Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Phillim Like Bogie in 'The Harder They Fall', here good egg Edmund O'Brien is seduced by degrees into lowlife violent crime -- main motivation: an honest working man can't make it, so if yer smart enough to work a con you'd best get to getting', especially if invited in by a big player.Barry Kelly repulses as a small-time crime boss bully who fancies himself a legitimate businessman. Otto Kruger as the faux-elegant big-time crime boss nauseates, and Don Porter (Gidget's TV dad) as psycho wife-beater and wife-pimp, puts a bland smiley face on pure evil. As his punching bag, Joanne Dru -- beautiful, smart, dignified -- wins and breaks your heart. Robert Osterloh's reptilian hit-man is on target. Sammy White's simple-loyal 'best friend' exemplifies the powerlessness of all the bookies just in it for a decent living. Dorothy Patrick as the mind-my-own-business employee is glamorous and forceful as she wises up.The climax at Boulder/Hoover Dam can't compare with Hitchcock's thrilling finales at famous colossal landmarks, but is skillfully done, and suits the tone of the film. The script stays real and logical, the suspense earned -- all the more satisfying for being somewhat understated.Edmund O'Brien's nice-guy doughy everyman persona works well here -- he trusts the script to show the villainy and does not gild the lily. Smart actor.Honest script and dialogue respects and entertains the audience. It means to teach us how things function and malfunction in illegal horse- and dog-race betting, and succeeds painlessly. 'Preachy' bits exhorting America not to support illegal gambling are merely tacked on to the front and back -- and don't mar the film one iota. If there's any didactic message here, it's that honest work don't pay in today's (1950's) world.

LeonLouisRicci Skirting the periphery of Film-Noir this one probably lands more than not in the Police Film or the Authorities Are Your Friend Category. These Types were Everywhere after the War. This one Preaches about Your "two dollar bet" Financing Organized Crime and Murder. These Movies were not only for Entertainment but for a sort of Public Service.Technology was also a "new" element in Law Enforcement and the Fight against Communism and Films were want to display as much High Tech Stuff as possible. We get quite a bit of that here with Electronic Whiz Kid, Edmond O'Brien strutting His Stuff and landing a Slot with the Local Mob. This is a less Personal Film then most Noir's and tends to paint with a wide brush with its Coast to Coast Crime Syndicate with tangled wires and many Locations.A good tightly wound Thriller, this has an Energy for sure and hardly ever settles down and the Interpersonal is disposed of quite Brutally at times. Interesting and more layered than most, this one has a Bigger Budget and Broader Scope than a typical B-Movie and is a well crafted, if at times Stiff, Expose.

blanche-2 "711 Ocean Drive" is an interesting '50s film noir set in Los Angeles. Edmond O'Brien stars as Mal Granger, a nice telephone repairman who is into a bookie for some gambling debts. The bookie makes a deal with him and, since he's a technician, has him do some modernization on the illegal gambling in the area that uses the wire service. The O'Brien character turns out to be pretty ambitious and greedy and starts making his way up the ladder in the syndicate. He does well until some guys from the East coast show up and want some of his action.The O'Brien character really changes from the beginning, when he's a relaxed, friendly guy. Then he becomes ruthless and murderous. O'Brien does a great job in making this change believable. There are also very good performances from Howard St. John as a police officer, Bert Freed as a hit man, and Otto Kruger as a mob boss. Joanne Dru is the object of Mal's affections, although she's married to someone else.Seeing Los Angeles in the '50s is one of the best parts of this film. Recommended for Edmond O'Brien, the scenery, and the noir style.

wes-connors Edmond O'Brien (as Mal Granger) is an ordinary telephone repairman who must supplement his measly salary by betting on a few horse races; he decides to use his electronics skills to help racetrack "bookies" illegally wire results to Bad Barry Kelley (as Vince Waters). Later, Badder Otto Kruger (as Carl Stephans) takes over as head villain. Joanne Dru (as Gail) and Dorothy Patrick (as Trudy) add femininity to the film. "711 Ocean Drive" addresses, interestingly, an unsolved socio-economic problem: You can make more money in criminal activities than in most average paying jobs. Mr. O'Brien does not feel he financially able to start a home / family with his income, so he opts for the higher pay offered by his "bookie". The first "job" he takes is difficulty to accept as illegal (obviously, they had no cell phones back then); but, later on, O'Brien gets in deeper. Boulder Dam and some Los Angeles-area locations are highlights. This is a "flashback" film, describing the rise and fall of O'Brien's character Granger, accompanied by a dreadfully gooey sermon. O'Brien and the performers are enjoyable in a disappointing premise. **** 711 Ocean Drive (1950) Joseph M. Newman ~ Edmond O'Brien, Joanne Dru, Otto Kruger