King of the Roaring 20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein | |
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Directed by | Joseph M. Newman |
Screenplay by | Jo Swerling |
Story by | Leo Katcher |
Based on | The Big Bankroll: The Life and Times of Arnold Rothstein, King of the Roaring 20s 1859 book by Leo Katcher |
Produced by | Samuel Bischoff David Diamond |
Starring | David Janssen Dianne Foster Diana Dors Jack Carson |
Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
Edited by | George White |
Music by | Franz Waxman |
Distributed by | Allied Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
King of the Roaring 20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein is a 1961 American, biopic, drama, crime film directed by Joseph M. Newman, produced by Samuel Bischoff and starring David Janssen, Dianne Foster, Diana Dors and Jack Carson. [1] The film is about the prohibition era gangster Arnold Rothstein, who rises to be a major figure in the criminal underworld. It is also known by the alternative title The Big Bankroll. It was based on a book by Leo Katcher.
Arnold Rothstein gains a reputation in 1920s New York City as an expert gambler. He so impresses mob boss Big Tim O'Brien that he is given a job in his illegal enterprises.
Rothstein has a lifelong pal, Johnny Burke, and makes a deadly enemy, Phil Butler, a corrupt cop. He rises to become rich and well known in gambling circles, often using ruthless tactics, like tricking business partner Jim Kelly into sacrificing his half of their arrangement. Kelly had become an unreliable alcoholic, so Rothstein was partially justified.
Although he has little time for a personal life, Rothstein impulsively marries Carolyn Green, an attractive actress. He devotes little effort to their marriage, his principal obsessions being to build a huge bankroll and to someday win a poker hand with a royal flush. Their first day of married life is spent at the racetrack, where the groom spends time with everybody BUT his wife. Carolyn finds it amusing the first time----and not so amusing many other times.
As his empire grows, so does his arrogance. Rothstein eventually sells out his only friend, resulting in Burke's being gunned down by thugs. He and lawyer Tom Fowler conspire to make sure Butler is exposed and convicted for his criminal activities. But Rothstein does nothing to prevent Fowler's disbarment, thus making another enemy. And the Burke incident has gained Rothstein a reputation as a stool pigeon. He finds himself ostracized by the gambling community. He is so hungry for action that he suspects nothing when gamblers from Chicago invite him to a high-stakes poker game. He is shot dead from underneath the table.He was holding a Royal Flush in Spades---including the "Ace Of Spades" death card.
The film was based on a 1959 non fiction book The Big Bankroll. [2] The New York Times called it a "galloping account". [3]
The book was a best seller and several companies were interested in film rights. In October 1959, film rights were bought by Allied Artists, who had enjoyed a big commercial success with Al Capone (1959) and were interested in making more gangster films. The purchase price was described as "well into six figures as against a percentage of the gross." [4] Variety put the figure at $150,000. [5]
David Diamond was assigned to produce and he wanted Dean Martin to play the lead. [6] Gene Kelly reportedly expressed interest in starring and directing. [4]
Allied Artists were undertaking their most ambitious film program in five years, announcing 15 films would be made over 6 months. Several of these had a gangster theme including The Big Bankroll and The George Raft Story . [7] [8] [9]
Producers Sam Bischoff and David Diamond had previously made The Phenix City Story . [10]
The producers could not get releases from the real-life people depicted in the film apart from Rothstein's wife Carolyn. So the only people using their real names as Arnold Rothstein, his wife and his father. [10] People like Tim Sullivan were renamed Tim O'Brien. "To this generation there's no difference between Sullivan and O'Brien - it's an honest precaution," said Diamond. [10]
The lead role went to David Janssen who had recently made Hell to Eternity and Dondi for Allied. [11] Diana Dors had recently relocated to Hollywood. [12] Mickey Rooney's son Tim played the character depicted by his father as a child. [13]
The film does not explore Rothstein's possible involvement in the fixing of 1919 Baseball World Series, known infamously as the Black Sox Scandal .
Variety called it a "wobbly chronicle". [14]
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive (1963–1967). Janssen also had the title roles in three other series: Richard Diamond, Private Detective; O'Hara, U.S. Treasury; and Harry O.
The Black Sox Scandal was a game-fixing scandal in Major League Baseball (MLB) in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for payment from a gambling syndicate, possibly led by organized crime figure Arnold Rothstein. There is strong evidence both for and against Rothstein's involvement; however, there is no conclusive indication that the gambling syndicate's actions were directed by organized crime. In response, the National Baseball Commission was dissolved and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed to be the first Commissioner of Baseball, given absolute control over the sport to restore its integrity.
Arnold Rothstein, nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish Mob in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, including conspiring to fix the 1919 World Series. He was also a mentor of future crime bosses Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, Bugsy Siegel, and numerous others.
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Joseph J. "Sport" Sullivan was an American bookmaker and gambler from Boston, Massachusetts who helped to initiate the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.
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Jacob Rosenzweig was an American gambler and underworld figure in New York City. He was one of several star witnesses in the Becker-Rosenthal trial, among these being fellow gamblers Bridgie Webber, Harry Vallon, and Sam Schepps. Rose's testimony was the most damaging because he directly implicated Becker in arranging the murder of Herman Rosenthal. As Becker's debt collector, Rose confessed to hiring the Lenox Avenue Gang, providing the getaway car. He testified he did it all on the orders of Charles Becker.
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