cult film freak: BRIAN KEITH AND KERWIN MATTHEWS IN '5 AGAINST THE HOUSE'

Title: 5 AGAINST THE HOUSE Year: 1955 Rating: **

There are more snags in making 5 AGAINST THE HOUSE a decent heist-noir-thriller than the student crooks have robbing a Reno Nevada casino, and, yes, they're all too old for college but this group of Korean War vets are using the GI Bill to get degrees they couldn't while in battle...

And it's a pretty decent cast including Brian Keith mirroring William Bendix's shell-shocked character from another noir, THE BLUE DAHLIA (albeit a womanizing version, picking up on the pretty likes of older Jean Willes and younger Kathryn Grant)... but HOUSE is no classic...

Brian Keith, Alvy Moore, Guy Madison & Kerwin Matthews in 5 Against the House

That's because instead of getting to know the impending dark sides of these seemingly jovial lads, who start out spending an hour at the same casino they'd later return to break, most of the time's wasted on token beauty Kim Novak singing to the group's boringly studious, straight-laced leader Guy Madison... with another woman's voice...

And there's Alvy Moore who, like RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11, provides intrusive comic relief when there needed more edge from Brian Keith and heist-planner Kewin Matthews, as this should've been 2 AGAINST THE HOUSE since only they relish the crime genre that otherwise capable noir director Phil Karlsen keeps on cruise control throughout.