Right Hand of the Devil (1963) - from the gritty underbelly of early 1960s American cinema

Pepe Lusara (Aram Katcher), a smug and self-styled criminal genius, arrives in Los Angeles by helicopter and establishes himself in a mansion overlooking the city. Convinced that he is smarter than both the police and the underworld, he assembles a gang to carry out an ambitious robbery at the Hollywood Sports Arena following a sold-out championship fight, when a large amount of cash will be stored overnight. His recruits include Williams (Brad Trumbull), Sammy (James V. Christy), Spooky (Chris Randall), and Carter (Monte Lee), a collection of crooks whose loyalty is matched only by their incompetence. Although the men believe they are partners in a lucrative score, Pepe secretly views them as disposable tools. To gain access to the arena, Pepe targets Elizabeth Sutherland (Lisa McDonald), the lonely chief cashier responsible for safeguarding the receipts. Posing as a charming businessman, he romances her while slowly extracting information about security procedures, keys, and cash handling. Elizabeth, flattered by the attention, falls deeply in love with him and never suspects she is being manipulated. Meanwhile, Pepe meticulously prepares every detail of the robbery. At local clubs, a Dancer (Georgia Holden), another Dancer (Lydia Goya), and the dance team Pepita & Adonis (Themselves) provide entertainment while Pepe conducts his criminal business. Dino's Bartender (Luigi Gardneri) and Dino's Pianist (Jack Elton) witness some of the gang's meetings without realizing their significance. The robbery is carried out successfully, and the gang escapes with the arena's cash before authorities realize what has happened. However, Pepe has no intention of sharing the money. Determined to keep the entire fortune for himself, he begins eliminating his own accomplices one by one. His efforts to destroy evidence and silence witnesses become increasingly brutal and paranoid. Pepe's greatest mistake is underestimating Elizabeth. After discovering his deception and realizing he never cared for her, she becomes a dangerous loose end. As the police close in and his criminal empire collapses, Pepe's carefully constructed plans unravel. Betrayals, murders, and revenge lead to a violent climax in which those he betrayed contribute to his downfall. In the end, the man who believed himself a master criminal is destroyed by his own greed, arrogance, and obsession with controlling every detail. His perfect crime collapses, proving that his greatest enemy was always himself. A 1963 American Black & White crime drama film produced & directed by Aram Katcher, screenplay by Ralph Brooke, story by Aram Katcher, cinematography by Fouad Said, starring Aram Katcher, Lisa McDonald, Brad Trumbull, James V. Christy, Chris Randall, Monte Lee, Georgia Holden, Luigi Gardneri, Lydia Goya, Pepita & Adonis, and Jack Elton. Released by Cinema-Video International. Aram Katcher (1921-1998), born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey), was an actor and director. He spent the 1950s toiling away in uncredited bit parts or playing ethnic bad guys in B-Movies like "The Girl in the Kremlin" (1957) , while supplementing his income as the owner and chief hairdresser at Aram's, a West Los Angeles beauty salon on South Fairfax. But in the early-'60s, Katcher finally decided to take control of Hollywood career by self-financing this unjustifiably-forgotten black-and-white vanity project. Shot over four weekends, with a crew of four and an under $20,000 budget, auteur-wannabe Katcher was not only credited as the film's star, director, producer, and story creator, but also worked as its editor, title designer, costume designer, property man, and make-up supervisor! Katcher began his career with roles in the Cary Grant comedy "Dream Wife" (1953), and the Jeff Chandler adventure "East of Sumatra" (1953). Katcher next focused his career on film, appearing in the drama "Invasion U.S.A." (1953) with Gerald Mohr, "King of the Khyber Rifles" (1953) and "Do Not Disturb" (1965). He also appeared in the adventure "The Perils of Pauline" (1967) with Pat Boone. Katcher occasionally popped up in negligible TV guest spots, like playing Napoleon on an episode of I DREAM OF JEANNIE or a Peter Lorre-esque villain on IT TAKES A THIEF. Later in his career, Katcher acted in "Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens" (1979) starring Kitten Natividad. Soundtrack music: "A Very Deep Blues" - Written and performed by Jack Elton A little-known B-Movie from the gritty underbelly of early 1960s American cinema that draws on numerous heist movies. This cheap 60's shocker was an ambitious vanity project by Turkish/Egyptian bit-player and Hollywood hairdresser Aram Katcher. Famous for a graphic acid-bath death scene. A bit of a ragged mess at times. The violence is crudely done. No masterpiece, but the end result gets major points for its offbeat rhythms, hardboiled ambiance and some particularly brutal plot twists. Lovably half-baked, and fueled by low-budget chutzpah.