I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Brilliant and touching

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Cheesy? Well, I like cheese, very much! It's obvious that the budget of the film was very limited. Even so modestly, it is worth seeing. There are many elements here for the later masterpiece, "Charley Varrick"(1973). Let's consider this "Gangster Story" like a big rehearsal for that. For Matthau. The scenarios are very similar only that "Gangster Story" is much simpler. But very cool idea with the film in the film, as a motivation to rob the bank. "Charley Varrick" benefits from an even smarter scenario, much bigger budget and much better actors. Anyway, Matthau is very good in both of these and, as director of "Gangster Story," he does a pretty good job. One thing I want to add, I would have liked to have in my real life, a wife like Carol Logan, the Librarian, played by Carol Grace, Walter Matthau's real-life wife.

I recently saw this on TCM. I tuned in after it started so I had no idea what it was. I thought it was one of those corny educational films they used to show in classrooms in the 1950's that occasionally show up in TCM for the laugh value. That is, until I heard what sounded like Walter Matthau's voice and sure enough it was him so it must actually be a theatrical release. Matthau plays Jack Martin a hood rising up on to the FBI's most wanted list. Despite all the references to the FBI in this so-called film you only see the Anaheim police as the only guys doing any crime fighting here. Martin is hiding out in rural southern California and goes to work for local mob boss Earl Dawson (Bruce McFarlane) and his number two henchman Adolph (Garry Walberg) and somehow convince pretty bi-speckled librarian Carol Logan (Matthau's real-life wife Carol Grace) to become his girlfriend. This movie is so bad it doesn't even deserve to a B movie or even a C movie. This is like a high school class film project. It's Matthau's only turn as a director and as such he no idea what he's doing. I don't know how this project was ever green-lighted. After appearing as a guest star in 20 different TV series and nine films up until this time, including a couple of well known movies, I have no idea why he would diminish his talents and rising reputation as an actor to be in this 1959 flop.This is like watching a car wreck. I would give this 2.5 out of 10. That's generous just out of curiosity sake.

Walter Matthau acts. Walter Matthau directs. Walter Matthau, pre-'Charade'; pre-'Fail-Safe'. Walter Matthau's wife plays his girlfriend. What's not to like; right? The first giveaway should have been the credits - the film-quality is so washed-out, I'm betting it was shot in 16mm with no filters. The second should have been the length (70min).I don't have the information to confirm my hunch that this was a TV pilot, enhanced with an additional ten minutes of stock-footage and a different ending - but it has the look-and-feel of an early TV movie or early pilot episode - and the production values reflect it (voicework is entirely dubbed after-the-fact, with lips not matching sound in a lot of cases).This complete-flyball-of-a-movie has a stock-plot (bad guy escapes; meets girl; falls in love; has second thoughts at last minute about 'staying in the game', all the while pulling 'jobs' for a criminal mastermind who would be more believable in Leave it to Beaver). Frequent use of technical shots in the police headquarters look like they were borrowed from "Highway Patrol" (absent the talent of Broderick Crawford).It's marginally-viewable (2 out of 10) for the midcentury-modern architecture (pay attention to the interior shots of 'Carol's' home, and both the exterior and interior shots of the country-clubhouse), plus the time-capsule of mid-late-'50's-era automobiles.

The only film directed by Walter Matheau is the first film to go on the worst of the year list for 2009. More home movie then real film this film is a mess. Dis-shelved in a way that Matheau's screen persona became in later years this film is just one big mess. This is the story of bank robber and cop killer who makes an escape to a small town where he robs the local bank and gets in deep with the local crime bosses. Its should be exciting, but its not, with only Matheau seeming to be the only real actor in the bunch. How Matheau got the job directing is beyond me, as is the notion that this was actually shown to a paying audience. Its amateur night at the cinema. The only thing I can think of was everyone in the cast and the director took ill and Matheau and the catering staff stepped in to make the movie. Do not waste your time this is a bad film, and not in a good way.