"Shack Out on 101" is a low-budgeted Red Scare film from Allied Artists, the same outfit that used to be Monogram Pictures. Monogram/Allied were famous for making cheap films with zero in the way of artistry. Some of their movies are entertaining...but most are subpar and silly.
Lee Marvin stars in "Shack Out on 101" as an extremely lecherous idiot named 'Slob'...I kid you not. His IQ seems to be that of a tomato (albeit, a reasonably smart tomato) and he's also a pervert who works at a greasy spoon as a fry cook. But beneath this exterior beats the heart of an America-hating spy!! Yes, his being an idiot is an apparent ruse...and he's a clever but filthy commie down deep! Oddly, he receives fourth billing in this story, though he clearly dominates the story.
As for the rest, Terry Moore receives top billing and she plays a good looking waitress who is leered at and pawed at by nearly all the guys in the movie (when her boss and Slob aren't leering at each other). Her role isn't exactly deep nor taxing. Keenan Wynn stars as the owner of the greasy spoon who has a most unusual relationship (homoerotic?) with Slob. And finally, there is the waitress' boyfriend, the Professor (Frank Lovejoy), who is actually Slob's handler...a commie mastermind who leads a spy ring that includes more than just Slob...though less after Slob kills one of them because he's weak and might blab to the Feds.
This film is very talky and salacious. While it seems TOO talky, it's also punctuated periodically by Slob attacking the waitress to 'spice things up' or killing someone to titillate. This gives the story an aura of cheapness and sleaziness that are really bad...but also enjoyable because it is so bad. Bad writing and sex appeal...and commies...all in this weird concoction called "Shack Out on 101".
Overall, this is the sort of film you watch with friends in order to have a good laugh. The strangeness and silliness of some portions of the story definitely keep you awake, so the talkiness isn't too much of a problem. My score of 3 does not mean the film is to be avoided...it's bad but in a funny sort of way.
Lee Marvin stars in "Shack Out on 101" as an extremely lecherous idiot named 'Slob'...I kid you not. His IQ seems to be that of a tomato (albeit, a reasonably smart tomato) and he's also a pervert who works at a greasy spoon as a fry cook. But beneath this exterior beats the heart of an America-hating spy!! Yes, his being an idiot is an apparent ruse...and he's a clever but filthy commie down deep! Oddly, he receives fourth billing in this story, though he clearly dominates the story.
As for the rest, Terry Moore receives top billing and she plays a good looking waitress who is leered at and pawed at by nearly all the guys in the movie (when her boss and Slob aren't leering at each other). Her role isn't exactly deep nor taxing. Keenan Wynn stars as the owner of the greasy spoon who has a most unusual relationship (homoerotic?) with Slob. And finally, there is the waitress' boyfriend, the Professor (Frank Lovejoy), who is actually Slob's handler...a commie mastermind who leads a spy ring that includes more than just Slob...though less after Slob kills one of them because he's weak and might blab to the Feds.
This film is very talky and salacious. While it seems TOO talky, it's also punctuated periodically by Slob attacking the waitress to 'spice things up' or killing someone to titillate. This gives the story an aura of cheapness and sleaziness that are really bad...but also enjoyable because it is so bad. Bad writing and sex appeal...and commies...all in this weird concoction called "Shack Out on 101".
Overall, this is the sort of film you watch with friends in order to have a good laugh. The strangeness and silliness of some portions of the story definitely keep you awake, so the talkiness isn't too much of a problem. My score of 3 does not mean the film is to be avoided...it's bad but in a funny sort of way.