Gloria (1980)

Elevator Pitch: Gloria, the ex girlfriend of mob boss Tony Tanzini, lives in an apartment in a run down block in New York. When she goes to ask a neighbour if she can borrow some coffee she, is asked to look after their two children, since it seems inevitable that they are going to be assassinated. Gloria reluctantly takes the six year old son with her and flees the block, hearing shotgun blasts as the family is terminated. There after she and the boy move from place to place while she tries to get the child to accept her, and sometimes is forced to face down the mobsters, who know her, but want to kill the boy to complete the hit. She is finally forced to negotiate with her former lover for her life and that of the child.

Content:  There is no sex or nudity, but the villains and Gloria take time occasionally for a drink.  Gloria takes off with a reluctant boy to the apartment of a friend which is very luxurious. They stay in a flophouse. At times Gloria and the child are separated, but somehow get together again. She meets the villains at various times and shoots at them. There is one car crash due to this. Inevitably she is finally forced to confront her former lover, but they have not taken her gun away.

A View: I am trying to say something nice about this outing because it was well liked at the time, and sure enough Gena Rowlands as Gloria, did a great job. But it shows its age. Somehow despite the occasional violence the mob do not seem very threatening. But really what spoilt it for me was the boy. I know he is supposed to be irritating, but he had no redeeming features, and since he was on screen all the time, the irritation did not let up. So although it was well thought of I can’t recommend it.

Here are a couple of better films with our hero protecting a child. Witness and Mercury Rising.