The title's something of a misnomer since "The Big Operator" in
question is none other than the diminutive Mickey Rooney. This Albert
Zugsmith movie, which he produced in 1959, is a gangster flic about a
mob-ruled union with Rooney as 'Little Joe', a corrupt union leader and
it has a better than average supporting cast headed by Steve Cochran,
(in a rare good-guy role), Mamie Van Doren, (miscast but coping as
Cochran's sweet, blonde wife), Mel Torme, (good in a rare dramatic
role), as well as Ray Danton and Jim Backus.
The plot's nothing
new and, to be honest, the script is fairly ridiculous but it's
reasonably well directed by Charles Haas, nicely shot in Cinemascope by
Walter Castle and makes for an entertaining 90 minutes. Rooney drifts
through it and you would hardly call what he does 'acting' but he was a
star, all five foot two inches of him, a punk Little Caesar and he
dominates the picture. It's certainly no classic and it's certainly no
"Touch of Evil" but it's a good, tawdry genre picture and perfect
drive-in fodder.
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