Rise & Fall Of Legs Diamond, The

Jack Diamond had the moves. Some were on the dance floor, where he earned the nickname Legs. Others were in the streets of New York, where he built a criminal empire in the Roaring '20s -- and was the target of so many gangland shootouts he was also dubbed the Clay Pigeon. Made when the popularity of TV's The Untouchables swept the land, this taut thriller directed by veteran Budd Boetticher (The Bullfighter and the Lady, Seven Men from Now) tells its true story with style, nerve and machine-gun pacing. Handsome Ray Danton plays Legs, a man so fearless and opportunistic you'd swear drain cleaner pumps through his veins. Great character players and rising hopefuls (such as Dyan Cannon as mob "pigeon" Dixie) adds to the terrific pleasures of this throwback to classic Warner Bros. 1930s gangster sagas. It's one scorching ride.

• action
• adventure
• crime
• drama