The silent film version of The Racket is famous or infamous for a variety of reasons. This stalwart cop vs. Chicago gangland boss film predated the great Warner Brothers films of the 1930s with Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, and Pat O'Brien, and it created somewhat of a formula for these sort of films. Thomas Meigham plays the self-determined cop, who isn't exactly always operating on the up and up. Louis Wolheim is Nick Scarsi, Chicago gangland boss obviously modeled after one Alphonse Capone, who doesn't care who he has to steamroll over to get his way. Marie Prevost is Helen Hayes, the prototype for Jean Harlow and her ilk in these films for the next decade. She has it all: Dumb blonde on the outside, smart cookie on the inside, and enough sensuality to mix up any guy's thoughts. The film has a great opening sequence reminiscent of film noir with its camera angles, lighting and tracking shots. The first half of the film moves quickly and is well-edited. The second half degenerates into staginess and cheap looking sets, perhaps showing the downside of its theatrical origins. It's based on a Bartlett Cormack play, which originally starred Edward G. Robinson himself on Broadway. The play was only moderately successful, but the film was a best picture nominee directed by Lewis Milestone. Howard Hughes produced the film, which was painstakingly restored after disappearing for more than 50 years (complete with a brand new musical score especially written for its restoration). It's often cited as an influence on film noir or considered a noir film itself, but except for the opening sequence, the film resembles noir only in content and not style. The film does hold up after 80 years now, and it's still an entertaining precursor of a genre that's largely gone today. Look fast for a young Walter Brennan in the first ten minutes. *** of 4 stars.
Review of The Racket
