The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

Movie Info

The notorious Legs Diamond works his way up the underworld latter in a matter of fact, casually told depiction of the 1920s crime boss. Legs (Ray Danton) extorts money from gamblers, bootleggers and speakeasies after taking over for his slain mentor, Arnold Rothstein. He lights a girl's dress on fire in order to win a dance contest and seemingly murders as easily as he breathes.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

Action & Adventure, Drama
Directed By:

Budd Boetticher
Written By:

Joseph Landon
In Theaters:

Jan 1, 1960 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 19, 1991
Runtime:

101 minutes
Studio:

Warner Bros.

Watch it now

Amazon

iTunes

Cast

Ray Danton
as Jack "Legs" Diamond

Karen Steele
as Alice Sniffer

Elaine Stewart
as Monica Drake

Jesse White
as Leo Bremer

Simon Oakland
as Lt. Moody

Robert Lowery
as Arnold Rothstein

Judson Pratt
as Fats Walsh

Warren Oates
as Eddie Diamond

Frank de Kova
as Chairman

Gordon Jones
as Sgt. Cassidy

Joseph Ruskin
as Matt Moran

Dyan Cannon
as Dixie

Richard Gardner
as Vince Coll

Sid Melton
as Little Augie

Nesdon Booth
as Fence

Buzz Henry
as Bodyguard

Dyke Johnson
as Bodyguard

Roy Jenson
as Bodyguard

Joseph Marr
as Officer

Jim Drum
as Officer

Dorothy Neumann
as Woman

Frances Mercer
as Woman

Judd Holdren
as Haberdashery Clerk

George Taylor
as Switchboard Operator

Robert Herron
as Thug

Carey Loftin
as Thug

Norman DuPont
as Maitre d' Louis

View All

Critic Reviews for The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

All Critics (7) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (2)

A strange, cold, sordid movie about a strange, cold, sordid gangster.

Jul 13, 2015 | Full Review…

Richard Brody
New Yorker
Top Critic
Director Budd Boetticher and screenwriter Joseph Landon are as fast on their feet as their hoofer-turned-gangster protagonist; the efficiency and momentum of their storytelling should be models of inspiration for today's filmmakers.

Sep 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Strange and often grim gangster film, notable for some off-trail approaches.

Aug 10, 2011 | Full Review…

Michael E. Grost
Classic Film and Television
An unsentimental and inaccurate Warner Brothers action-packed biopic on ruthless twenties gangster Jack "Legs" Diamond.

Mar 2, 2005 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

View All Critic Reviews (7)

Audience Reviews for The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

Oct 14, 2007

Overlooked gangster picture with the fierce energy of the early classics. A rags to riches story with the typical hubristic, heartless, no-nonsense character battling to get to the top of the underworld.

Pierluigi P Super Reviewer