Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Best movie of this year hands down!

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Shack Out on 101 (1955) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Insane cult movie starts off as some sort of bizarre comedy before turning into an over-dramatic, Red Scare film. Terry Moore plays a waitress at a rundown shack that seems to get the same customers night after night. Her boss and restaurant owner (Keenan Wynn) has a crush on her but she belongs to a Professor (Frank Lovejoy). The cook, Slob (Lee Marvin) has his own plans for the waitress and might be hiding a few more secrets. Okay, I had heard a lot of good things about this movie but you never know what you're going to get we you check into a cult film. I found there to be some rather funny stuff early on but I thought the second half really fell apart as we get into more drama. The drama never worked for me because it was rather confusing trying to figure out what the movie was trying to do. For the life of me I couldn't understand why the first half had so much trashy humor only for it to disappear and turn into a warning picture. I still can't figure out what the bad guys were trying to do to begin with. What works the best is all the insult humor and some of it is downright hilarious. The insults thrown at Marvin's Slob character gets the most laughs because he fits the part so well. Marvin clearly steals the film and his great performance is enough of a reason to watch the movie. Lovejoy is pretty bland in his role but Wynn is great and matches wits with Marvin quite well. Moore is easy on the eyes but delivers little else. Whit Bissell turns in a nice supporting performance. In the end, this remains a must see due to Marvin's performance but I wish they'd kept the entire film like the first half.

Amusingly odd second-feature starring Terry Moore as a beanery waitress who has high ambitions--studying for her Civil Service exams! Moore and restaurant-owner Keenan Wynn end up tangling with nefarious Lee Marvin, posing as a short-order cook. Hilariously outré mix of moody melodramatics, campy nostalgia, gruff film noir and patriotic flag-waving. Moore is quite appealing spitting out her juicy, hard-bitten purple prose, Wynn also good (if puzzlingly dopey) in a supporting role apparently written for stray laughs. In fact, the entire film is amiably half-witted and almost endearing. Fine cinematography includes an amazing first shot of Terry on the beach. ** from ****

Terry Moore for all her potential in that movie never achieved the critical acclaim in later life that Lee Marvin did. I loved the movie, but don't believe I've ever seen it on TV. Only saw it once in 1955 and it was second bill of a two movie program. I don't even know what the first movie was. In those days it was normal to have two movies (and a cartoon, MovieTone News and a few trailers of movies to come).Frank Lovejoy was great as the commie spy, but I think Slob (Marvin) stole it. Terry Moore as the 'babe' was ok, but Slob was fantastic.

Talk about Perception Clues!!! I think Marvin's talking on a cell phone (it's a shell he's listening to); I think he's giving More CPR, and he's kissing her without consent!!!Some great lines that show how paranoid we were about the Red Menace; I suppose they were referring to communism when they were speaking of the kind of stupid spies. Keenan Wynn does a jam up job as the spurned (but nicely) boss who just doesn't give More 'that spark'. It's obvious Lovejoy does and you feel Wynn's pain as he witnesses the magic between them. I'm a woman and even I could feel the chemistry Terry More was putting out way back when...even in black and white.Marvin matches her in lusty acts, words and looks, but she's not buying. The director did a great job with the action in that little shack, and from a historical perspective, it's fun doing a walk down Paranoia Lane. It's hard to believe that anyone could have thought we would be sucked in to that communism trip......but the cruelty shown those who were attracted to the beautiful ideas in that theory somehow gave more credence to what is an impossible idea in reality.Just as Nietche's Superman ideas of those who can 'live above the law' were hogwash insofar as reality is concerned, so too communism. But this movie helps you feel the country's fear of these folks out to overthrow our government in some kind of muddled way ...though you're never sure who'se selling, who'se buying and what is the product?For you Terry More and Lee Marvin fans, it's a must. Or for a view of our recent History, it's also fun.