''Crime and Punishment U.S.A.'' (1959) is an American feature film directed by Denis Sanders, written by Walter Newman and starring George Hamilton in his first screen role. The film was released on November 1, 1959. ''The New York Times'' called the film "a

beat generation The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Genera ...

version" of the novel ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The film differs from the book in some of its plot elements and characterizations, and it takes place in contemporary

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

rather than in 19th-century

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Cast

* Mary Murphy as Sally *

Frank Silvera Frank Alvin Silvera (July 24, 1914 – June 11, 1970) was a Jamaican-born American character actor and theatrical director. Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Boston, Silvera dropped out of law school in 1934 after winning his first stag ...

as Lieutenant Porter *

Marian Seldes Marian Hall Seldes (August 23, 1928 – October 6, 2014) was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' A Delicate Balance'' in 1967, and received subsequent nomination ...

as Debbie Cole *John Harding as Fred Swanson *

Wayne Heffley Wayne Heffley (July 15, 1927 – November 19, 2008) was an American television and film actor, known for the role of Vern Scofield on ''Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to a ...

as Rafe * Eve McVeagh as Mrs. Griggs *Tony Johnson as Mrs. Cole *Lew Brown as Sergeant Neil Samuels * George Hamilton as Robert * Len Lesser as Desk Officer

Production

According to George Hamilton, director Denis Sanders "saw his project as a tragedy for the

Beat Generation The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Genera ...

" and cast Hamilton because of his similarity to Tony Perkins.George Hamilton & William Stadiem, ''Don't Mind If I Do'', Simon & Schuster 2008 p 122 The film was completed early in 1958 but was released more than one year later.

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'', Stanley Kauffmann commented that "modern versions of classics are generally more clever than convincing because the very term 'classic' means a timeless work ... that need not be transplanted. ... reason of its attendant skills and an innocent, unpretentious earnestness of address, he filmis a moderately interesting attempt to state the material of a vast symphony with a small jazz combination."

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

later said that the film "lost me a lot of money."

References

External links

''Crime and Punishment U.S.A.'' at IMDB
1959 films 1959 crime drama films Allied Artists films American black-and-white films American crime drama films Films based on Crime and Punishment Films directed by Denis Sanders Films scored by Herschel Burke Gilbert Films set in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by Walter Newman (screenwriter) 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-drama-film-stub

Cast

Production

Reception

See also

References

External links