Interesting movie. Very interesting, though the title is inexcuseably misleading. Nicholas Ray directs and, not surprisingly, makes novel use of shadows, bold colors and wild camera angles. There is a bravura montage of an explosion of mob violence which is sudden and startling. Ray, best known as the director of "Rebel Without a Cause", takes a smart, tough script and; unlike many crime movies which contain similar ingredients but fail to resonate, gives the movie a soul. There's something about its tone and feel, some simmering menace and creeping regret that reminds one of another mob movie which would be released 15 years later: "The Godfather". And as in that classic, the Lawyer/Mob Boss relationship is complex and fascinating.

While much of the credit deservedly goes to Ray's maverick methods and genius, the cast is also very good. Robert Taylor never developed the kind of easily identifiable screen persona of a Bogart or Jimmy Stewart, but he was a sturdy leading man who usually served the material and could be depended upon to anchor a film. He pours his heart into this part, his last as an MGM contract player. Cyd Charisse was never known as a great actress but she is capable in her role as a feisty Show Girl, and she gets a good opportunity to show off perhaps the most eye-popping, perfectly sculpted figure in the history of motion pictures. And of course, nobody was better at playing hot-tempered thugs than the great Lee J. Cobb.

Turner Classic Movies is such a goldmine. It's so satisfying to see movies, such as this one, that know how to introduce plot points and convincingly tie them up and bring things full circle. "Party Girl" may not be quite a great film, but it is very, very good.

"Party Girl" is a rarely seen movie directed by Nicholas Ray. This 1958 picture mixes styles, and at times, it achieves an originality that only a director like Mr. Ray could give any movie he directed. Basically, we are given a situation in which a lawyer who defends the criminal element is caught in the way he must deal with a situation where he has to turn against his loyalty to his mobster employer because, at last, he sees the light and the consequence of his actions.

Robert Taylor plays the lawyer, Tommy Farrell. This was his last film that marks the end of his long and successful association with MGM. Robert Taylor makes an appealing Farrell, and even though one realizes he is defending people that are at the margin of the law, his character shows redeeming qualities that make him merit our sympathy. The actor is perfect in the role.

Cyd Charisse playing a dramatic role is a surprise. In fact, she was always seen in musical roles because of her talent as a dancer. In the film she plays a chorus girl that suddenly is elevated to a starring role in front of her former colleagues because of the influence Tommy Farrell had in those circles. Ms. Charisse holds her own against an accomplished actor like Mr. Taylor. This is one of her best opportunities in the movies.

Lee J. Cobb is seen as the criminal boss Rico, who has a tremendous power over Tommy Farrell. Mr. Cobb shows he could do anything in movies as well as on the stage. John Ireland plays the evil Louis Canetto.

This is a film that fans of the work of Nicholas Ray shouldn't miss.

It's interesting that Robert Taylor's last film under his long MGM contract ended so well with this tough little movie. While "Party Girl" is filmed in color and lacks the gritty dark look and unusual film angles of film noir, it is a nice near-noir film. Taylor plays an attorney with no soul. He has spent his career working for the mob and doesn't mind working for scum--as it pays very well! However, when Taylor meets a dancing girl who turns out to be quite decent (Cyd Charisse),his amoral attitude is shaken and he wants to leave his lucrative practice and do something decent with his life.

What makes this film is the excellent supporting cast working with Taylor (who, by the way, is quite good here). Lee J. Cobb is wonderful as the Al Capone-like mob boss and his henchmen (John Ireland, David Opatashu and Corey Allen) are all exceptional actors. Together, combined with a wonderful script and exceptional direction, it makes for a very good film indeed. Tough, cynical and a quality production throughout, this is a great swansong to his MGM career. The only deficits are the dancing numbers by Charisse and a mistake in the final scene where acid pours on Cobb's face but he's not the least bit burned. The dancing just wasn't necessary and tended to disrupt the dark tone of the film.

By the way, if you like this film, try also watching John Garfield in "Force of Evil". Its plot is very similar and is also an exceptional film.