Beat Generation, The (1959)

Psycho Steve Hess (Ray Danton) spends his time raping chicks until cop Dave Culloran (Steve Cochran) catches on and tracks him down.

Hess’s modus operandi is to gain entry to the home of a married woman whose husband is away by pretending to be there to repay money loaned by the husband.

Once inside, he feigns a headache, pulls out a tin of aspirin, and asks the woman for water. While she is distracted, he sneaks up behinds her, and then assaults and rapes her.

He leaves the tin of aspirin behind as his calling card, leading the police to call him “The Aspirin Kid.”

The paths of Culloran and Hess converge when the cop’s wife (Fay Spain) is raped by the criminal, becomes pregnant and, not knowing which man is the father, must decide whether to keep the baby or not.

The raunchy sets, lurid plot and jive talk make the whole thing eminently palatable though, and Mamie Van Doren is there to keep interest up when all else fails. There are also musical cameos from Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars.

Any similarity between this Al Zugsmith tale and the artists/beatniks of the 1950s is purely coincidental.

Dave Culloran
Steve Cochran
Georgia Altera
Mamie Van Doren
Stan Hess (The Aspirin Kid)
Ray Danton
Francee Culloran
Fay Spain
Louis Armstrong
Himself
Joyce Greenfield
Margaret Hayes
Jake Baron
Jackie Coogan
Art Jester
James (Jim) Mitchum
The Singer
Cathy Crosby
Harry Altera
Ray Anthony
Singing Beatnik
Dick Contino
Marie Baron
Irish McCalla
Poetess
Maila Nurmi (Vampira)
Dr Elcott
Billy Daniels
Wrestling Beatnik
Maxie Rosenbloom

Director
Charles F. Haas