- For the episode, see MST3K 618 - High School Big Shot.
Plot[]
High School Big Shot
Promising high school student Marv Grant dreams of finishing high school and going to college, despite his poor economic situation. His English teacher Mr. Carter is helping to get him a scholarship because he sees Marv's potential. Marv's father is a sporadically employed alcoholic who dreams of giving up liquor, getting steady work, moving out of the run-down home that he and Marv share, and remarrying.
When his pretty, conniving classmate Betty Alexander approaches Marv with her plight of not being able to understand Shakespeare well enough to write a paper (jeopardizing her plan of graduating and getting out of town), Marv offers to write it for her. In exchange, she goes on a date with him, and he becomes infatuated with her. Marv asks Betty to marry him, and she flatly tells him "no" unless he can meet her monetary demands. She's on combative terms with her father and has a personal goal of wanting to "throw diamonds and furs in his face".
At his job, Marv overhears that a million dollars will soon be stored on the premises. He crafts a precise plan to steal it, enlisting the aid of two experienced criminals: the affable safe-cracker Harry March and March's brother-in-law, the suspicious, put-upon liquor store proprietor Sam.
Marv assures Betty he will soon have lots of money and tells her how he is going to get it. She relays the information to her boyfriend, the bully/petty thug Vince. Betty pressures him into taking the money from Marv and provides him with a handgun. Vince initially resists, but he eventually agrees to the scheme after Betty uses her physical affections to convince him.
Marv's cheating to help Betty is discovered and his college prospects are crushed. Marv's dad proposes to a woman he's been seeing but she refuses him, and he then loses a job he had been anticipating.
During the robbery, several double-crosses take place, and most of the characters are killed. Marv's father hangs himself.
Cast[]
- Tom Pittman as Marv Grant
- Virginia Aldridge as Betty Alexander
- Howard Veit as Vince Rumbo
- Malcolm Atterbury as Mr. Grant
- Stanley Adams as Harry March
- Peter Leeds as Mr. Carter
- John Barrick as Larry
Notes[]
- Tom Pittman (Marv) died in a car crash shortly after this film was made.
- Stanley Adams (Harry March) played the tribble merchant Cyrano Jones on Star Trek (in episodes of both the live-action and animated series).
MST3K Connections[]
- Malcolm Atterbury also portrayed Charles Rivers in I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
- Peter Leeds also portrayed Michael Clyde in Girls Town.
- Byron Foulger (Mr. Mathews) also portrayed the Chicago train conductor in The Rebel Set.
- Actor and stuntman Bill Coontz (unspecified role) also portrayed Bill Coontz in The Girl in Lovers Lane and the insane man in the woods in Bloodlust!.
- Executive producer Roger Corman was director and producer for It Conquered the World, Teenage Cave Man, The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, Gunslinger, Day the World Ended, and The Undead. He was also executive producer for Attack of the Giant Leeches, Night of the Blood Beast, Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II, Deathstalker II, Lords of the Deep (in which he also portrayed a corporate executive), and Munchie, as well as director for Swamp Diamonds, producer for Avalanche, and distribution producer for Starcrash.
- Associate producer Richard Dixon was assistant director for Women of the Prehistoric Planet, Catalina Caper, The Girl in Lovers Lane, and The Bubble.
- Cinematographer John M. Nickolaus Jr. was also cinematographer for Attack of the Giant Leeches and Night of the Blood Beast.
- Editor Carlo Lodato was also editor for Attack of the Giant Leeches.
- Set decorator John Burton was also set decorator for The Girl in Lovers Lane and 12 to the Moon.
- Makeup artist Harry Thomas was also makeup artist for Project Moon Base, Invasion USA, Night of the Blood Beast, and The Bubble, as well as makeup supervision for The Unearthly.
- Assistant director Paul Rapp was also stunt coordinator for Gunslinger (in which he also portrayed a gunfighter) and executive producer and production manager for Avalanche.
- Property master Joe Sullivan was also property master for The Amazing Transparent Man.
- Music editor Anthony Magro was also associate editor for Attack of the Giant Leeches.