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The Asphalt Jungle (1950) 7.9
A major heist goes off as planned, until bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel. Director:John Huston |
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Title: The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Sterling Hayden | ... | ||
| Louis Calhern | ... | ||
| Jean Hagen | ... |
Doll Conovan
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| James Whitmore | ... | ||
| Sam Jaffe | ... | ||
| John McIntire | ... |
Police Commissioner Hardy
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| Marc Lawrence | ... |
Cobby
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Barry Kelley | ... |
Lt. Ditrich
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| Anthony Caruso | ... |
Louis Ciavelli
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Teresa Celli | ... |
Maria Ciavelli
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| Marilyn Monroe | ... |
Angela Phinlay
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William 'Wee Willie' Davis | ... |
Timmons
(as William Davis)
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Dorothy Tree | ... |
May Emmerich
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| Brad Dexter | ... |
Bob Brannom
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John Maxwell | ... |
Dr. Swanson
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
'Doc' Riedenschneider, legendary crime 'brain' just out of prison, has a brilliant plan for a million-dollar burglary. To pull it off, he recruits safecracker Louis, driver Gus, financial backer Emmerich, and strong-arm man Dix Handley. At first the plan goes like clockwork, but little accidents accumulate and each partner proves to have his own fatal weakness. In the background is a pervasive, grimy urban malaise. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Taglines:
The City Under the CityParents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
23 May 1950 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Asphalt Jungle (The City Under the City) See more »Filming Locations:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Alonzo D. Emmerich: Oh, there's nothing so different about them. After all, crime is only... a left-handed form of human endeavor.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Both director John Huston and star Sterling Hayden were members of the Committee for the First Amendment, which stood against the blacklisting of alleged Communists working in the film industry during the Red Scare. Huston had never been a Communist, although Hayden at one point had been. See more »Goofs
When Doll was helping the wounded Dix into the doctor's office, the shadow of the camera is seen at it runs across her back. See more »Quotes
May Emmerich: Oh Lon, when I think of all those awful people you come in contact with - downright criminals - I get scared.Alonzo D. Emmerich: Oh, there's nothing so different about them. After all, crime is only... a left-handed form of human endeavor.
See more »
I suppose the only reason why this movie can be purchased on video (not on DVD though, it seems) is the fact that Marilyn Monroe plays a part in it. If I am right, this shows how much the movie industry has to rely on big names. Sometimes this is a real shame. No movie proves this better than Asphalt Jungle.
This caper movie is one of my all time favorites and frankly the best of its genre. Its brilliance lies for me in the fact that no big name of the Hollywood acting community was involved – Monroe was small fries then. Instead John Huston worked with a cast of reliable, mostly very experienced character actors many people will know as "supports" from numerous other movies of the period. And many of those actors probably gave here the best performances of their lives. Everybody is cast dead right, this is what is so magnificent about Asphalt Jungle. The balance is perfect, the chemistry works all ways. Maybe just one miscast actor or actress would have spoiled the whole atmosphere. No one is overacting at any time, and there are many, many very moving moments as one can observe these characters struggling on the sidelines of urban society.
One is always tempted to name an actress or an actor whose performance one liked best in a movie. Here, I could not do it – I liked them all. Yet I want to mention one actor: Louis Calhern. Seldom has a sudden change of mood and countenance in a character had such an impact on me as a viewer.