reprtr KEY WITNESS, based on Frank Kane's novel of the same name, is sort of the successor to MGM's 1955 BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, but with more acting flourishes (mostly by the supporting cast) and realistic settings. By 1960, delinquency and gang violence were recognized as an unpleasant reality outside of "old" urban centers such as New York -- but also not always (or often) involving such well-scrubbed suburbanites as those depicted in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Though its script stumbles in some notable places (a few involving basic logic -- except that this was a new world for many of the people who would have been watching in 1960), KEY WITNESS is a good depiction of the law abiding running up against the sociopathic lawless, with horrendous consequences for all concerned. The movie also plays, in somewhat naive fashion, on a racial angle in its plot and characterizations -- this is an odd touch, considering that the entire gang in Kane's book, if memory serves, was African-American. (Additionally, the book is more violent and also a lot more raunchy in terms of the Ruby character, who alludes to the idea of explaining her assault on the witness's wife because of a (rejected) lesbian overture in a courthouse ladies' room). The movie ends a little too squeaky clean and optimistically, not that differently from THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, but is more harrowing along the way. Along with releases such as THE SUBTERRANEANS, which was done around the same time, it was all a really interesting venture by MGM into territory far from its roots in high art and Americana, and an admission that the 1940s were long-gone. And anyone who likes the movie should check out the novel.

sun-mines I put a copy of "Ruby Duby Du" on YouTube.com. I don't know how long it will last because I don't have the copyright. Tags: Wolcott.Now, I don't appreciate this minimum length for comment being 10 lines of text. It's a waste of my time and your time.I thought by now IMDb would have wised up.So, I'm really sorry to have to do this to you all, but just to make IMDb happy, here's a little part of a little poem by my Dad:"We do not know why the tear drop fell, and he would not like it so, But from his eyes I'll theorize he was looking into Hell.A Hell of his own making, he knew where the trail had turned, Without his help the die was cast, and so the bridges burned.High in the Hills of Tranquility sits a hawk on a lonely byrne. Broods he not in senility, but for a love who will never return.

aimless-46 "Key Witness" was Sam Katzman's inspiration for "Hot Rods to Hell" (1967). In both, wholesome (All-American) families are terrorized by over-age wimpy teenage hoods. Katzman replaced Jeffrey Hunter with a bottom feeding Dana Andrews, Patricia Crowley with Jeanne Crain, and Dennis Hopper with Paul Bertoya. He substituted a Corvette for the XK Jag and moved the action out of the family living room and onto the road. And for some reason "Hot Rods to Hell" became a revered cult classic (with its own website) while "Key Witness" was assigned to daytime TCM obscurity. This despite a bigger budget and superior performances from pretty much the entire cast. Susan Harrison (as the delinquent teen girlfriend who starts all the trouble and keeps it going until the end) is especially good. Ironically, it is the much better acting for the camera directing in "Key Witness" that keeps it from cult status. With these lame scripts competent performances tend to spoil the fun.The two films have equally preachy themes although "Key Witness" works harder to pound you over the head about the duties of a good citizen. That is what businessman Fred Morrow (Hunter) is; as the title character. Fred stops at a hangout in East Los Angeles (circa late 1950's) to use the phone. Along with a small crowd he witnesses a gang murder. The crowd is composed of ordinary but bad citizens who refuse to cooperate with the police. But Fred considers it his duty and when Hopper's gang learns his identity they begin a campaign to discourage him from giving further testimony. To the tune of "Ruby Duby Du", the gang torments the family members until a final big showdown scene. Hopper's gang is a pretty strange outfit. Hopper looks as wimpy as he did in "Giant" (where he actually played a wimp). The gang is multi-racial and they kill a Hispanic kid who looks about 30 and about as Hispanic as David Soul. The teen gang inexplicably has a garage full of cars and Hopper drives a large V-Twin motorcycle (probably a Harley) in the opening scene.If you suspend disbelief and allow yourself to get into it, "Key Witness" will get your reactionary juices flowing and prove relatively entertaining. Not campy enough to be a classic it can still provide some good laughs, if that's your idea of a good time.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Tiger_Mark I really enjoyed this film. However, I enjoy all films of this particular genre. Black and whites film from the late 1950's/early 1960's. Plenty of hip looking individuals with snappy lingo. The detectives wear hats and the punks are bad news. It reminds me of "Blackboard Jungle" or some Stanley Kramer film.The story is about doing the right thing, even when the wrong thing is much easier to do. Moreover, you get to see a young Dennis Hopper do his early version of Frank Booth from "Blue Velvet." Good stuff in a retro kind of way.