User Reviews

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

One after another, the criminals in this metaphoric Asphalt Jungle meet their necessary demise. It isn't the jewel heist, functional and classic, that matters. It's the personalities that wind themselves up and then wind back down through the raspy knot where they intersect, and where they fall to unexpected side effects.

What do we make of the clichés here? The mastermind of the heist is not such a bad guy, the getaway driver is a sweetie who loves cats, the safecracker has a wife and young baby, the "hooligan" is a misplaced sentimentalist who only wants the old farm his family lost to bigger forces. In fact, these "bad guys" are really just you and me, and bigger forces are always out there ready to squash us. So conniving a little jewel theft is not going to hurt a soul, and the presumed victory over inconsequence is huge.

Or would have been. Maybe it's not coincidence that the biggest impediment of all comes mostly from a duplicitous lawyer, and here we have a character actor, Louis Calhern, sharpened and amplified by director John Huston, a master at making the ordinary just acceptably larger than life. So the man has a cash flow problem, and his suffering and his hapless conniving is alone enough to recommend the film. The small, sad part of his wife, played by the ruefully cheerful Dorothy Tree, only twists the knife, reminding him, and us, of what this man could have had, ordinary happiness. But no one in the movie wants to be ordinary, Calhern has a young Marilyn Monroe, no less, for his diversion.

Then there are the core contract players in the gang, including a sweaty Marc Lawrence as the fumbling lynchpin connecting them all. As the requisite hooligan, Sterling Hayden is convincing enough, but maybe it is the pathetic desperation of his sometimes girlfriend, played by Jean Hagen, that rips your heart out. At least until Hayden falls in the grass and the horses come to graze by his head, as if we have entered a dream, a thousand miles from from any asphalt or jungle, far far from tension and sorrow of any kind.

Considered a major film noir, it can also be seen as a major ensemble heist film. Though the gloom is noir enough, it lacks what I think of as the core quality of noir--alienation-- though there is, at least, Hayden's sad listlessness. But it's a great movie with a plot that is useful for bringing out the vivid characters. Everyone talks about how the cast is perfect, and the cast really is perfect. And the cast is perfectly directed, which is a whole other wonder.

Coming at the end of the decade in 1950 - which effectively ended Hollywood's much cherished Golden Age - was MGM's THE ASPHALT JUNGLE. A superbly structured gritty crime drama it was one of the last of the great Noir thrillers. Produced for the studio by Arthur Hornblow Jr. from a novel by W.R. Burnett it was beautifully written for the screen by Ben Maddow and John Huston and outstandingly directed by Huston. The assembled cast couldn't be better even down to the smallest parts such as Ray Teal turning up as a patrolling policeman. The picture is notable also for an early appearance of Marilyn Monroe as the kittenish ingenue of shady lawyer Louis Calhern. Stylishly photographed in stunning black & white by Harold Rosson THE ASPHALT JUNGLE has joined the ranks, alongside "The Killers" (1946) and "Out Of The Past" (1947), as the finest Noir ever made.

An old time criminal Doc Redinschneider (Sam Jaffe) has just been released from prison and has devised a plan for the "perfect" caper ("I could sell it on the open market for $100,000"). He approaches a small time racing "fixer" Cobby (a brilliant Marc Lawrence) who in turn arranges with dishonest lawyer Alonzo Emmerich (Calhern) to finance the heist of a million dollar diamond haul from a major jewellery firm. Emmerich is also to act as a "fence" to offload the gems. Hired is expert safe-cracker Louis Ciavelli (Anthony Caruso), the humpback Gus (James Whitmore) as the driver and a small time hoodlum Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden) as the group's strong arm. The robbery itself is a success (a riveting intense sequence) but things start to go terribly wrong. First Ciavelli is accidentally shot and then Emmerich, along with an accomplice (an impressive Brad Dexter) attempt a double cross which is thwarted by Dix after a shootout. With the loot now just so much junk Reidinschneider and Dix must go on the run. The movie culminates with Emmerich committing suicide, Redinschneider, Cobby and Gus being arrested and ends with the fatally wounded Dix making a dash out of the city to reach his family farm in the country.

Performances are terrific! Hayden was never better and only came close to matching this portrayal six years later in Kubrick's brilliant "The Killing" (1956). Outstanding also is Sam Jaffe as the master criminal, Louis Calhern as the crooked lawyer, Marc Lawrence as the "fixer" ("I always sweat when I count money - it's the way I am") and John McIntire as the determined Police Commissioner. All things considered THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is probably the most perfectly cast film ever. The only minor disappointment is the sparse music score by the great Miklos Rozsa. There is a splendid dramatic main title and continues after the credits for a short while but then no more music is heard until the final six or seven minutes of the picture when there is a hectic rhythmic orchestral statement to accompany the mortally wounded Dix and his frantic drive to his family's farm. Then as he reaches home, collapses and lays dying in a pasture the music segues into a reflective melodic theme for the end title. The lack of a full score however is but a minor quibble and does little to alter the fact that THE ASPHALT JUNGLE remains an exercise in meticulous motion picture making.

I am a fan of film noir, owning many of them, and this one is right about at the top of the list and climbing each time I view it. It might even have passed Double Indemnity for the number one spot. It's that good.

For anyone who has not seen it: the poster art and the video/DVD cover are both misleading. They usually feature Marilyn Monroe in publicizing this movie, but she only has a small role. Many times they feature Monroe, Jean Hagen and Sterling Hayden all together....and those three are never on screen at the same time. My point being: what you see on the outside is not what's on the inside.

Hayden is the star of the film but Sam Jaffe and Louis Calhern are not far behind. In fact, the more I watch this film, the more I see the latter two as the real stars here, and I especially have begun to appreciate the great acting by Calhern in here.

Actually, everyone performs at a very high level. The diverse and interesting characters are really fun to watch, one of the big reasons I rate this film so high. Hayden, with his big body and tough demeanor, was perfect for film noir. He is a legitimate tough guy, nobody to fool with. Jaffe was fascinating as the little German "doctor" but until I got the DVD and put on the English subtitles, I never understood all his dialog, which is terrific, and "Doc" is my favorite character in this film. Kudos also go to James Whitmore and Marc Lawrence for great supporting role performances.

The two women, Hagen and Monroe, also do their bits nicely. I never understood people who criticized Monroe's acting. I thought she was pretty good right from the start, with this film as an example. I also liked seeing her thin and in shape.

This movie is a gritty, tough, no-nonsense crime story concerning a jewel robbery where things go wrong and eventually does everybody in. Actually, it isn't just a botched robbery that ruins some of them - it's character weakness, from greed to sexual lust.

"You reap what you sow" could be a moral of this story.

It was only a few weeks ago that I described 'Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)' as the film that pioneered the traditional crime caper, carving a narrative mould that would continue to be reused in films of its sort for decades to come. While Jules Dassin's picture is undoubtedly the finest in a sub-genre affectionately known as "the heist flick," I have now discovered that the concept stretches back at least another five years, to one of Hollywood's most revered adventure directors, John Huston. Revealing a seedy underbelly of society, overflowing with smarmy criminal figures and crooked authorities, the film is a potent film-noir thriller, employing dark, shadowy black-and-white cinematography, and a selection of suitably sordid characters, whose greed, obsession and violent temperaments ultimately lead to their own demise. The film's success would trigger a considerable boom in the popularity of heist thrillers, most notably in Crichton's 'The Lavender Hill Mob (1951),' Dassin's 'Rififi (1955),' Mackendrick's 'The Ladykillers (1955)' and Kubrick's breakthrough picture, 'The Killing (1956),' which also starred Sterling Hayden.

Recently-released criminal mastermind, Doc Erwin Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe), has, for the last seven years of his incarceration, protected the plans for the most ambitious and profitable heist of his "distinguished" career. He arrives in a dreary, smoggy, crime-ridden city, where low-lifes patrol the darkened streets and law officers, some honest and some crooked, do their best to control the escalating crime-rates. The Doc hires a diverse assortment of essential criminals to ensure the success of his caper – a "boxman," or a safecracker (Anthony Caruso) with a young family, a "top-notch" getaway driver (James Whitmore) with a twisted back, and a small-time "hooligan" (Sterling Hayden) with a costly passion for horses. Also involved in the elaborate scheme is Cobby (Marc Lawrence), a sleazy, treacherous bookie, and Alonzo D. Emmerich (Louis Calhern), a bankrupt professional businessman who agrees to finance the operation but houses plans for a disastrous double-crossing. The film's female protagonists come in the form of innocent Doll Conovan (Jean Hagen, prior to her career-defining performance in 'Singin' in the Rain (1952)') and an upcoming Marilyn Monroe as Emmerich's sexy, playful and naive young mistress.

As was typical in film-noir films of the era, whose contents were dictated by the meddlesome Production/Hays Code, the ultimate moral of the story is that crime doesn't pay. Each of the thieves receive punishment for their involvement in the robbery, either through conviction or death, as does the fraudulent detective (Barry Kelley) whose corruption is described as a "one in a hundred" case. Nevertheless, Huston succeeds in creating a certain amount of empathy towards the criminals, sympathetically presenting the audience with each man's reasonable motivations towards breaking the law. By recruiting our support, Huston invariably places the audience in the shoes of the criminals, suggesting, as the perfect scheme begins to unravel, that our own fates lie in the balance. This evocation of realism is certainly complemented by Harold Rosson's gritty, documentary-like cinematography, and the heist sequence itself – while falling well short of Jules Dassin's breathless 30-minute counterpart – is tense, intriguing and authentic. As Huston himself explains in a pre-film introduction on the DVD release, each of his characters is immoral, largely unlikable and driven by a debilitating vice; however, despite this, or perhaps because of it, we can't take our eyes off them.

"Doc" (played by Sam Jaffe), fresh out of prison, provides the plan for stealing some jewels. "Cobby" (played by Marc Lawrence), a bookie, and Alonzo Emmerich (played by Louis Calhern), a successful attorney, invest in the plan. With that financial backing, Doc hires his crew: safecracker Louis Ciavelli (played by Anthony Caruso), driver Gus (played by James Whitmore) and hooligan Dix Handley (played by Sterling Hayden). "The Asphalt Jungle", based on W.R. Burnett's book, helped set the mold for numerous imitations and variations on the heist theme.

This forerunner commendably doesn't waste time showing us how grand the burglary is, or how brilliant the masterminds and craftsmen behind it are--modesty I wish some copycats would have learned. This movie is best in the burglary sequence (I especially liked watching them slide under the detection of the sensory alarm) and the proceeding outcomes of the characters. Director John Huston and cinematographer Harold Rosson show added discernment by using noir style, for which they got Oscar nominations.

Jaffe's genial performance, as a German with a penchant for young girls, landed him an Oscar nod, too. The ensemble cast includes the nubile Marilyn Monroe in an early bit part. I liked the addition of contrasting cops: Ditrich who's on the take (played by Barry Kelley) and the harsh commissioner Hardy (played by John McIntire). I couldn't accept, however, Doll (played by Jean Hagen) as being just a neurotic hopelessly in love with Dix. The character should have been further developed, or removed, as she wasn't vital to the story (failure in adaptation, I suspect).

The performance, or character, that impinged the most was Calhern's morose turn; because there was no attempt to pass his character off as something he wasn't. This is where the movie falls to a common error of crime genre; for example, Hayden's character is made into a sort of honorable thug--more intelligent than the stereotype would suggest--as displayed in IMDb comments, some viewers still thought the character was a dolt. He's similar to Russell Crowe's character in "L.A. Confidential". Crowe pulled it off; nobody did here.

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE epitomizes Film Noir. It's dark, grim and it's not afraid to show us seedy, down-and-out characters who are nevertheless complex and deeply human. This film has men and women who inhabit the underworld, that 'city under the city'. Most of their needs are spelled out, and the backgrounds are painted in memorable detail.

We see little men like Cobby (the late Marc Lawrence in a sweaty, realistic performance) and Gus (James Whitmore); a woman with nothing but a romantic illusion to cling to (the great Jean Hagen as Doll); men whose lives have been crippled by crime and who persevere only through their own folly-laden dreams: Doc (who sets it all in motion, expertly played by Sam Jaffe) and Dix (Sterling Hayden). There is also family-man safe-cracker Louis Ciavelli (Anthony Caruso), whose motivations are understandable to us all and whose desperation is painful to watch at times. While Dix is often seen as the central protagonist in JUNGLE, he really shares that position with Alonzo Emmerich. Emmerich is a corrupt lawyer: a formerly wealthy, urbane man reduced to the same doomed schemes as his cohorts, men to whom he feels superior and whom he ultimately intends to double-cross. Emmerich is almost tragic in the Greek or Shakespearean mold: he has farther to fall than Dix and the rest, but he has already met the ground halfway as the film begins. He's broke, and no more debts can be called in to support the new scheme. Unlike the younger men, who could possibly take other paths, there is really nowhere for him to go but down. Emmerich's scenes--rendered immortal by Louis Calhern's performance, the greatest in the film--are the most interestingly complex. He pretends he is smarter than everyone else, but he knows that hubris has brought his life past the crisis point. He is painfully aware that neither the money from the stolen jewels, nor the foolish romantic escape with his mistress (Marilyn Monroe) will ever redeem him.

The robbery sequence, around which the film ostensibly revolves, is very brief and anti-climactic. This is surely Huston's intention: it's all over in a few minutes and nobody actually gets what they want. The stolen jewels are brought to Emmerich and a violent scene leads to a foil of the rich man's double-crossing scheme. In the end, everyone can see that this particular gleaming treasure--like the gold dust in TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE or the 'black bird' in THE MALTESE FALCON--is ultimately worthless: the jewels are too hot and no one dares fence them. So Doc ends up with most of them in his black bag. He begins pursuit of his dream of a tropical isle, surrounded with dancing girls and ends up in a roadside bar where he feeds nickels into a jukebox as a pretty teenager bops around for him. The waiting cops close in quickly, and all is over for Doc. Emmerich, too, is soon caught. The alibi plan with the mistress doesn't hold water. And the police make a direct connection to him and his dead henchman Brannom (Brad Dexter). Making short work of it, he goes into his private office and shoots himself in the head.

Other characters meet their ends behind bars (Cobby and Gus) or with ironic justice (corrupt detective Barry Kelley, who tries to play both sides), or in death (Ciavelli). At the close of the film, we are left with a mortally wounded Dix, driving toward his dreamed-of horse farm. At his side is the faithful Doll, who knows the jig is up. Dix has never given up his illusions, where the other characters probably never believed their own. He dies, with poetic rightness, in a field surrounded by curious horses, as poor Doll is left to her own devices. The film, which opened on a dim stretch of urban asphalt, closes on a sunny rural vision.

What makes THE ASPHALT JUNGLE a great Film Noir? The wide array of doomed characters and a persistent feeling of encroaching doom go a long way to take it in that direction. In this way, the film exemplifies the strong fatalism that is essential to Noir. Along the way, we hear some of the most intelligent, yet convincing dialog in all of Noir (by Huston and Ben Maddow) characters who sound real, who say what someone might actually say or be thinking.

This realism is enhanced by the look of the film, starkly, yet vividly shot in black-and-white by Harold Rosson. It's worth noting that Rosson uses some sophisticated camera techniques, such as deep focus and and the extreme foregrounding of a single character. If, while watching, the viewer imagines a B-movie version of this story, with conventional camera work and a lackluster cast and script, the greatness of THE ASPHALT JUNGLE becomes even more evident. The consummate technical work and artistry involved elevate the film far above any genre or pulp limitations.

Underlining the bleakness of Huston's vision right from the opening credits is the music score by Miklos Rozsa (who also scored CRISS CROSS) in a departure from from his scores for DOUBLE INDEMNITY and SPELLBOUND, Rozsa places his cues sparingly. The score only calls attention to itself under the main titles and during Dix's wild death ride. As for the robbery scene, Rozsa provides no music for it, and dialog is minimal. While it's far briefer, we can see this scene as the true precursor of the robbery scene in Jules Dassin's RIFIFI (1955), famed for its nearly complete silence.

But John Huston himself may deserve the lion's share of credit for this film. Taking the advice of an older director he had known (possibly Josef Von Sternberg?), he directs each scene as if it were the most important one in the film. This gives every scene its own sense of urgency and keeps a consistent tone, making the film one long, tragic descent into doom.

To gain a full appreciation of film noir, you'll have to see 'The Asphalt Jungle' at least once. The John Huston-directed thriller is considered an archetype of the hard-boiled crime genre and has been imitated several times, including as a western.

'The Asphalt Jungle' was made in the thick of Hollywood's Production Code, which placed firm limits on content. Considering the restrictions that Huston and co-writer Ben Maddow had to deal with, 'Jungle' is eye-catching in how it moves against the grain of crime films from its era. Huston and Maddow wrote a faithful adaptation of W.R. Burnett's bestselling novel that treats its criminals with an unusual sensitivity as they try to restore order in their confused lives.

'Jungle' centers on a gem heist plotted by 'Doc' Erwin Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe), an aging German crook who has been released from prison. Riedenschneider, who is itching to make one final score and ease into retirement, has spent his days in jail planning out a robbery that would net thousands of dollars for himself and his cohorts. In the film's unnamed city (allusions are made to Cincinnati), he gains help from Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden), a heavy who is wanted by police and lives with his friend Doll Conovan (Jean Hagen); Gus Minissi (James Whitmore), a hunchbacked restaurant owner who covers for Dix; and Louis Ciavelli (Anthony Caruso), a locksmith who has a knack for cracking safes.

Riedenschneider is a meticulous schemer who seems to have everything in place to become a rich man. But he and his colleagues reveal their fatal flaws as matters develop. Riedenschneider, for instance, will forget everything when he sees a good-looking woman and Dix is crazed by his family's loss of their Kentucky horse breeding farm. The story further intertwines with Alonzo Emmerich (Louis Calhern), a once-wealthy businessman who becomes an intermediary for selling off the gems. Marilyn Monroe gives an early career appearance as Angela Phinlay, Emmerich's lover who is cohabiting with his sick wife May (Dorothy Tree). John McIntire (as the police commissioner), Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley, Teresa Celli (as Louis's wife), and Brad Dexter fill supporting roles in a large cast.

Dix and Doll gradually become the focal characters of 'Jungle' as the Kentuckian tries to correct past mistakes and buy his family's farm that was lost years ago. At 6' 5", Sterling Hayden is a physically dominating man on screen yet softened by Dix's feelings of misgiving. Jean Hagen, who later cemented her reputation in 'Singin' in the Rain,' is perhaps the most effective and sympathetic character of all; as a true friend, she supports Dix every step of the way while her affection is mostly ignored.

Huston, as he so often achieved in fifty years of directing, gets strong performances from most of his cast. The leads, especially Hayden, Hagen, Jaffe, and Calhern, give sincere efforts and heighten the story's drama. Nearly two hours long, 'Jungle' moves at a steady pace, devoting the first 45 minutes to Doc's planning of the heist and the last hour to its aftermath. There are simply too many characters for them to be developed thoroughly, but Huston and Maddow succeed in giving them depth on screen. The film's ending is satisfying, if fairly predictable under Production Code restraints.

'Jungle,' with its progressive script and very good performances, was nominated for four Oscars, including Jaffe for best actor and Huston for best director. It's nowadays regarded as a classic in film circles, although there are detractors, including myself. While above average for its time, much of the dialogue is clichéd and many of the conventions are all too familiar for its era. What gives 'Jungle' added life is its take on the criminal psyche, which was usually a subject of malign in Hollywood. Huston and Maddow succeed in making the felons sympathetic by relating to their inner conflicts.

'The Asphalt Jungle' has received an acceptable DVD release as part of a five-disc, boxed set from Warner Bros. and Turner Entertainment. 'Film Noir Classic Collection,' which includes 'Murder, My Sweet' and 'Gun Crazy,' offers 'Jungle' with a short introductory clip of Huston; a commentary track with film scholar Dr. Drew Casper and excerpts of an interview with James Whitmore; and the theatrical trailer. French dubbing is included with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

'Jungle' is well-presented visually and soundwise. The transfer keeps a sharp contrast between light and dark shades, which helps to preserve the look that is so important in noir films. Sound is fully balanced with clear dialogue and distinct sound effects.

Drew Casper, who holds the Hitchcock film chair at USC, gives a commentary that is informative but top-heavy on facts we'd get from an encyclopedia or a Google search. Casper devotes much time to discussing Huston, MGM (particularly Louis B. Mayer's fall from grace), and film noir as a style, which is helpful but overlooks what is happening on screen. He also tends to get wound up on certain elements of the film that I, at least, don't find quite as impressive. The disc jacket plugs his commentary 'with co-star James Whitmore,' but the track only excerpts an older interview of Whitmore at appropriate points.

Though not a perfect film and its disc presentation could've been a little more rounded, the Warner/Turner release of 'Jungle' is certainly worth hunting down. Self-proclaimed 'experts' of film noir shouldn't be caught dead without having seen it and the film is likely to entertain anyone with an interest in crime.

*** out of 4

Roving Reviewer - www.rovingreviewer.blogspot.com