Low-budget exploitation flick about "alienated youth" has an almost documentary presentation. The main focus seems to be the question of whether schizo Johnny, a James Dean-like overnight success, will pull himself together or crash and burn as he seems bent on doing with his unhealthy death wish. Johnny (Ken Clayton) alternates between violence and gentleness, sometimes sweet-natured and sometimes downright creepy. He all but kidnaps a young girl against her will, and winds up charming both her and her ailing father. Through it all, he seems curiously down to earth. A truly baffling character, unlike his compatriots who seem to have little talent and nothing but unrealistic dreams and little drive or ambition. It's not clear exactly by what means Johnny resolves his issues...but I suspect he expatriates to Italy, changes his name to Giorgio Ardisson, and has a flourishing career!
11 Reviews
Wow--this movie has perhaps one of the worst endings in film history!
planktonrules21 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Ken Clayton stars as 'Johnnie Dennis'--a James Dean-like young man who has gone from tiny roles to mega-stardom. I say he's like Dean because he loves to drive fast, break the rules and behave like a jerk--"doing his own thing" instead of doing what the studio expects.
The film begins with Johnnie driving like a maniac--cutting people off, speeding and driving across the median strip. Why? Because he feels like it! His agent is an older woman who obviously has designs on him, though you doubt if he'll live long enough for her or any other woman to get him.
On the night of his big film debut, Johnnie skips the gala and instead practically kidnaps a girl he's infatuated with--and, though she's cold at first, his pushy routine works--thus further reinforcing that "girls mean 'yes' when they say 'no'"! Nice message--and very socially responsible. In no time, she's in love with Johnnie though for the life of me I have no idea why. She's very square and he's a pushy rebel--two people who SHOULD have absolutely nothing in common.
In between racing and loving, Johnnie likes to fight. He and a 'friend' get into some really serious fights--and the one later in the film is amazingly brutal (with wrenches and hammers). This combined with the driving like a mandrill (that's a type of baboon) on crack spell disaster for this young man on the edge.
Bizarrely, in one of the worst endings in movie history, suddenly Johnnie sees the light and is fine--at least that what the narrator tells us, as we really DON'T get to see this amazing change! It's like they just ran out of film! It's sad because although the movie had a low budget, it was moderately interesting up until the cop-out ending--which ruined the entire film.
The film begins with Johnnie driving like a maniac--cutting people off, speeding and driving across the median strip. Why? Because he feels like it! His agent is an older woman who obviously has designs on him, though you doubt if he'll live long enough for her or any other woman to get him.
On the night of his big film debut, Johnnie skips the gala and instead practically kidnaps a girl he's infatuated with--and, though she's cold at first, his pushy routine works--thus further reinforcing that "girls mean 'yes' when they say 'no'"! Nice message--and very socially responsible. In no time, she's in love with Johnnie though for the life of me I have no idea why. She's very square and he's a pushy rebel--two people who SHOULD have absolutely nothing in common.
In between racing and loving, Johnnie likes to fight. He and a 'friend' get into some really serious fights--and the one later in the film is amazingly brutal (with wrenches and hammers). This combined with the driving like a mandrill (that's a type of baboon) on crack spell disaster for this young man on the edge.
Bizarrely, in one of the worst endings in movie history, suddenly Johnnie sees the light and is fine--at least that what the narrator tells us, as we really DON'T get to see this amazing change! It's like they just ran out of film! It's sad because although the movie had a low budget, it was moderately interesting up until the cop-out ending--which ruined the entire film.
Awful Film Might Appeal to Those Who Enjoy Bad Movies
Michael_Elliott28 August 2016
Lost, Lonely and Vicious (1958)
* (out of 4)
Really awful drama about Johnnie Dennis (Ken Clayton), an up and coming star in Hollywood who has some sort of weird fascination about death, which causes issues with some of his friends but mainly the woman (Barbara Wilson) who loves him.
LOST, LONELY AND VICIOUS is a pretty awful movie from start to finish but it also contains some really awful stuff that makes it worth watching if you enjoy bad movies. The lead character is obviously meant to be James Dean and this film is obviously trying to tell the story of a "deep" and talented young man but one with many issues.
The problem here is that there are so many dialogue scenes where characters just sit around talking but these chats are so darn boring that you can't help but get tired of them. Even worse is the fact that the performances aren't strong enough to really make you care about the characters or their situations. All of the talk leads up to a final ten minutes that are pretty strange and outrageous. As awful as the film is, these final moments almost make it worth sitting through.
* (out of 4)
Really awful drama about Johnnie Dennis (Ken Clayton), an up and coming star in Hollywood who has some sort of weird fascination about death, which causes issues with some of his friends but mainly the woman (Barbara Wilson) who loves him.
LOST, LONELY AND VICIOUS is a pretty awful movie from start to finish but it also contains some really awful stuff that makes it worth watching if you enjoy bad movies. The lead character is obviously meant to be James Dean and this film is obviously trying to tell the story of a "deep" and talented young man but one with many issues.
The problem here is that there are so many dialogue scenes where characters just sit around talking but these chats are so darn boring that you can't help but get tired of them. Even worse is the fact that the performances aren't strong enough to really make you care about the characters or their situations. All of the talk leads up to a final ten minutes that are pretty strange and outrageous. As awful as the film is, these final moments almost make it worth sitting through.
Swim in a freezing cold deserted pond at midnight... cool idea!
qormi17 July 2019
Not bad as dumb B flicks go. Ken Clayton as Johnnie was actually a very good leading man. A James Dean lookalike, he seemed to have a big career ahead, but only acted in 4 other things and that was it. Hollywood must be rough. Same with Barbara Wilson as "Preach". Her career went by in a flash, although she had looks and talent.
A complete waste of some major non-talent.
mark.waltz24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
With a title that bad and a poster so campy that it screams for framing, this ends up being a complete disappointment in three different ways. It's boring; acted with no zest that the bad acting can't even be described as camp; The script is so dull that the cliches of the script can't even be laughed it. In short, it's a complete juvenile mess, a "warning" for Hollywood hopefuls of the pitfalls of Fame, utilizing a James Dean type actor to make a point for teenagers who have acting ambitions yet not the discipline to successfully make it in the business. leading man Ken Clayton is so dreadful that there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he would never be more than anything than a second lead or villain in a low budget TV western series, let alone supposedly the greatest actor to hit Hollywood since Brando. He delivers every line with a cheshire cat grin, and after watching him for 5 minutes, I really didn't care what happened to his character. Yes, he has moments when his character is supposed to be gentle and sensitive to the pretty but bland Barbara Wilson, but it's another case of not believing what's going on just because the script tells me that I should.
The only saving grace here is French beauty Lilyan Chauvin whom Clayton actually compares to a drag queen in their first key scene together, even though she's obviously helping him along in his career. Veteran actress Chauvin had a lengthy career, but pretty much everyone else (including two outrageously hideous platinum blonde non-actresses) faded from view quickly. Narration indicates that the actors were mostly non-professionals, and something tells me that this was written and added after the fact as a plea for sympathy. Even the big fight scene between Clayton and Richard Gilden seemed forced and badly choreographed. Other than a harmonica solo of "How are Things in Glocca Mora?", an inappropriate overuse of melodramatic music is disturbingly distracting.
The only saving grace here is French beauty Lilyan Chauvin whom Clayton actually compares to a drag queen in their first key scene together, even though she's obviously helping him along in his career. Veteran actress Chauvin had a lengthy career, but pretty much everyone else (including two outrageously hideous platinum blonde non-actresses) faded from view quickly. Narration indicates that the actors were mostly non-professionals, and something tells me that this was written and added after the fact as a plea for sympathy. Even the big fight scene between Clayton and Richard Gilden seemed forced and badly choreographed. Other than a harmonica solo of "How are Things in Glocca Mora?", an inappropriate overuse of melodramatic music is disturbingly distracting.
Extremely dull "docudrama"
scsu197524 November 2022
Johnnie Dennis, young movie star, alternates between being a nice guy and a mope. That's the movie.
The opening narration goes as follows: "In this town of make believe, the truth behind the scenes is also filled with drama - blah blah blah - against this Hollywood backdrop of fantasy, yesterday's teenager, now growing up, faces tomorrow, still searching for kicks, but deeply searching for meaning." I deeply searched this film for meaning, but only came up with gas. Even the scene during the opening credits makes no sense.
Unknown Ken Clayton plays Johnnie. At the start of the film, Clayton bears a slight resemblance to James Dean; by the end of the film, he looks more like liberal columnist David Corn of "Mother Jones." Lilyan Chauvin, the only recognizable face in the cast, plays Clayton's acting coach. However, we never see her coaching him, and she just seems to appear in scenes for no reason. Cute Barbara Wilson plays Clayton's love interest - but you have to wait about 55 minutes before they finally make out, at which point we also see Wilson's stuffed animal fall from the sofa. The symbolism escapes me. Richard Gilden plays Walt, but I have no idea what he is doing in the picture. He works on his car, gets into two fights with Clayton (some of the body positions these two get in are hysterical), and generally ticks everyone off. Gilden is cursed with a double-whammy; he looks uncannily like 40s B-movie star Dave O'Brien, and sounds uncannily like 50s Z-movie star John Agar. Gilden has a pal named Pig, and there is a blonde dame named Darlene who shakes her rear end a lot. There is lots of stock footage of Hollywood, even though the film was shot in Tuscaloosa.
Clayton seems obsessed with death; I'll admit I considered it myself while watching this bilge. Then he is Mr. Nice Guy for awhile, then, in the climax, decides to drive at a high speed down the highway in his sports car (hey, does this remind you of any young actor with the identical initials of J. D.?) while Wilson is reading a letter he wrote to her.
If you are still awake after 70 minutes, you'll hear more psychobabble from the narrator: "And so, with an actor's dramatics, John Dennis comes to a crossroads in life."
Will Johnnie crash? Will true love win out? Will the stuffed animal fall off the sofa again?
The opening narration goes as follows: "In this town of make believe, the truth behind the scenes is also filled with drama - blah blah blah - against this Hollywood backdrop of fantasy, yesterday's teenager, now growing up, faces tomorrow, still searching for kicks, but deeply searching for meaning." I deeply searched this film for meaning, but only came up with gas. Even the scene during the opening credits makes no sense.
Unknown Ken Clayton plays Johnnie. At the start of the film, Clayton bears a slight resemblance to James Dean; by the end of the film, he looks more like liberal columnist David Corn of "Mother Jones." Lilyan Chauvin, the only recognizable face in the cast, plays Clayton's acting coach. However, we never see her coaching him, and she just seems to appear in scenes for no reason. Cute Barbara Wilson plays Clayton's love interest - but you have to wait about 55 minutes before they finally make out, at which point we also see Wilson's stuffed animal fall from the sofa. The symbolism escapes me. Richard Gilden plays Walt, but I have no idea what he is doing in the picture. He works on his car, gets into two fights with Clayton (some of the body positions these two get in are hysterical), and generally ticks everyone off. Gilden is cursed with a double-whammy; he looks uncannily like 40s B-movie star Dave O'Brien, and sounds uncannily like 50s Z-movie star John Agar. Gilden has a pal named Pig, and there is a blonde dame named Darlene who shakes her rear end a lot. There is lots of stock footage of Hollywood, even though the film was shot in Tuscaloosa.
Clayton seems obsessed with death; I'll admit I considered it myself while watching this bilge. Then he is Mr. Nice Guy for awhile, then, in the climax, decides to drive at a high speed down the highway in his sports car (hey, does this remind you of any young actor with the identical initials of J. D.?) while Wilson is reading a letter he wrote to her.
If you are still awake after 70 minutes, you'll hear more psychobabble from the narrator: "And so, with an actor's dramatics, John Dennis comes to a crossroads in life."
Will Johnnie crash? Will true love win out? Will the stuffed animal fall off the sofa again?
Boring
the-antichrist-is-near27 June 2022
Has Something Special About It
recluse219 September 2018
A little awkward in places, but kind of a sweet story. On the offbeat side. Love the slangy dialog : Ex: "That's right sell tickets. Make a big production out of it." Or: "You know, we might even get a newspaper plug out of it." In classic B&W.
Highly recommended movie about troubled youth in the late 1950's
sol12182 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** A now it can be told-like movie about a talented but troubled young actor Johnnie Dennis, Ken Clayton, who's success in the world of movies is destroying his ability to cope with the world of reality.
Johnnie who has became alienated from his fellow actors due to his rise to stardom has become so obsessed with his early death that his friend and acting teacher Tanya, Lilya Chauvin, fears the worst and wants him to get professional help. Tanya who guided Johnnie in his movie career and is also in love with him is shocked by Johnnie's obsession with death and wants him to overcome it before it's too late.
Johnnie "Death Wish" has reached a point to where he drew a self portrait of himself of being half dead and half alive as well as him reading everything about death in all the books and articles that he can find on the subject.
Johnnie's friend and fellow actor Walt, Richard Gilden, has developed a deep resentment of him due to his success which Walt is jealous of feeling that he's as good as an actor as Johnnie is. This leads to two fights with Johnnie that Walt initiated. The first at the actor's diner, where Johnnie knocked Walt out, and the second fight sometime later at the parking lot outside the diner where Johnnie almost killed Walt after Walt tried to smash Johnnie's head in with a wrench.
One afternoon Johnnie driving wildly down the street almost ran over a young girl Hellen "Preach" Preacher, Barbara Wilson. Later at the public library where Johnnie was reading a book about death and dying, what else, he sees Preach again and awkwardly tries to apologize to her about his actions earlier that day but makes no impression on her.
The next night at the big premiere of Johnnie's movie Johnnie who tried to avoid the huge crowd by blending into it spots Preach again and starts a conversation with her. Johnnie is impressed with Preach by her not recognizing him at first even after she just saw him in the movie. When she finally did recognize Johnnie Preach was anything but star struck over him where he had to almost kidnap her to go swimming at a deserted lake. This in order for Johnnie to get away from the public who were very impressed by his performance on screen.
Johnnie was also moved when he met Preach's father Mr. Preacher, Frank Stallworth, who knew nothing about Johnnie's film career who liked Johnnie very much and was happy to see his daughter have such a good and kind friend like him. It was Johnnie's meeting both Preach and her father as well as his relationship with his drama coach Tanya that made him get away from his morbid fascination with death. It was by him seeing that there are people in the world that like him just for what he is as a person not what he is as a movie star that turned Johnnie around. Still the final event that exorcised Johnnie of his "Death Wish" was his fight with Walt who he almost killed. That had Jhonnie drive himself almost to the point of getting killed in a car accident down the highway at night to the lake, where he and Preach were just a few hours ago. It was then and there that Johnnie threw away the self-portrait of himself into the water and once an for all took away all those negative feeling that he had about himself and the world. In the end Johnnie went back to face the world with Preach and her father and Tanya by his side with him being a much better and stable person for it.
Better then you would expect from a movie having a title like "Lost, Lonely and Vicious" about troubled youth in the 1950's with, for once instead of the usual depressing and sad, an happy and uplifting ending. Johnnie found out the hard way that facing an uncertain future was better then trying to run away from it. The movie is worth watching just for the honesty that it brings out about the troubled youth portrayed in it.
Johnnie who has became alienated from his fellow actors due to his rise to stardom has become so obsessed with his early death that his friend and acting teacher Tanya, Lilya Chauvin, fears the worst and wants him to get professional help. Tanya who guided Johnnie in his movie career and is also in love with him is shocked by Johnnie's obsession with death and wants him to overcome it before it's too late.
Johnnie "Death Wish" has reached a point to where he drew a self portrait of himself of being half dead and half alive as well as him reading everything about death in all the books and articles that he can find on the subject.
Johnnie's friend and fellow actor Walt, Richard Gilden, has developed a deep resentment of him due to his success which Walt is jealous of feeling that he's as good as an actor as Johnnie is. This leads to two fights with Johnnie that Walt initiated. The first at the actor's diner, where Johnnie knocked Walt out, and the second fight sometime later at the parking lot outside the diner where Johnnie almost killed Walt after Walt tried to smash Johnnie's head in with a wrench.
One afternoon Johnnie driving wildly down the street almost ran over a young girl Hellen "Preach" Preacher, Barbara Wilson. Later at the public library where Johnnie was reading a book about death and dying, what else, he sees Preach again and awkwardly tries to apologize to her about his actions earlier that day but makes no impression on her.
The next night at the big premiere of Johnnie's movie Johnnie who tried to avoid the huge crowd by blending into it spots Preach again and starts a conversation with her. Johnnie is impressed with Preach by her not recognizing him at first even after she just saw him in the movie. When she finally did recognize Johnnie Preach was anything but star struck over him where he had to almost kidnap her to go swimming at a deserted lake. This in order for Johnnie to get away from the public who were very impressed by his performance on screen.
Johnnie was also moved when he met Preach's father Mr. Preacher, Frank Stallworth, who knew nothing about Johnnie's film career who liked Johnnie very much and was happy to see his daughter have such a good and kind friend like him. It was Johnnie's meeting both Preach and her father as well as his relationship with his drama coach Tanya that made him get away from his morbid fascination with death. It was by him seeing that there are people in the world that like him just for what he is as a person not what he is as a movie star that turned Johnnie around. Still the final event that exorcised Johnnie of his "Death Wish" was his fight with Walt who he almost killed. That had Jhonnie drive himself almost to the point of getting killed in a car accident down the highway at night to the lake, where he and Preach were just a few hours ago. It was then and there that Johnnie threw away the self-portrait of himself into the water and once an for all took away all those negative feeling that he had about himself and the world. In the end Johnnie went back to face the world with Preach and her father and Tanya by his side with him being a much better and stable person for it.
Better then you would expect from a movie having a title like "Lost, Lonely and Vicious" about troubled youth in the 1950's with, for once instead of the usual depressing and sad, an happy and uplifting ending. Johnnie found out the hard way that facing an uncertain future was better then trying to run away from it. The movie is worth watching just for the honesty that it brings out about the troubled youth portrayed in it.
Top bill cast.
lschwrk1 April 2021
Hey I've said this before can you please fix the Top- bill cast pictures to maintain the last visited when searching the actor it goes back to the first head character and it's a pain in the ass when you are looking through Ta Lynton.
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