THE PURPLE GANG
US, 1959, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Barry Sullivan, Robert Blake.
Directed by Frank Mc Donald.
The Purple Gang is the story of a group of young hooligans in Detroit in the late 20s and early 30s. The film is based on actual characters. The film is brief, well written and well made, and well acted by Barry Sullivan as a rather implacable district attorney and Robert Blake as a sinister young megalomaniac who controls a gang, is ruthless concerning others but has an irrational and claustrophobic fear. It anticipates his performance as Perry in In Cold Blood. Barry Sullivan had done variations on this kind of role many times (The Unknown Man, No Questions Asked). At this time he also appeared as a ruthless but sometimes genial outlaw in Seven Ways to Sundown with Audie Murphy.
The film came out at the same time as a growing interest in American gangsters on film, memories of the spate of films in the 1930s, this time focusing on such criminals as Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. With Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, there has been a continued interest in films about the American gangsters of the Depression era.
1. A film of the 1950s, small-budget, brief?
2. The re-creation of the 1930s, black and white photography, atmosphere?
3. The film as tough, forceful, the introduction by the law administrator of the period? The emphasis on American cities, gangs, the police, law and order?
4. Detroit of the period, the introduction, the voice-over, the 20s and 30s, the role of Prohibition, the rise of the illicit alcohol trade, from Canada, the role of Detroit, distribution for the rest of America, the racketeering, the police, corrupt police, the public, fear, protection and violence, the apathy at times of the general public?
5. The gangs, the young men, the reasons for their forming gangs? Family background? The social workers of the time, the psychologists? The plea for tolerance for young men? The police, the danger of brutality? The rounding up of the gangs, their getting out on the streets again, their later attack on the social workers?
6. Harley and his tough attitude, his despising of the gangs, the old couple and the attack, the arrests, their son, their denial that he could be involved? The social worker and her plea? Harley’s wife, her concern? Harley and his commitment? His moving on the gangs? His being given authority? Gladys’s death and its effect on him? His becoming stronger against the gangs, the warrants, his being the grand jury, the contacts with the gangs, getting information? The deal with Honey Boy’s best friend?
7. Robert Blake as Honey Boy, psychotic, his power over his friends, leading of the gang, his grandparents, his spurning Harley? The hijacking of the Olsens, his power, the deals? The collaboration, the collage of the distribution of the alcohol? The attack on the social worker, her death? His getting at Harley, terrorising Gladys, killing her?
8. Killer Burke, personality, entry into Detroit, the background of St Louis, his violence, working with the gang?
9. The drycleaners, the pressure of protection, their meeting together, hiring the Mafia shooter, the clashes? The locals winning over the Mafia and the drycleaners?
10. Honey Boy and his claustrophobia, the build-up to his friend’s betrayal, killing him, enclosing him in the coffin? His moving to the set-up, the deal?
11. Harley, his getting Smith’s collaboration, the power of persuasion? The surveillance?
12. Honey Boy, his gang arriving, the massacre? Honey Boy and the arrests? Harley and his being vindicated? Honey Boy and his going in the van, his collapse, claustrophobic fear?
13. The 1950s and 60s, the memories of the Prohibition days? This film contributing to understanding of the gangsters in the context of 1960? In later decades?
