''Highway 301'' is an American 1950

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

written and directed by

Andrew L. Stone Andrew L. Stone (July 16, 1902 – June 9, 1999) was an Americans, American screenwriter, film director and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film ''Julie (1956 film), Julie'' in 1957 and re ...

, and starring

Steve Cochran Steve Cochran (born Robert Alexander Cochran, May 25, 1917 – June 15, 1965) was an American film, television and stage actor. He attended the University of Wyoming. After a stint working as a cowboy, Cochran developed his acting skills in loca ...

Virginia Grey Virginia Grey (March 22, 1917 – July 31, 2004) was an American actress who appeared in over 100 films and a number of radio and television shows from the 1930s to the early 1980s. Biography Grey was born on March 22, 1917, in Edendale, Calif ...

Gaby André Gaby André (1920–1972) was a French film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radi ...

and

Edmon Ryan Edmon Ryan Mossbarger (June 5, 1905 — August 4, 1984), known professionally as Edmon Ryan, was an American theater, film, and television actor. A native of Cecilia, Kentucky, he was the son of Isham Edward Mossbarger (1864–1936) and Pearl Sh ...

Plot

A gang of career criminals, modeled on the real life Tri-State Gang, are terrorizing and robbing banks and payrolls in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. George, the gang's leader, is a cold killer who does not distinguish between armed guards and any of the group's

moll Moll can refer to: As a name * Moll (surname) * Moll Anderson, interior designer, life stylist, author, and former national iHeart Radio host * Moll Anthony, aka Mary Lesson (1807–1878), Irish ''bean feasa'' (wise-woman) * Moll Cutpurse, a ...

s that cross him. The film starts with comments from then-governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland about how crime doesn't pay. By the film's end, all five of the gang members and two of their three molls are depicted as dead, with the last moll arrested while impersonating a reporter during an attempt to aid George and Bobby in killing a moll who could incriminate them all.

Cast

as George Legenza *

as Mary Simms *

as Lee *

as Detective Sgt. Truscott and the film's narrator *

Robert Webber Robert Laman Webber (October 14, 1924 – May 19, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in dozens of films and television series, roles that included Juror No. 12 in the 1957 film ''12 Angry Men''. Early life Webber was born in Santa Ana, ...

as William B. 'Bill' Phillips *

Wally Cassell Wally Cassell (born Oswaldo Silvestri Trippilini Rolando Vincenza Castellano; March 3, 1912 – April 2, 2015) was an Italian-born American character actor and businessman. Early years Wally Cassell was born as Oswaldo Silvestri Trippilin ...

as Robert 'Bobby' Mais *

Aline Towne Fern Aline Waller (née Eggen, 7 November 1919 – 2 February 1996), known as Aline Towne, was an American film and television actress, best remembered for her lead roles in 1950s Republic serials, such as ''Radar Men from the Moon''. Bio ...

as Madeline Welton * Richard Egan as Herbie Brooks *

Edward Norris Septimus Edward Norris (March 10, 1911 – December 18, 2002) was an American film actor. Early years Norris was born in 1911, the son of a prominent Philadelphia gynecologist, who was described in a newspaper article as "a famous surgeon and ...

as Noyes Hinton, gang driver *

Lyle Latell Lyle Latell (born Lyle Zeiem; April 9, 1904 – October 24, 1967) was an American character actor. He was perhaps best known for playing Pat Patton in the ''Dick Tracy'' film series. Biography Latell was born Lyle Zeiem on April 1904 in ...

as Police Officer Murray

Reception

Box office

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $759,000 in the U.S. and $845,000 in other markets.

Critical response

When the film was first released, ''The New York Times'' critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

caustically panned it, writing "The most disturbing and depressing of the many depressing things about the Strand's current Warner Brothers' shocker, ''Highway 301'', is the fact that governors in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina endorse this cheap gangster melodrama as an effective deterrent to crime. In forewords which are personally delivered by Maryland's lame-duck Governor

Lane In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...

and by Virginia's and North Carolina's Governors

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

and Scott, respectively, these eminent and honorable officials convey the solemn idea that what you are about to see is something that will prove to you how profitless crime is...However, the whole thing, concocted and directed by

, is a straight exercise in low sadism. And the reactions at the Strand yesterday among the early audience, made up mainly of muscular youths, might have shocked and considerably embarrassed the governors mentioned above." Film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a positive review in 2011, writing "Andrew Stone (''

Julie Julie may refer to: * Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day * ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhava ...

''/'' Cry Terror!''/''

The Steel Trap ''The Steel Trap'' is a 1952 American film noir written and directed by Andrew L. Stone and starring Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright and Jonathan Hale. Plot With a million dollars cash in the vault, Jim Osborne (Joseph Cotten), a long term bank em ...

'') effectively directs this enjoyable action-filled B film crime drama that wants us to know that 'crime doesn't pay.'"

References

External links

* * * *
''Highway 301''
informational site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images) * {{Andrew L. Stone 1950 films 1950 crime drama films American black-and-white films American crime drama films American drama road movies Film noir Films about bank robbery Films directed by Andrew L. Stone Films scored by William Lava Films set in Maryland Films set in North Carolina Films set in Virginia Warner Bros. films 1950s heist films 1950s drama road movies American heist films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films