The detectives hunt down bootleggers on Fire Island after they shoot a revenue agent.The detectives hunt down bootleggers on Fire Island after they shoot a revenue agent.The detectives hunt down bootleggers on Fire Island after they shoot a revenue agent.
Photos
- Director
- Writers
- Stirling Silliphant
- Mark Hellinger(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Featured review
Moonshining on Fire Island -yeah, right
The opening documentary-style montage of people and places in Manhattan is missing from this "Naked City" episode, because the location is Fire Island, not part of New York City but classified as part of Suffolk County. It's about as exciting as a "Highway Patrol" segment, and writer Stirling Silliphant misses the opportunity to cover the place's fame as a tourist spot and since the 1950s a mecca for Gay folks.
Instead, this tale of moonshiners led by crusty old Henry Hull, using the remote island location, deserted in winter as a place to brew whiskey, aiming at producing $125,000 worth by March. He has two pals with him, George Maharis and Guy Raymond, plus a hired gun, one-dimensional heavy Michael Conrad and his Browning machine gun.
A government agent, posing as a poacher, is killed by Conrad, creating dissension as Maharis is pure of heart while Hull is a cynic who takes a sort of biblical attitude toward killing to protect his interests. Raymond goes along with Maharis as a good guy.
The series of events is dumb, including the arrival of our Manhattan-based cop heroes to investigate, replete with their iconic fancy Pontiac cop car, way out of place on Fire Island or its smaller neighboring islands. Maharis projects his future "itching for a fight" attitude coming up soon on Silliphant's "Route 66" series and even gets a sentimental crying scene.
Obviously filming there in the off-season makes sense, but the story would have been better shot in Appalachia reflecting actual moonshiner enclaves. Silliphant should have daringly addressed Gay subculture there IN SEASON as an episode of "Route 66". This being strictly a crime story, the fact that it's an all-male cast (not even a female extra on screen) is probably not significant, though the deep bond (worth tears) between old Hull and young George raised my eyebrows. You know me, always searching for significance even where none exists.
Instead, this tale of moonshiners led by crusty old Henry Hull, using the remote island location, deserted in winter as a place to brew whiskey, aiming at producing $125,000 worth by March. He has two pals with him, George Maharis and Guy Raymond, plus a hired gun, one-dimensional heavy Michael Conrad and his Browning machine gun.
A government agent, posing as a poacher, is killed by Conrad, creating dissension as Maharis is pure of heart while Hull is a cynic who takes a sort of biblical attitude toward killing to protect his interests. Raymond goes along with Maharis as a good guy.
The series of events is dumb, including the arrival of our Manhattan-based cop heroes to investigate, replete with their iconic fancy Pontiac cop car, way out of place on Fire Island or its smaller neighboring islands. Maharis projects his future "itching for a fight" attitude coming up soon on Silliphant's "Route 66" series and even gets a sentimental crying scene.
Obviously filming there in the off-season makes sense, but the story would have been better shot in Appalachia reflecting actual moonshiner enclaves. Silliphant should have daringly addressed Gay subculture there IN SEASON as an episode of "Route 66". This being strictly a crime story, the fact that it's an all-male cast (not even a female extra on screen) is probably not significant, though the deep bond (worth tears) between old Hull and young George raised my eyebrows. You know me, always searching for significance even where none exists.
helpful•20
- lor_
- Dec 17, 2023
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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