mark.waltz The presence of Ray Danton always left me cold, sort of creeped out. He had an element of sleaze in his good looks, like someone so certain of their sex appeal to women that you know that there was perversion underneath the surface. This is a nasty drama of a serial rapist so repulsive that you long to see him castrated. Danton here plays a character nicknamed The Aspirin Rapist because he always distracts the victim as he drops in on by politely claiming a headache and asking for a pain killer. When one of the victims turns out to be the wife of the detective in investigating the case, it comes as no surprise when she ends up being pregnant. Talks about abortion might seem to be a first but a conversation with priest William Schallert made me angry in how juvenile the arguments for and against it seemed to be.Vampira adds some obviously intentional laughs as a beatnik poet, and Louis Armstrong and Cathy Crosby sing a few songs. Unfortunately, Crosby's rendition of the Lena Horne/Judy Garland hit, "Love", is truncated with the interruption of the lame dialog. Other than these curious incidents, this is an extremely crass movie probably made independently but released by MGM. If he hadn't died a reclusive, broken man two years before, seeing his former studio release crap like this would have killed Louis B. Mayer for sure. In addition to Danton, there's Steve Cochran as the police investigator whose wife (a very good Fay Spain) is one of Danton's victims, the dull Mamie Van Doren as a rape victim who secretly seemed to like it and Margaret Hayes as the very mature first victim. Hayes is a fascinating actress whose "B" film appearances seemed to all be aging 40's glamour girls who couldn't let go of their past. In the final scene, MGM seems to have utilized Esther Williams' old swimming pool but dramatically is a let-down. Since this seems like something that naturally played at drive-ins, I hope that some audience members had the sense to drive out.

Panamint On one level this movie is sort of pop psychology trying to make a subtle distinction between the slippery slope of ordinary misogyny (non- violent here) and serial rapist (extreme brutality of course). The contrast between two men with these hang-ups in relation to women seems an odd basis for a film script, but then this whole movie is pretty odd.The attempt at a psychological overall theme fails to rise above mere exploitation in this 1959 b-movie time capsule complete with Mamie Van Doren at her bleach blondest and flirtatious best. Also you have some beatniks who say "lets have a hootenanny". And dig these cats as they really do have a hootenanny. Its a crazy beat event as self-absorbed oddball characters endeavor to find nihilistic and existential new ways to waste their time and practice the fine art of hanging out. Watchable chaos ensues as a campy b-movie police manhunt goes on literally in its midst. This is 1959 b-movie heaven, complete with Louis Armstrong and an inexplicable role for Cathy Crosby that is so out of place it actually adds more camp to the camp.Fay Spain carries the acting load as she did in numerous movie roles and countless fine and noticeable performances in TV dramas. She was a true acting talent. Steve Cochran, once one of those incredibly beautiful male actors who populated 1940's and 50's movies, is clearly aging here and gives a sort of disinterested, hangdog performance that is not among his best. Ray Danton, another movie stud of the era, is convincing as the psycho, but unfortunately is only allowed to perform at a strictly b-movie level.Fay Spain is the real deal. Aside from her this is just a fast-paced psychological mumbo jumbo of a b-movie that is priceless as a time capsule of the age.

wes-connors Handsome philosophy-spewing Ray Danton (as Stan Hess) says goodbye to his platinum blonde girlfriend and dons a suit to rape hula-hooping housewife Maggie Hayes (as Joyce Greenfield). After the assault, Mr. Danton hitches a ride with police detective Steve Cochran (as David "Dave" Culloran). Danton is called "The Aspirin Kid" due to his habit of asking his victims to fetch a glass of water so he can take the tablets for feigned headaches. The case is investigated by Mr. Cochran and his understanding partner Jackie Coogan (as Jake Baron)...On the beach, Cochran finds his first suspect, jive-talking James "Jim" Mitchum (as Art Jester). The young son of Robert (Mitchum) turns out to be acquainted with Danton, who decides the policeman's wife would make a good rape victim. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer...Fay Spain (as Francee) is attacked after "Vampira" recites "beat poetry" while holding a white rat and cigarette. Thereafter, tightly-dressed Mamie van Doren (as Georgia Altera) figures prominently in the plot. "The Beat Generation" includes Cathy Lee Crosby, Charles Chaplin Jr. and other strange faces. Jazz legend Louis Armstrong performs and fatherly William Schallert preaches. The camera angles well and the conflict experienced by Cochran's misogynist detective is interesting, but the film is too lurid and unbalanced for its own good.**** The Beat Generation (7/3/59) Charles Haas ~ Steve Cochran, Ray Danton, Mamie Van Doren, Fay Spain

RanchoTuVu Stereotyped and clichéd exploitation film about a serial rapist known as the Aspirin Kid (Ray Danton), who hangs out with a group of beatniks while continuing to victimize attractive suburban housewives. Set in beatnik bars and on the beaches of LA, with some humorous dialog and a misogynistic cop played by Steve Cochran who tracks down the Kid after his own wife becomes a victim, the film has a refreshing originality, though generally it is laughably ridiculous, with its goateed beatniks staring off into space while listening to recorded car crashes, jazz, and the worst Beat poetry ever recited. With Mamie Van Doren, and a cast of several familiar faces that would crop up in Beach Party films, its nearly done in by what is now referred as camp, though there is enough of a story there to keep it moving along.