Truly Dreadful Film

That was an excellent one.

So much average

The acting in this movie is really good.

This is not a film noir by any means, but a throwback to the dime detective novel that with several elements added became film noir in the 1940's. You'd almost classify it as film noir, but as somebody who often calls other similar themed films as noir cannot find that one element to put it in that category. As "The Big Sleep" is combination detective story/film noir, this is combination detective story/political thriller.Opening up with a drunk Mike Hammer (Mickey Spillane) passed out on a dark city street, this quickly moves to his rehab, return to his detective agency, and his return to a case involving the murders of his secretary and a senator that has baffled all who have tried to solve it. Hammer ends up all over this dark city in society, in waterfront dives, and involved with soft looking dames who know more than they are willing to share. Never leaving is that solo trumpet, haunting you as it practically becomes a character in the story.Often stagnant and slow, this lacks in star power but overwhelms you with detail and intensity. At times, it becomes very perplexing, taking a metaphorical side street but suddenly back on the main drag. Of the supporting cast, only veteran character actor Lloyd Nolan is familiar, playing opposite Spillane which is the type of part he played as Michael Shayne and other B movie detectives. The future Bond girl, Shirley Eaton, is a golden blonde vixen, making the most of both her sultry looks and mysterious character. This is new wave cinema at its finest at a time when the old style of Hollywood cinema began taking on new ideas to change with the times. If you're hunting for a masterpiece, this ain't it, but it will keep your brain on its toes and your eyes full front.

This movie is a perfect illustration that good dialog in a book doesn't necessarily translate to good dialog in film. When one reads a line like "They just don't make dragons like they used to" it doesn't sound a corny as it does when spoken by a wooden Mickey Spillane.And the biggest problem isn't that Mickey Spillane is such a bad actor - it's that his is not the worst performance in the movie. Only Lloyd Nolan manages to sound like he's not reading lines off the back of a cereal box. Especially bad performances are put in by Hy Gardner as a newspaper columnist and Scott Peters' over the top job as a police captain and former partner of Hammer. At least Gardner has an excuse since he wasn't a professional actor like Peters. Shirley Eaton models a wide range of bikinis and is always easy on the eyes if not on the brain.Like any good pulp fiction, the plot of The Girl Hunters is besides the point. Hammer's old secretary Velda plays the role of the macguffin and Hammer spends his time trying to follow her trail and the murder of a politician. The end comes without us ever finding out what happened to Velda but it really doesn't matter. This movie is all style and no substance so we really never care about Velda.No Mike Hammer film is going to be make anyone forget Shakespeare but this is really a waste of time. I give it two stars only because the cinematography is good and Nolan shows what a real actor can do.Finally, why did they black out the credit at the end of the movie stating it was filmed at MGM studios in England? A strange ending to a strange mess of a movie.

While never in the class of 'Kiss Me, Deadly', or even the original version of 'I, The Jury', 'The Girl Hunters' is an enjoyable detective movie featuring a surprisingly convincing portrayal of Mike Hammer by his creator Mickey Spillane. The film is well shot, mostly well acted and has a storyline that keeps you interested till the end. What lets it down is the intrusive and repetitive music and endless shots of Spillane/Hammer walking in and out of buildings/offices while putting on or taking off his trench coat. After a while both these elements become irritating, but not irritating enough to make you want to stop watching. Spillane is a suitably rough around the edges Hammer and is well supported by Lloyd Nolan as a helpful FBI agent and by the gorgeous Shirley Eaton as the only female character in the picture, the widow of a murdered senator. My personal favourite Mike Hammer film is the first version of 'I, The Jury' with Biff Elliott as Hammer. That film is pure noir and Elliott is excellent in the role. 'The Girl Hunters' tries hard and almost gets there, but noir was past it's sell by date and the old masters of the genre were mostly gone. This film gives a good facsimile and is very watchable, but do not expect 'The Big Sleep'.

It isn't that Mickey Spillaine can't act that makes this movie so awful. It's everything--from the amateurish directing and Neanderthal script to the annoying trumpet blasts that rise out of the soundtrack.There's absolutely nothing about this film that works. Everybody fawns over Mike hammer the whole time--with the exception of the mean cop who used to be his friend. There's your plot line.Here's a long shot but it could be that the producers of Goldfinger saw this bomb and stole a couple of items from it (no one would know since about 16 people ever saw this film on its release). First Shirley Eaton--the only woman in this thing --went on to stardom as the golden girl. And there's a scene before the big fight where the bad guy fires his hat Oddjob-style at our hero.What is about guys that can't act (and know it)? They seem to want to bring along others with the same deficiency. So Spillaine has several scenes with a real-life newspaper columnist that rank up there as some of the worst in the movie and, therefore, of all time.If you want something to do while watching this turkey, count the number of times Hammer pulls on and off his trenchcoat. London Fog had to be involved in the production.As for Mike Hammer movies, stay away from "Girl Hunters" and stick with Ralph Meeker and "Kiss me Deadly."