Roger Corman, born in 1926, is a pivotal figure in cult cinema, known for his innovative low-budget films. As a director, he helmed The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955) and Swamp Women (1956), showcasing his knack for blending genre elements with social commentary. Corman also appeared as an actor in Day the World Ended (1955) and Naked Paradise (1957), further cementing his influence in the exploitation and sci-fi realms. His work, particularly in the 1950s, laid the groundwork for independent filmmaking and continues to resonate with fans of cult cinema.
The Cry Baby Killer
After Jimmy Wallace is beaten by Manny Cole and his friends over Carole, Jimmy confronts him and challenges him to a fight outside the café; during a struggle, Jimmy grabs a gun from one of Manny's friends and two gunshots ring out. A nearby police officer corners Jimmy, who then rushes into a room and takes a worker and a mother with her baby hostage. After a prolonged and tense hostage situation, Carole begs Jimmy to come out, who then does, surrendering himself to the police and releasing the hostages. Jack Nicholson makes his film debut as a juvenile delinquent, who panics when he thinks he's committed murder. Seventeen-year-old Jimmy Walker is brutally beaten by Manny Cole and two of his teen-age punk friends, Joey and Al, because Manny wants to move in on Jimmy’s girl, Carole Fields. Later, Jimmy shows up at the hangout of the teenage crowd to take Carole away, and challenges Manny to a fight. Manny’s two buddies move in with brass knuckles, and one of them pulls a pistol, which falls to the ground in the scuffle. Jimmy picks it up and shoots Manny and Al. A police officer orders Jimmy to surrender, but he panics, thinking he killed the pair, and dives into a small storeroom, and holds Sam and Mrs. Maxton and her small infant baby hostages. Police Lieutenant Porter and others plead with Jimmy to surrender and release the hostages, but the terrified Jimmy threatens Sam and Mrs. Maxton with death if they break out. A large crowd gathers and almost breaks through the police lines to storm the storeroom. Porter decides to use tear gas, with a rescue unit standing by to help Mrs. Maxton and her baby.
