The Gangster (1947 film)

Last updated
The Gangster
The Gangster Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Gordon Wiles
Screenplay byDaniel Fuchs
Dalton Trumbo
Based onLow Company by Daniel Fuchs
Produced by Frank King
Maurice King
Starring Barry Sullivan
Belita
Joan Lorring
Akim Tamiroff
Cinematography Paul Ivano
Edited by Walter A. Thompson
Music by Louis Gruenberg
Production
company
Distributed by Allied Artists Pictures
Release date
  • November 25, 1947 (1947-11-25)(United States)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Gangster (aka Low Company) is a 1947 American crime film noir starring Barry Sullivan, Belita, Joan Lorring and Akim Tamiroff. It was directed by Gordon Wiles, with a screenplay by Daniel Fuchs, based on his novel Low Company (1937). [1]

Contents

Plot

Shubunka is a racketeer preying upon small-time operators on the New Jersey boardwalk. He has a girlfriend, Nancy Starr, a showgirl, and offers protection to a New York beachfront cafe owned by Nick Jammey. A more powerful rival, Cornell, seeks to take over Shubunka's operations and territory.

Karty, a regular customer, has gambling debts and has stolen money from his brothers-in-law's garage. He begs Shubunka for help but is refused. Dorothy, the cafe's cashier, quits her job, disillusioned by Shubunka's involvement in the rackets and concern for no one but himself.

Cornell wants to take over Shubunka's rackets. Jammey gives him inside information on Shubunka's organization. After a couple of Cornell's men beat him up on a picnic, Shubunka angrily accuses Nancy of having him set up. Karty has disappeared, meantime, but when his frantic wife appeals to Shubunka for help, he again infuriates Dorothy by saying no.

Karty gets into a fight with Jammey at the cafe and accidentally kills him with a skillet. Cornell mistakenly believes Shubunka to be responsible and goes after him. This time Nancy does betray Shubunka, having been bribed with a bogus Broadway stage offer by Cornell.

Shubunka runs to Dorothy for help, but she declines, calling it just deserts for his unwillingness to help anyone else. With nowhere to hide, Shubunka is killed by Cornell in the street, just before the police arrive to place Cornell under arrest.

Cast

Reception

Box office

Critical response

Film historian Blake Lucas, discussed the film noir aspects of the film, writing in 1992, ...The Gangster is arty and affected, as director Gordon Wiles has gravitated toward the creation of a theatrical rather than a visual impression. A film - and the most visually exciting of film noir bear this out - can show discernment and restraint when there are pretentious aspects implicit in the material." [2]

Film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review, writing in 2004, "A Poverty Row crime melodrama that has its moments of traditional crime, but moves along not in the traditional way of tracing the rise and fall of its protagonist. Instead the film noir is more concerned with establishing a forlorn mood and being artistically stylish, as director Gordon Wiles (won an Oscar as art director for the 1931 Transatlantic ) creates a theatrical piece that is unnecessarily stagelike and much too pretentious for the modest storyline. It is adapted by screenwriter Daniel Fuchs from his book Low Company, and much of its too arty nature is attributed by rumor to the uncredited role Dalton Trumbo played in the screenplay." [3]

TV Guide gave the film a positive review, writing in 2011, "The Gangster is an offbeat entry in the film noir genre, one that places the accent on the psychological. Though at times muddled, the script strives to maintain a deeper approach than such films as The Public Enemy or Al Capone. In its day this film was considered something of an artistic triumph..." [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Criss Cross</i> (film) 1949 film by Robert Siodmak

Criss Cross is a 1949 American film noir crime film starring Burt Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo and Dan Duryea, directed by Robert Siodmak and written by Daniel Fuchs based on Don Tracy's 1934 novel of the same name. This black-and-white film was shot partly on location in the Bunker Hill section of Los Angeles. Miklós Rózsa scored the film's soundtrack. It was remade as The Underneath in 1995.

<i>The Enforcer</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Bretaigne Windust

The Enforcer is a 1951 American film noir co-directed by Bretaigne Windust and an uncredited Raoul Walsh, who shot most of the film's suspenseful moments, including the ending. The production, largely a police procedural, stars Humphrey Bogart and is based on the Murder, Inc. trials. The supporting cast features Zero Mostel and Everett Sloane.

<i>The Street with No Name</i> 1948 film by William Keighley

The Street with No Name is a 1948 American film noir directed by William Keighley. A follow-up to The House on 92nd Street (1945), it tells the story of an undercover FBI agent, Gene Cordell, who infiltrates a deadly crime gang. Cordell's superior, FBI Inspector George A. Briggs, also appears in The House on 92nd Street. The film, shot in a semidocumentary style, takes place in the Skid Row section of fictional "Center City".

<i>Port of New York</i> (film) 1949 film by László Benedek

Port of New York is a 1949 American film noir/crime film directed by László Benedek with cinematography by George E. Diskant and shot in semidocumentary style. The film is notable for being Yul Brynner's first film appearance. The film, which is very similar to T-Men (1947), was shot on location in New York City.

<i>While the City Sleeps</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Fritz Lang

While the City Sleeps is a 1956 American film noir directed by Fritz Lang and starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, John Drew Barrymore and Ida Lupino. Written by Casey Robinson, the newspaper drama was based on The Bloody Spur by Charles Einstein, which was inspired by the case of Chicago serial killer William Heirens. Five decades after the film's release, critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "Fritz Lang ('M') directs his most under-appreciated great film, more a social commentary than a straight crime drama."

<i>I Wake Up Screaming</i> 1941 film by H. Bruce Humberstone

I Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of Grable's few dramatic roles.

<i>The Bridge of San Luis Rey</i> (1944 film) 1944 Benedict Bogeaus film

The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a 1944 drama film made by Benedict Bogeaus Productions and released by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Rowland V. Lee with Benedict Bogeaus as co-producer. The screenplay by Howard Estabrook and Herman Weissman was adapted from the 1927 novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. The music score was by Dimitri Tiomkin and the cinematography by John W. Boyle and an uncredited John J. Mescall. The film stars Lynn Bari, Francis Lederer, Akim Tamiroff, Nazimova and Louis Calhern.

<i>The Big Night</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Joseph Losey

The Big Night is a 1951 American film noir directed by Joseph Losey, that features John Drew Barrymore, Preston Foster and Joan Lorring. The feature is based on a script written by Joseph Losey and Stanley Ellin, based on Ellin's 1948 novel Dreadful Summit. Hugo Butler and Ring Lardner, Jr. also contributed to the screenplay, but were uncredited when the film was first released owing to his Hollywood Ten conviction.

<i>The Underneath</i> (film) American crime film

The Underneath is a 1995 American crime film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Peter Gallagher and Alison Elliott. The film is based on the novel Criss Cross by Don Tracy, and is a remake of the original 1949 film adapted from the novel by Daniel Fuchs. The plot revolves around many themes common to film noir, including romantic intrigue, a botched crime, and a surprise ending.

<i>Rumba</i> (1935 film) 1935 film by Marion Gering

Rumba is a 1935 American musical drama film starring George Raft as a Cuban dancer and Carole Lombard as a Manhattan socialite. The movie was directed by Marion Gering and is considered an unsuccessful follow-up to Raft and Lombard's smash hit Bolero the previous year.

<i>Dangerous to Know</i> 1938 film by Robert Florey

Dangerous to Know is a 1938 American crime film directed by Robert Florey and starring Anna May Wong, Akim Tamiroff and Gail Patrick. The picture is based on British crime writer Edgar Wallace's hit 1930 play, On the Spot, which had been inspired by the career of Al Capone. Anna May Wong reprised her stage role from the New York production in the movie. The supporting cast features Lloyd Nolan and Anthony Quinn.

<i>Blast of Silence</i> 1961 neo-noir film by Allen Baron

Blast of Silence is a 1961 American neo-noir film written, directed by, and starring Allen Baron, with Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker, and Peter H. Clune in supporting roles. Set during Christmastime, it follows a hitman who returns to his native New York City to commit a murder for hire. It was produced by Merrill Brody, who was also the cinematographer.

<i>Go into Your Dance</i> 1935 film by Archie Mayo

Go into Your Dance is a 1935 American musical drama film starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by Archie Mayo, and is based on the novel of the same name by Bradford Ropes. It was released by Warner Bros. on April 20, 1935. An irresponsible Broadway star gets mixed up with gambling and gangsters.

<i>Kid Glove Killer</i> 1942 film by Fred Zinnemann

Kid Glove Killer is a 1942 American crime film, starring Van Heflin as a forensic scientist investigating the murder of a mayor. The B film, the feature-length directorial debut of Fred Zinnemann, was an expanded version of the 1938 Crime Does Not Pay short subject "They're Always Caught".

<i>The Hoodlum</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Max Nosseck

The Hoodlum is a 1951 American film noir crime film directed by Max Nosseck and starring Lawrence Tierney, Edward Tierney, Allene Roberts, Marjorie Riordan and Lisa Golm.

<i>Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye</i> (film) 1950 film by Gordon Douglas

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye is a 1950 film noir starring James Cagney, directed by Gordon Douglas, produced by William Cagney and based on the novel by Horace McCoy. The film was banned in Ohio as "a sordid, sadistic presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission."

<i>Scene of the Crime</i> (1949 film) 1949 American film by Roy Rowland

Scene of the Crime is a 1949 American film noir directed by Roy Rowland, starring Van Johnson, and featuring Gloria DeHaven, Arlene Dahl, and Tom Drake. The film's screenplay, by Charles Schnee, is based on a non-fiction article by John Bartlow Martin, "Smashing the Bookie Gang Marauders". It was the only property sold by Martin to be made into a film. Scene of the Crime was producer Harry Rapf's last film of his thirty-plus year career; he died of a heart attack a week after principal photography for the film began.

<i>New York Confidential</i> (film) 1955 film by Russell Rouse

New York Confidential is a 1955 film noir crime film directed by Russell Rouse starring Broderick Crawford, Richard Conte, Marilyn Maxwell, Anne Bancroft and J. Carrol Naish. Produced by Edward Small for release by Warner Bros., the film was inspired by the 1948 book New York: Confidential! by Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer.

<i>King of Chinatown</i> 1939 American film

King of Chinatown is a 1939 American crime film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Lillie Hayward and Irving Reis. The film stars Anna May Wong, Akim Tamiroff, J. Carrol Naish, Sidney Toler, Philip Ahn, Anthony Quinn and Bernadene Hayes. The film was released on March 17, 1939, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Portland Exposé</i> 1957 film by Harold D. Schuster

Portland Exposé is a 1957 American film noir directed by Harold Schuster and starring Edward Binns and Carolyn Craig. The plot follows a tavern owner in Portland, Oregon who is involved in a struggle for power between two gangs attempting to control the unions. The film was inspired by crime boss Jim Elkins and the McClellan Committee's investigation into Portland's underground criminal ventures in the 1940s and 1950s, which were the subject of an extensive article published in Life magazine in March 1957.

References

  1. The Gangster at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg .
  2. Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward, eds. Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, film noir analysis by Blake Lucas, page 111, 3rd edition, 1992. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN   0-87951-479-5.
  3. Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews, film review, January 12, 2004. Last accessed: February 26, 2011.
  4. TV Guide, film review. Last accessed: February 26, 2011.