The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

Pure silliness, of course, but I don't mind telling you I had a very good time.

One of the hazards of movie comedy is that it's almost impossible to be sure that what reads funny will look funny. The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, an uncertain comedy based on Jimmy Breslin's funny novel, supplies plenty of examples.

Generally the film is full of sound and fury signifying nothing and, looking at some of the mediocre camerawork, one reflects that it's not only the New York gang leaders who apparently can't shoot straight.

I laughed a lot at The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, a Runyon-esque Mafia comedy dominated by Jo Van Fleet's arthritic, gravel-voiced Big Momma.