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''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' is a 1971 American crime comedy film directed by
James Goldstone James Goldstone (June 8, 1931 – November 5, 1999) was an American film and television director whose career spanned over thirty years. Career Goldstone was noted for the momentum and "fifteen-minute cliffhangers" that he brought to TV pilots ...
and written by
Waldo Salt Waldo Miller Salt (October 18, 1914 – March 7, 1987) was an American screenwriter who won Academy Awards for both '' Midnight Cowboy'' and '' Coming Home''. Early life and career Salt was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Winifred ( ...
, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Jimmy Breslin, which in turn was based on the life of gangster
Joe Gallo Joseph Gallo (April 7, 1929 – April 7, 1972), also known as "Crazy Joe", was an Italian-American mobster and Caporegime of the Colombo crime family of New York City. In his youth, Gallo was diagnosed with schizophrenia after an arrest. He so ...
. The film stars
Jerry Orbach Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
,
Leigh Taylor-Young Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, podcast, radio and television. The most famous films in which she had important roles include '' I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' (1968), '' The Hor ...
, Jo Van Fleet,
Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television. He is best remembered for his role as majordomo Max on the 1980s mystery television series ''Hart to Hart''. Early ...
,
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
and Irving Selbst. The film was released on December 22, 1971, by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
.


Plot

Kid Sally Palumbo (Jerry Orbach) grows jealous of his older, mobster boss Baccala (Lionel Stander), who has little respect for the crew Palumbo commands. Baccala allows Kid Sally to supervise a six-day bicycle race (for the purposes of keeping the money generated), and among the 12 Italian cyclists brought into the city is Mario Trantino (Robert De Niro), a budding thief. When the bicycle race does not take place due to outside interference, Sally is demoted to serving Baccala as a chauffeur, and Trantino stays in New York City to run his own cons, including masquerading as a priest. Kid Sally's mother Big Momma (Jo Van Fleet) urges him to take down the old, entrenched mobsters in power, but it appears the only fatalities are in his own camp, and the increase in violence draws the attention of the city police.


Cast

*
Jerry Orbach Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
as Salvatore 'Kid Sally' Palumbo *
Leigh Taylor-Young Leigh Taylor-Young (born January 25, 1945) is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, podcast, radio and television. The most famous films in which she had important roles include '' I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' (1968), '' The Hor ...
as Angela Palumbo * Jo Van Fleet as Big Momma Palumbo *
Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television. He is best remembered for his role as majordomo Max on the 1980s mystery television series ''Hart to Hart''. Early ...
as Baccala *
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
as Mario Trantino * Irving Selbst as 'Big Jelly' Catalano * Hervé Villechaize as Beppo 'The Dwarf' *
Joe Santos Joe Santos (born Joseph John Minieri Jr.; June 9, 1931 – March 18, 2016) was an American film and television actor, best known as Sgt. Dennis Becker (later Lieutenant), the friend of James Garner's character on the NBC crime drama ''The R ...
as Ezmo *
Carmine Caridi Carmine Caridi (January 23, 1934 – May 28, 2019) was an American film, television and stage actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974) and ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990). In 2004, Caridi became the ...
as Tony 'The Indian' *
Frank Campanella Frank Campanella (March 12, 1919 – December 30, 2006) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous television series, as well as a few films and Broadway productions. Early life and career Campanella was born in New York City, the son of ...
as Water Buffalo *
Harry Basch Harry Leo Basch (January 16, 1926 – June 23, 2020) was an American actor and author. In 1951 he appeared in "Mr. Roberts" at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. He is possibly best known for his role as Vince Caproni in the 1980s television se ...
as Joseph DeLauria *
Sander Vanocur Sander Vanocur (; born Alexander Vinocur, January 8, 1928 – September 16, 2019)
Retr ...
as Television Commentator''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' (1971) – American Film Institute (AFI).
Retrieved February 18, 2020
* Phil Bruns as Gallagher * Philip Sterling as District Attorney Goodman * Jack Kehoe as Bartender *
Despo Diamantidou Despoina "Despo" Diamantidou ( el, Δέσπω Διαμαντίδου; 13 July 1916 – 18 February 2004) was a Greek actress. She appeared in more than seventy films from 1949 to 2003. She played Tatiana in Alan King's summer replacement sitcom, ' ...
as Mourner *
Sam Coppola Sam Coppola (July 31, 1932 – February 5, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in almost 70 films, beginning in 1968, but may be best remembered for his role as Dan Fusco, owner of the hardware and paint store in ''Saturday Night Fever'', wh ...
as Julie DiBiasi *
James Sloyan James Joseph Sloyan (born February 24, 1940 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American actor. Early years Sloyan left the United States at an early age to live abroad in Rome, Capri, Milan, Switzerland, and Ireland. His career in show business b ...
as Joey *
Paul Benedict Paul Benedict (September 17, 1938 – December 1, 2008) was an American actor who made numerous appearances in television and films, beginning in 1965. He was known for his roles as The Number Painter on the PBS children's show '' Sesame Stree ...
as 'Shots' O'Toole * Lou Criscuolo as Junior * George Loros as Jerry * Harry Davis as Dominic Laviano *
Burt Young Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (born April 30, 1940), known professionally as Burt Young, is an American actor, author and painter. He played Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the ''Rocky'' film series. He was nominated for ...
as Willie Quarequio * Jackie Vernon as Herman *
Ted Beniades Theodore Cleanthis Beniades (November 17, 1922 – October 24, 2014) was an American character actor of screen and stage who was best known for appearing in Brian De Palma's '' Scarface'' as the undercover police officer Seidelbaum. Beniades wa ...
as A Black Suit * Fat Thomas as A Black Suit * Roy Shuman as The Mayor *
Alice Hirson Alice Hirson (born March 10, 1929) is an American actress best known for her roles on television. She began her career on stage, before roles on daytime soap operas. She is best known for her roles as Mavis Anderson in the CBS prime time soap ope ...
as The Mayor's Wife *
Michael V. Gazzo Michael Vincenzo Gazzo (April 5, 1923 – February 14, 1995) was an American playwright who later in life became a film and television actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in '' The Godfather Part II'' (1974). Biography Gaz ...
as A Black Suit * Robert Gerringer as Commissioner McGrady * Walter Flanagan as The Super * Dan Morgan as Muldoon * Dorothi Fox as Meter Maid * Robert Weil as Circus Supply Manager *
Margo Winkler Margo Winkler is an American actress, who often played minor roles as receptionists, clerks or judges. She is known for her minor roles in several of Martin Scorsese's films which her husband Irwin Winkler produced. She is best known for her roles ...
as Airline Clerk * Leopold Badia as Old Waiter * Fran Stevens as Baccala's Wife * Florence Tarlow as Police Matron * Rita Karin as Mrs. Goldfarb * Tom Lacy as Religious Salesman * William H. Boesen as Jury Foreman * Gary Melkonian as Greek Racer * Gustave Johnson as Detective Jenkins * George Stefans as Greek Captain * Alisha Fontaine as Jelly's Girl * Lorrie Davis as Jelly's Other Girl * Frank Jourdano as TV Reporter *
Elsa Raven Elsa Rabinowitz (September 21, 1929 – November 2, 2020), known professionally as Elsa Raven, was an American character actress, perhaps best known for her two years (1988–1990) on the sitcom ''Amen'' and playing the mother of Vincent Terrano ...
as Mrs. Buffalo * Gloria LeRoy as Ida


Production

According to Irwin Winkler,
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...
asked to write and direct the movie but Winkler turned him down, feeling Coppola did not have the skills to make a mafia film.
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy A ...
was originally cast in the lead but during rehearsal pulled out to play the role of Michael Corleone in ''The Godfather. ''He was replaced'' ''by Robert De Niro''. Shot on location in
South Brooklyn South Brooklyn is a historic term for a section of the former City of Brooklyn – now the New York City borough of Brooklyn – encompassing what are now the Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor ...
, the film was the subject of a
Robin Green Robin Green is an American writer and producer. She was an executive producer on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. She was a creator and executive producer for '' Blue Bloods''. Biography A Rhode Island native, Robin Green earned a Bachelor of ...
-written November 25, 1971 ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...
'' article "Shooting the Gang That Couldn’t" which was described in its subtitle as "a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of a Robert DeNiro icmovie." Hervé Villechaize made his feature film debut, but his lines were dubbed to conceal his French accent as he was playing an
Italian-American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italians, Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeastern United States, Northeast and indus ...
character. Winkler wrote in his memoirs that he felt the director was more interested in sticking to the schedule than working with the actors. He felt the final film was neither funny nor dramatic.


Reception

The movie received negative reviews. Roger Ebert gave it 2/4 stars, writing: "Maybe part of the trouble is James Goldstone's direction, which tends toward the heavy-handed" and "The performances are too broad, the characters are too many, the plot is too indifferent to the structure of the movie, and - surprisingly - the movie is too sweet." ''New York Times'' reviewer Howard Thompson called the film "a tasteless mess" and Jo Van Fleet's performance "terrible." His only praise was for the interaction between Leigh Taylor-Young and Robert De Niro.


Home media

The movie has been released on VHS and DVD.


In Pop Culture

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fo ...
State House Speaker
Russell Bowers Russell "Rusty" Bowers (born October 20, 1952) is an American politician and the current Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he has represented the 25th legislative district since 2015. He was ele ...
referred to the book during the January 6 Select Committee hearings, when asked his thoughts on the Trump Campaign’s fake electors scheme.


See also

*
List of American films of 1971 A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight 1971 films 1970s crime comedy films American crime comedy films 1970s English-language films Films scored by Dave Grusin Films based on American novels Films based on organized crime novels Films directed by James Goldstone Films produced by Robert Chartoff Films produced by Irwin Winkler Films set in New York City Mafia comedy films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1971 comedy films 1970s American films