The Phenix City Story (1955)

For a more accurate account, read the book. The movie leaves out the Shepard name. Hoyt Shepard was a huge character to the story.

An incredibly intense true-crime drama, let down somewhat by the drawn-out prologue. The violence is more pervasive than anything in its era, except perhaps for war movies. Maybe the social relevance of The Phenix City Story allowed for scenes that otherwise wouldn't become commonplace in movies until the 60s or 70s.The great thing about the documentary focus, with its real-life edge, is that there are no Rambo-like supermen cutting a swath through Phenix's dens of iniquity. We're dealing the Pattersons and Gages against Rhett Tanner and his underworld cohorts; some strong personalities, and some strong men. But just men. There is a danger, though, in true-crime adaptations, to reduce the conflict to a melodramatic contest of good vs. evil.Most of the characters have some subtlety. Even the ringleader Tanner initially allows the Pattersons some slack, hoping that they'll cooperate, or at least look the other way at his Phenix City mayhem. He doesn't overtly threaten and attack them until it's obvious that they will oppose him. I find myself thinking that the Pattersons are almost too good; by the time that their supporters gather at their front door, I wish John McIntire's character would assent to their desire to attack the gangsters.Something that's handled very well is the seamless inclusion of the black family. They are involved in some of the more memorable incidents: the little girl's body thrown from the gangster's car; the subsequent reporting of which the policeman casually tosses off as "somebody dumped a n**ga kid's body in a front yard" (paraphrased here). Then, near the end, the girl's father persuades Albert not to drown his nemesis. Having important and sympathetic roles for black actors was unusual for the time, especially in a movie set in the South.The sin-city locale is a lightning-rod for film noir, whether in a fictional El Paso of 1958's Touch of Evil, or an actual small Alabama town. But Phenix City also has elements of a horror or a sci-fi monster film. A malicious entity at large in a small community, the unwillingness of many citizens to recognize or take action against it; and the courageous ones who do oppose the evil. Calling out the Army is certainly the go-to solution to deal with most monsters (even those monsters of the human variety). As much as I liked The Phenix City Story, I couldn't stand the initial ten-minutes with the reporter. Why tell the viewer what's going to happen, when you're going to show us? We're given more than enough introductory material with the textual commentary and the very effective narrated scenes. Showing the mundane assembly of all the tools of the racketeer's trade was a unique experience. It's also the perfect lead-in to the first scene at one of the gambling clubs. I now realize that there's a version without the reporter's bit. I'd give that a '9'. A very good movie in any case.

I was a little shocked to say the least after I finished with this one. Wow it's hard to believe this kind of stuff went on for so long and not a soul did anything for such a long time.I grew up in the south and I never had to deal with this kinda stuff but seeing it doesn't make it any easier to swallow. This is a seriously brutal film on the sorta.."Southern Mafia". These weren't your typical New York typa guys by far. These were your regular local redneck guys who happened to be easily some of the worst thugs ever known. These guys were heartless to the umpteenth degree.Basic idea of this film is Phenix City Alabama was way more "Sin City" than Las Vegas was at this time. The term they use is "Vice" but the town is run by the city council and Sheriff's office with no regard for law and order. Murders are common place and go without justice. The town is basically a haven for gambling dens and prostitution rings and drug dealers and it's all geared towards the local military population right across the river at Ft. Benning in Columbus Georgia.Dozens of people get killed, including GI's, and nothing gets done. Enter a former state Senator who has been pushed to his limit and finally decides it's time to do something. He decides to run for Attorney General and promptly wins but before he can take office, he gets assassinated. His son then takes over and promptly gets Martial Law enacted on the city. The military comes in and totally takes down the entire system in the town. What's uncovered is an unbelievable system of corruption that boggles the mind.The film only covers the basics like, the gambling and Murders that occur..including the future Attorney General. You'll walk away from this film beyond stunned. I was speechless until I researched a little more about his online and to my surprise, this was all true. If you wanna see a film that you just can't believe...see this one. You won't believe the reality of this place. Totally shocking that this went on in a town in America. The evil in this film is just mesmerizing. Wow, what a surreal experience.

Yikes! This terrific tabloid thriller from Allied Artists in 1955 filmed while corruption and prostitution trials were still happening is an extraordinary tough film. Possibly it is the most violent 50s film I have ever seen. Other comments on this site will tell you the story and it is well worth reading all you can about this startling and very frank docu drama about the crime and mob rule by unscrupulous men in this Alabama town. Directed by no nonsense Phil Karlson, a regular from Monogram-Allied Artists and packed with sleazy vice and fist pumping brutality, THE PHENIX CITY STORY is a revelation in 50s crime noir drama. The prologue for me added genuine creepiness to the reality with actual witnesses interviewed and their vocal twang and unrehearsed authenticity had me paying close attention. For a town riddled with vice and prostitution and all the realities of what bad men want, did anyone notice that the vice king's name was Tanner? Also, on actor's first name was Biff... put'em together and you get BIFF TANNER as in the bad guy from the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy who leads the town into vice and corruption in that Spielberg Series. THE PHENIX CITY STORY would have been a research issue for the 'town gone bad' storyline of BACK TO THE FUTURE PART 2 (as was IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE) and I can see how a composite name for the bad guy was easily joined to make BIFF TANNER. It is then altered slightly to make BIFF TANNEN in BTF. Various crime scenes and bloody fights in PHENIX CITY STORY are absolutely shocking and over all the film has an atmosphere of complete southern authenticity because of Karlson's able direction filming in actual location with the real people of the town. A film Student must-see and a crime drama of astonishing bluntness. Richard Kiley is excellent as the ordinary man forced to become tougher than he ever expected. There are terrific roles for a dignified Negro family whose daughter is central to one of the most horrifying scenes in any film ever. For an immersing experience into the vice riddled deep south of the 1950s THE PHENIX CITY STORY will do it.