One of my all time favorites.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

***SPOILERS**** Somewhat misleading title in that the star of the film Jack Nicholson as the misunderstood teenager Jimmy Wallace is not a killer, he didn't kill anyone, but defiantly is a crybaby who cry's up a storm that almost drowns the entire cast by the time the film is finally over. Jimmy who has a confrontation with Manny Cole, Brett Halsey, and his two friends Joey & Al, Ralph Reed & James Fillmore, over his girlfriend Carole Fields, Carolyn Mitchell, is later confronted by the trio again this time using brass knuckles and a revolver. It's then in trying to defend himself Jimmy accidentally shoots one of his attackers and runs for his life thinking that he killed him and may be facing life behind bars or a one way trip to the San Quentin gas chamber.Taking Mrs. Maxton, Brabara Knudson, and her 4 month baby girl as well as dishwasher Sam, Smoki Whitefield, hostage in a nearby diner Jimmy is ready to go down in a hail of police bullets until his girlfriend Carole as well as Sam, the real hero in the movie, talk him into surrendering to the police before anybody including himself ends up getting killed. Sacared and confused Jimmy feeling that the world is against him finds out that he's not the rotten teenager that most people think he is and deserves everything he gets-A rotten deal- in life. It's just when the cops are about to storm the place It's both Carole and Sam who end up saving the day, or night in that everything takes place in the dark in the movie, by getting a tearful Jimmy to surrender before he ends up getting shot by the police. As for Sam he gets no credit at all by the head of the police Let. Porter, Harry Lauter, not even a thank you for the great job he did by risking his life, unlike Let. Porter, to get Jimmy to surrender and releasing Mrs. Maxton and her infant daughter unharmed.Jack Nicholson's movie debut before he made it big 12 years later with his "Five Easy Pieces" as well as "Easy Rider" that made him a top star in Hollywood. Things didn't turns out so good for Nicholson's co-star in the movie Carolyn Mitchell who later married and divorced Mickey Rooney and was tragically murdered by her former boyfriend bit part Yogoslave actor Milos Mlosevice at the age 29 in 1966 in what was described by the local police as a murder suicide .

So after watching this movie, another curiosity was sated: I got to see Jack Nicholson's first film and find out if it was any good. Well, it's not too bad and since it's only an hour, not too much time was wasted watching it. Nicholson certainly does well when he becomes desperate enough to hold up a woman with a baby and a middle-aged black man hostage after shooting at a couple of punks who beat him up at the beginning of the movie. Roger Corman was the executive producer only here so there's not much of his creative hand in the finished product though it was interesting seeing his cameo when he briefly talks to the TV reporter before he was going on the air to broadcast the standoff. So on that note, The Cry Baby Killer is worth a look for any Nicholson completists.

Producer Roger Corman's mark is heavy on this film, so much so that he might as well have directed it himself instead of TV director Jus Addiss. Working from a script by actor Leo Gordon, this film in its short 61 minute running time takes us through a sort of "movie of the week" scenario with a troubled youth (Jack Nicholson, making his film debut) accidentally shooting another kid during an argument over a girl (Carolyn Mitchell) and taking a baby and mother hostage.Nicholson was pretty good in my opinion, green as he was. It's not exactly James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause", but neither is the script and Addiss isn't Ray. I'd say it was an auspicious beginning. It wasn't all that often that Nicholson even got this much screen time in his early years, usually he was a supporting actor and at one point wanted to direct and write. So this is kind of an unusual movie for fans because they get a chance to see him in a real leading role at such an early age.Harry Lauter plays the main detective trying to resolve the situation, and his performance is well measured and helps to balance the film's basic melodrama. With the crowd waiting around for violence, it's sort of a B movie version of "Ace in the Hole" crossed with "The Desperate Hours." Strangely though, while it seems critical of the media/public obsession with the sensationalism of the incident, the movie shows the cops and reporters in friendly relationships.There's nothing hugely appealing about the movie though, I don't think it broke any new ground other than introducing Nicholson. There isn't very much story, and everything pretty much takes place in the same location, so it feels sort of closed and theatrical. The photography and sound is professional but uninspired, as is the direction of the actors in general. This isn't a "classic" by any means, but it's worth an hour of my life.

This is really a bad movie, and it could have been so much better.Unless you're a Jack Nicholson fanatic, forget this one. It's his first film, and as such makes some fans want to see it. I was one of those.The story is not a bad one, but come on..let's get real. This comes across as a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, without the quality.I am also a fan of Brett Halsey, but even that doesn't help. His part in this is so small that you'll hardly notice it.The film starts out without a beginning. Why is the gang so upset with Nicholson's character? They beat him up, for no real reason.In a stupid mistake, the screenplay has one hood carry the gun and the director forgets which one has it in his possession later on.Two guys are shot, but we never see it happen. Why? We hear shots, and the injured parties are never seen again. Why? Nicholson's character shoots in self defense, but he's terrified that they will kill him. Why? The movie drags on and on and on, boring us all to death. By the time it comes to an end, no one is dead, and we don't care one way or the other.Nicholson is OK in his debut, but who cares? This is so lame I could hardly stay awake, and I was hoping that they would shoot the kid at the end to relieve my boredom.Unless you just have to have everything Nicholson ever appeared in forget this one.