Mad Dog Coll (1961) in Color — Starring John Davis Chandler & Kay Doubleday

Mad Dog Coll (1961) — Buy This Classic in Color

Discover Mad Dog Coll, the 1961 crime drama featuring early performances by Jerry Orbach and Telly Savalas, now available as a professionally colorized version. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll (John Davis Chandler) is a volatile, frighteningly unpredictable young gangster burning with rage, ambition, and a capacity for sudden, explosive violence that terrifies even the hardened criminals who thought they had seen everything the underworld had to offer. Coll has grown up in the brutal, merciless world of Prohibition-era New York’s organized crime, serving as a soldier in the powerful empire of Dutch Schultz (Telly Savalas), the beer baron and numbers king whose iron grip on the rackets of upper Manhattan and the Bronx has made him one of the most powerful, most feared, and most wealthy criminals in America. But Coll’s volcanic temperament, his absolute refusal to take orders from anyone, and his burning conviction that he deserves a far larger piece of the criminal empire than his current position allows drive him to commit the most dangerous act a gangster can attempt — he breaks away from Schultz’s organization and declares open, violent, spectacularly reckless war against his former boss for control of the streets. Coll wages a one-man campaign of terror against Schultz’s operations, kidnapping his associates for ransom, hijacking his beer shipments, muscling into his territory, and committing acts of violence so random, so extreme, and so indiscriminate that even the notoriously brutal criminals of Prohibition-era New York are shocked and appalled. His girlfriend Elizabeth (Brooke Hayward) desperately tries to pull him back from the brink, but Coll’s appetite for violence and power and his rapidly growing, spectacularly impressive list of enemies make a peaceful exit impossible. As the body count rises with terrifying rapidity, both the police — who view Coll as a menace to public safety on a scale beyond ordinary criminal activity — and the mob organizations — who view him as a threat to the profitable stability of organized crime — close in from every direction. Dutch Schultz places a substantial bounty on Coll’s head, turning every corner of the city, every familiar face, every telephone booth and barroom into a potential deathtrap. This classic movie delivers a gritty, uncompromising, unflinchingly honest portrait of a man who lived by the gun and died by it, told with the raw documentary intensity of early-1960s independent cinema.

Cast & Crew

Director: Burt Balaban

Stars: John Davis Chandler, Jerry Orbach, Brooke Hayward, Telly Savalas, Vincent Gardenia, Kay Doubleday, Neil Nephew, Gene Hackman, Jerry Jarrett, Joy Harmon

John Davis Chandler delivers a terrifyingly committed, almost uncomfortably intense performance in the title role, embodying Coll’s volatile, hair-trigger temperament and capacity for sudden, explosive violence with a disturbing authenticity that makes every scene he appears in crackle with dangerous, unpredictable energy. Telly Savalas, years before his iconic, globe-spanning fame as television’s Kojak, brings menacing authority and cold intelligence to Dutch Schultz. Jerry Orbach, decades before his beloved television career, delivers a sharp, compelling performance that demonstrates the natural dramatic talent that would sustain his legendary career. A young Gene Hackman makes a brief early appearance.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

Mad Dog Coll was originally filmed in black and white, its grimy New York streets, smoky speakeasies, cramped tenement hideouts, and the tense, violent confrontations between rival gangs all captured in raw, location-shot early-1960s photography. This professionally colorized restoration brings frame-by-frame precision to the dim-lit interiors, the period costumes, the harsh urban landscape of Depression-era Manhattan, and the visual atmosphere of a city controlled by criminals. The colorized version adds immersive visual atmosphere and period authenticity to this restored classic film, plunging the audience into the dangerous, desperate world of Prohibition-era organized crime. Now also available in colour.

Buy Mad Dog Coll in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Mad Dog Coll features early screen performances from actors who would become major stars — Jerry Orbach, years before his Broadway triumph in The Fantasticks and his iconic television role in Law & Order; Telly Savalas, whose menacing presence foreshadows his legendary career; and a young Gene Hackman in a brief early appearance before his rise to superstardom. Director Burt Balaban crafted the film in the gritty, documentary-influenced style that defined early 1960s crime cinema, shooting on location in New York City to capture the streets’ raw energy. Through colorization, this showcase for future stars is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 88 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this based on a true story?
A: Yes, the film is loosely based on the life of Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll, one of the most feared and reckless gangsters of Prohibition-era New York, whose violent war against Dutch Schultz terrorized the city in the early 1930s.

Q: Who stars in Mad Dog Coll?
A: John Davis Chandler delivers a terrifyingly intense lead performance, with early career-defining appearances by Telly Savalas as Dutch Schultz, Jerry Orbach, and a young Gene Hackman — future stars all captured at the very beginning of their legendary careers.

Q: How does colorization enhance this gangster drama?
A: Colorization brings immersive atmospheric life to Prohibition-era New York — the grimy streets, the smoky speakeasies, the period costumes, and the harsh urban landscape create a gritty, authentic world that plunges the audience into the dangerous underworld of Depression-era organized crime.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as an MP4 file compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

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• Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)
• No Way Out (1950)
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• The Finger Points (1931)
• Conquest (1937)