Nickel Ride, The (1974)

The Nickel Ride (1974), produced and directed by Robert Mulligan.

Jason Miller, last seen in The Exorcist (1973), is great as a moody mid-level manager in a crime organization. He's responsible for a specific street and operates a warehouse block. He's been doing it for years and is a well-liked capo in his neighborhood. But the area is shabby and business is declining. He has a boxer who won't take a dive, police who want more money, and new management who don't care about old loyalties. Now he's been saddled with an irritating kid from Tulsa (Bo Hopkins, last seen -- briefly -- in The Wild Bunch (1969)). Is the kid dumb, or too smart to show how smart and dangerous he is?

He's started to worry about survival, and after a vivid dream sequence of death and disaster we're no longer sure of our ground. Fine mid-70s scruffy real streets ambience.

I don't know what the title means, unless it is a carny reference.

The DVD is sold as part of a two-disc set with 99 and 44/100% Dead (1974), a mad-cap mob-war comedy that is not very funny, erratic in tone, and pretty sluggish.

Netflix doesn't have either DVD.