Party Girl (Full Frame)

VHS, 99 minutes, MGM

To the roar of submachine guns and blaring nightclub jazz, "Party Girl" "offers a gutty combination of sex and violence" (The Hollywood Reporter). With stylish direction from Nicholas Ray ("Rebel With A Cause"), it is no wonder that this absorbing gangster drama has gone to achieve cult status. Set in 1930s Chicago, the story follows two people caught in the prohibition era's web of corruption and lavish living. Robert Taylor is at his suave and virile best as a crippled but clever lawyer - a "mouthpiece" for the mob. Equally impressive is lovely, long-legged Cyd Charisse as the nightclub dancer whose love for Taylor forever changes their lives. As the power-mad gangland czar with a comically sentimental streak, Lee J. Cobb delivers with gusto. Packed with striking images, a suspense-filled plot and brilliant direction, "Party Girl" will 'pop your cork' with its celebration of old-time gangster movie excitement.