Hoodlum Priest (1961)
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78% of users liked it
(86 ratings)
Director Irvin Kershner, better known for his big-budget films like The Empire Strikes Back, joins with scripters and lead Don Murray to create this moving and effective docudrama. The story is based on the experiences of real-life Rev. Charles Dismas Clark (played here by Murray), a Jesuit priest… More Director Irvin Kershner, better known for his big-budget films like The Empire Strikes Back, joins with scripters and lead Don Murray to create this moving and effective docudrama. The story is based on the experiences of real-life Rev. Charles Dismas Clark (played here by Murray), a Jesuit priest devoted to working with young ex-convicts who face uphill battles in trying to re-integrate into a society that discriminates against them. At focus is the struggle of Billy Lee Jackson (Keir Dullea) with his personal demons as he gets involved in crimes which are not of his doing alone. His case illustrates the nature of the majority of cases, and like the majority, he pays in spades for his "mistakes." A powerful argument for looking at the horror of the death penalty and society's responsibility for crime, this well-wrought story is compelling and consistently effective. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Directed By
- Irvin Kershner
- Written By
- Joseph Landon, Don Murray
- Genres
- Drama, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1961 Wide
- On DVD
- Oct 15, 2002
- Studio
- MGM Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Wears its heart on its collar.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Don Murray
as Rev. Charles Dismas Clark S.J.
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Larry Gates
as Louis Rosen
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Cindi Wood
as Ellen Henley
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Keir Dullea
as Billy Lee Jackson
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Logan Ramsey
as George Hale
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Don Joslyn
as Pio Gentile
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Sam Capuano
as Mario Mazziotti
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Vince O'Brien
as District Attorney
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Al Mack
as Judge Garrity
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Joseph Cusanelli
as Hector Sterne
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Bill Atwood
as Weasel
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Warren Parker
as Warden
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Louise Martini
as Angelo Mazziotti
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Joe Hamilton
as Prison Chaplain
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Anthony Norman McKay
as Father Dunne
- Roger Ray
