This is not so much a review as an appreciation. THE HOODLUM was directed by Max Nosseck who had steered actor Lawrence Tierney through his most famous film, DILLINGER, a few years before. Tierney is perfectly cast as sociopath Vincent Lubeck (it is pointed out at the beginning of the film that Lubeck's only redeeming feature is that he hasn't murdered anybody yet!) who is paroled from prison and proceeds to seduce his brother's girlfriend and plan a bank robbery. Nosseck's direction is pretty routine but Tierney's performance is something else. If, indeed, it is a performance as Tierney was pretty much a sociopath himself and one of those fascinating actors who never seek a second of audience sympathy. As in DILLINGER, Tierney is totally unredeemable (check him out in Robert Wise's classic BORN TO KILL for another great performance - not to mention his performance in Tarantino's RESOVOIR DOGS) a role that he seemed to have played in reel-life in a series of brawls both in and out of bars and threatening and intimidating film crews and fellow actors until the line between the real and reel was almost totally blurred. Rating ***
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