The Rebel Set

The Rebel Set is a memorable film from the late 1950s, characterized by the hallmarks of black-and-white allure and intrigue, playing into the beloved American noir film genre of its era. Gregg Palmer, an actor synonymous with westerns in the 50s and 60s, shakes off his cowboy stance to take the lead role in this film as a rugged, straight-talking criminal. Sharing the limelight with him is the enchanting Kathleen Crowley, a popular TV actress of the period who brings an individual blend of beauty and grit to the screen. Edward Platt, known for his stony and authoritative roles, provides a perfect contrast to the captivating duo.

The Rebel Set comes alive under the masterful hand of director Gene Fowler Jr., known for his work on cult classics in the science fiction and horror genre. Fusing his seasoned overview with the tight storytelling from Louis Vittes and Bernard Girard, the film weaves a sensational narrative laced with greed, deception, and suspense, setting the stage for a thrilling ride.

The story revolves around an audacious heist masterminded by the villainous character John Mapes, played to menacing perfection by Edward Platt. Mapes, a King Lear of the underworld, manages a beatnik coffee shop by day. Still, the small-time business serves as a front to his real ambition, a high-stakes robbery involving the theft of a million dollars from an armored truck during an incoming Chicago to Los Angeles train's 20-minute layover.

When opportunity knocks, Mapes is ready with a plan and, more importantly, a team. The trio he assembles for this daring heist is as diverse as it is desperate. Enter George Leland (Gregg Palmer), an actor struggling to find decent paying work, married bliss and a salary; Ray Miller (played by dependable veteran Richard Bakalyan), a gentle bookstore owner pushed to the brink of criminality due to financial difficulties; and Sidney Horner, portrayed by the versatile Don Sullivan, a poet seeking more than just artistic freedom.

As Kathleen Crowley's character, Jeanne Mapes, watches these men with a mix of intrigue, disdain, and apprehension, the audience gains an insight into the grinding wheels of her mind. We witness the likely fallout of a crime of such potential lethality and observe the tensions within and between our leading men, all the while the suspense grows as the train approaches its destined hour. The entire plot is underscored with a layer of darkness, a journey into the moral abyss, as these desperate men seek desperate measures and tough choices hover on the horizon.

The Rebel Set's cinematic lens is not confined to the web of a heist story, however. It sits comfortably at the intersection of crime thriller, character study, and social commentary, drawing attentive audiences into the world of beatnik subculture - a momentous movement of the 1950s and 1960s USA, a counterculture marked by offbeat lifestyles and alternative ideologies. The film seizes this background to paint a vivid picture of desperation, opportunity, and dangerous decisions within this subcultural frame.

Rich in character and imbued with tension, The Rebel Set in its entirety offers robust drama and suspense. Fowler Jr.'s film may hinge on a heist, but this is not merely a crime thriller; it adeptly implores viewers to ponder questions of morality, circumstance, and the mighty force of desperation. With compelling performances delivered by a talented cast, the cinema of The Rebel Set is imbued with the characteristic thrill of a classic noir and the exploration of the societal underbellies of its time. While nostalgia for such a cinematically endearing era is inherent, The Rebel Set remains a fascinating film for its viewers today.

Bringing you a fusion of old-style American cinema and the drama of desperate lives, The Rebel Set is sure to be a memorable trip down the noir genre's memory lane. It is a film that braces itself against the winds of morality, letting the chips fall where they may, and leaving audiences with a finale that is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece.