Force of Evil (1948)

An unethical lawyer, with an older brother he wants to help, becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.

Director:

Abraham Polonsky

Writers:

Abraham Polonsky (screenplay), Ira Wolfert (screenplay),

Stars:

John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, Marie Windsor

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Garfield	...	Joe Morse
Thomas Gomez	...	Leo Morse
Marie Windsor	...	Edna Tucker
Howland Chamberlain	...	Freddie Bauer (as Howland Chamberlin)
Roy Roberts	...	Ben Tucker
Paul Fix	...	Bill Ficco
Stanley Prager	...	Wally
Barry Kelley	...	Det. Egan
Paul McVey	...	Hobe Wheelock
Beatrice Pearson	...	Doris Lowry

Storyline

Lawyer Joe Morse wants to consolidate all the small-time numbers racket operators into one big powerful operation. But his elder brother Leo is one of these small-time operators who wants to stay that way, preferring not to deal with the gangsters who dominate the big-time.

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Plot Keywords:

lawyer | numbers racket | gangster | heart trouble | secretary | 

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tucker's People

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enterprise Productions, Roberts Pictures Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1994.

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Goofs

During a climactic montage set at an East Coast racetrack on the Fourth of July, people in the stock footage crowd scenes are dressed in winter garments nobody would wear in the middle of summer.

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Quotes

Leo Morse: I am sensible. I am calm. I'll give you my answer calmly and sensibly, my final answer. My final answer is finally no. The answer is no! Absolutely and finally no! Finally and positively no! No! No! No! N - O!

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Connections

Featured in The Rules of Film Noir (2009)

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Soundtracks

"String Quartet opus 131, no. 14: Ist Movement"
(uncredited)
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

beyond film noir...a classic and pessimistic view of humannature

Superficially, "Force of Evil" can be considered a film noir and gangster movie. But it is so much deeper than that. The very bleak message I got from the film is that even decent people must submit to corruption to survive.

The character of Leo, superbly played by Thomas Gomez, is inherently honest and noble but he must live and work in the naturally shady numbers racket. He knows that he will be eventually crushed. This knowledge makes Leo one of the most bitter and tragic characters in film...a decent man whose life is dominated by futility.

The protagonist of the film, portrayed by John Garfield, is Leo's brother. He has ridden his job as a sleazy mob lawyer to a life of fame and ease. He has everything Leo doesn't. Yet despite his blustery banter, he,too,is uneasy with his position. He knows Leo is headed for disaster and pulls all the strings he can to protect him, even though Leo reacts to him with contempt. Their relationship is doomed by the corrupt methods both use to survive. Garfield's character finds redemption of a sort by the film's end but not before inevitable tragedy has struck.

There are many more levels to this complex film and discussion of them all could fill many pages. Above all, it is a beautiful movie,expertly directed with tremendous black and white imagery. The dialogue combines snappy patter with almost poetic sensibility. And the performances of all concerned are top notch. This is truly a treasure of cinematic art. Be prepared to think deeply when you watch it