Synopsis:
After being released from prison, Charlie “Pretty Boy” Floyd (John Ericson) leaves his part-time boxing gig when his promoter learns he’s having an affair with his wife (Casey Peyson), and soon Charlie is back to a life of crime, working with his friend Curly (Carl York) and his former manager (Barry Newman), and rooming with a woman (Effie Afton) whose boarder (Joan Harvey) falls hard for Charlie.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Ex-Cons
• Gangsters
• Peter Falk Films

Review:
This fictionalized biopic about notorious bank robber “Pretty Boy” Floyd (so-called because he liked to dress in fancy suits, though he apparently despised the nickname) perpetuates the myth that Floyd was a Robin Hood to the Okies, as memorialized in Woody Guthrie’s ballad:

… many a starvin’ farmer
The same old story told
How the outlaw paid their mortgage
And saved their little homes.

Others tell you ’bout a stranger
That come to beg a meal,
Underneath his napkin
Left a thousand-dollar bill.

As noted in History on Film’s article, “The script follows the basic chronology of Floyd’s life but tosses in generous helpings of fiction” — i.e., opening the film by showing him boxing (which he never did):

The primary interest here seems to be glamorizing Floyd’s exploits, presenting him as a handsome man who was irresistible to beautiful women:

Actually, there’s not a whole lot notable about Floyd’s story, which culminated in his purported involvement in the Kansas City Massacre:

… and ultimately his death in a corn field:

Watch for Peter Falk in a small role as Floyd’s accomplice:

… and Al Lewis of “The Munsters” fame as “Machine Gun Manny”:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• History on Film Review
• Spinning Image Review