Jack 'Legs' Diamond

Karen Steele

Alice Scott

Elaine Stewart

Monica Drake

Jesse White

Leo 'Butcher' Bremer

Simon Oakland

Lt. Moody

Robert Lowery

Arnold Rothstein

Judson Pratt

Fats Walsh

Warren Oates

Eddie Diamond

Frank DeKova

Syndicate Chairman

Gordon Jones

Sgt. Joe Cassidy

Joseph Ruskin

Matt Moran

Dyan Cannon

Dixie
(as Diane Cannon)

Richard Gardner

Vince Coll

Don Anderson

Bartender
(uncredited)

Sammy Armaro

Cab Driver
(uncredited)

Herb Armstrong

Cherry Nose Gioe
(uncredited)

Nesdon Booth

Pawnbroker
(uncredited)
…

George Bruggeman

Nightclub Patron
(uncredited)

Director
- Budd Boetticher
Writer
- Joseph Landon
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Film debut of Dyan Cannon. This is her first released film. She made This Rebel Breed (1960) previously, but it was released after this film.

Goofs
Alice is seen wearing a dress with a zipper up the back sometime between Arnold Rothstein's death in 1928 and Diamond's death in 1931. Zippers did not appear on women's fashions until 1935.

Quotes
Jack 'Legs' Diamond: You can't kill me, I'm Legs Diamond.

Connections
Featured in Histoire(s) du cinéma: Toutes les histoires (1988)

Soundtracks
It Had to Be You
(uncredited)
Written by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn

User reviews24

Featured review

7/10

How much of this is true? Who knows.

I am no expert on the life of 'Legs' Diamond, but I assume that the studio took great liberties with presenting his life story. This is because I've seen several other gangster films made between 1958-1962 and all of them seemed to play fast and loose with the facts. I think a lot of this was because of the TV show "The Untouchables". Its success spurred on these gangster biopics and like most of the biopics, the TV show played VERY fast and loose with facts....all because they were meant as entertainment first...and last.

Ray Danton plays the leading role. While Danton was a very good looking and smooth character, photos of the real 'Legs' show that he was far from the sexy hunk who could charm women. So, Danton was poor when it came to looking like Diamond...but was great for attracting females to the theaters to see him!

The story is a somewhat predictable tale of a monster who was bigger than life and had bigger than life ambitions....and the expected fall. After all, this IS in the title of the movie! So is it any good? Yes. The story is violent, exciting and never lets up....so it should keep your interest. Excellent direction sure didn't hurt this film, either!