The film while not exactly a clunker could have been a lot better.it has that late 50's b/w gangster feel to it like "Studs Lonigan" a couple of years later. A young Steve McQueen cast as a Jewish kid who becomes an attorney does what he can in a supporting role. The person who did have me riveted throughout was John Drew Barrymore who is pretty good in this although his character gets more absurd as the film goes on. Barrymore was a striking looking actor & had talent enough to have a much better career than he actually ended up having.His lifestyle choices ruined all that, Lita Milan who plays Barymore's girlfriend retired from films all together shortly after & married the Prime minister of the Dominican Republic or something.

1912: Frankie Kane is born, his mom dies, the put him a catholic orphanage. 1928: Frankie is shining shoes for crime boss Silk plus he befriends Steve McQueen (a "Jew-boy") and Julie. Suddenly the orphanage finds out Frankie is a Jew so the kick him out cause "it's the law"). Frankly, Frankie ain't too happy about being a Jew so he joins Silk running money and one day Silk gets shot up so Frankie splits town in a freight car. 1935: Frankie is back in town, bitter, angry, mad, gray around the temples..and broke..he's a bum. Silk hires him as a chauffeur in his 1942 Cadillac (yes, it's 1935...detail, details). 1938: Frankie's hot now in the organization and telling the boss Silk what to do. 1941: Frankie takes over and sets up his own empire but the Governor, mayor,police commissioner & district attorney declare him a menace to society and appoint a prosecutor to get rid of him...a bright young lawyer (gasp):Steve McQueen his old Jew pal. Lots of back & forth, plots and sub plots and more Jew stuff and gangs and Julie who loves Frankie but is Silks gal, but wants Frankie and he wants her an then the final shoot-out (actually where we came in). The end. Whatever flick. Frankie is John Drew Barrymore, son of the famed John...his daughter is Drew. He's not a good actor. Skipped genes I guess. H

"Never Love A Stranger" was taken from an early Harold Robbins book and gave Steve McQueen his first significant role in films. Unfortunately, it is sub-standard in all respects and I would only recommend it to fanatic McQueen fans intent on seeing any and all of his film appearances. The budget must have been minuscule, since the production looks like it would have been cheap even for 50's television. The lighting, sets, and sound are all inferior. The writing is laughably bad and the direction has no sense of pace and certainly no dramatic depth. The lead is John Drew Barrymore, son of the Great Profile and father of Drew. He's not awful, and does what he can with the role, but he and all the other actors are weighed down by the dreadful script and direction. McQueen does not do much better. He is miscast, playing a nice Jewish boy...yes, Steve McQueen plays a nice Jewish boy, you read that right. Not only that, but he begins the film having to be taught how to box and defend himself by Barrymore. Then he grows up to be the noble, honorable district attorney out to get his gangster childhood friend. More astute future casting directors would eventually discover that McQueen's true forte was as the tough rebel and loner, not the goody two-shoes. Moreover, he is given no chance to shine, no scenes to dominate. Its all Barrymore's picture and McQueen is strictly there in support. Lita Milan is also in the picture as Barrymore's girl, and she's awful too.

I came to own and watch this film because the score was written by musician and inventor Raymond Scott. The acting is very wooden. but fans of Steve McQueen might get a kick out of seeing him in an early role, not to mention the Buddy Holly glasses!