The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Ben Maddow (screen play) and
John Huston (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 May 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

The City Under the City

Plot:

A major heist goes off as planned, until bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel.

Plot Keywords:

Heist | Plan | Caper | Lawyer | Bookie

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Sterling Hayden	...	Dix Handley
Louis Calhern	...	Alonzo D. Emmerich
Jean Hagen	...	Doll Conovan
James Whitmore	...	Gus Minissi
Sam Jaffe	...	Doc Erwin Riedenschneider
John McIntire	...	Police Commissioner Hardy
Marc Lawrence	...	Cobby
Barry Kelley	...	Lt. Ditrich
Anthony Caruso	...	Louis Ciavelli
Teresa Celli	...	Maria Ciavelli
Marilyn Monroe	...	Angela Phinlay
William 'Wee Willie' Davis	...	Timmons (as William Davis)
Dorothy Tree	...	May Emmerich
Brad Dexter	...	Bob Brannom
John Maxwell	...	Dr. Swanson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary Anderson	...	Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Ray Bennett	...	Detective in Hardy's Office (uncredited)
David Bond	...	Father Sortine (uncredited)
Benny Burt	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Harry G. Butcher	...	Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Frank Cady	...	Night Clerk (uncredited)
Jean Carter	...	Woman (uncredited)
Mack Chandler	...	Gambler (uncredited)
David Clarke	...	Mr. Atkinson - Railroad Man (uncredited)
John Cliff	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Harry Cody	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Henry Corden	...	Karl Anton Smith (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	...	Red - Boy in Diner (uncredited)
John Crawford	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Gene Evans	...	Policeman at Ciavelli's Apartment (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Alex Gerry	...	Maxwell (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Bill - Cop (uncredited)
Don Haggerty	...	Det. Andrews (uncredited)
Eloise Hardt	...	Vivian (uncredited)
Thomas Browne Henry	...	James X. Connery (uncredited)
Wesley Hopper	...	Policeman (uncredited)
George Lynn	...	Detective at Ciavelli's Apartment (uncredited)
Ethel Lyons	...	Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Fred Marlow	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Strother Martin	...	William Doldy (uncredited)
Patricia Miller	...	Girl (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Counterman (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Eddie Donato (uncredited)
Kerry O'Day	...	Girl (uncredited)
Raymond Roe	...	Tallboy (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	Frank Schurz (uncredited)
Tim Ryan	...	Jack - Police Clerk (uncredited)
James Seay	...	Officer Janocek (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Gambler (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith	...	Gambler (uncredited)
J.J. Smith	...	Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Joseph Darr Smith	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Helene Stanley	...	Jeannie - Girl in Diner (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Leah Wakefield	...	Girl (uncredited)
Harlan Warde	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jack Warden	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
William Washington	...	Suspect (uncredited)
Constance Weiler	...	Woman (uncredited)
Judith Wood	...	Woman (uncredited)
Victor Wood	...	Evans (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Man (uncredited)
Jeff York	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Ben Maddow		(screen play) and
John Huston		(screen play)
W.R. Burnett		(from a novel by)

Produced by
Arthur Hornblow Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
Randall Duell
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup creator
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles designer
Lou LaCava	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Elaine Ramsey	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lee Katz	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Greenwood	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Frank E. Myers	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack D. Moore	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Robert B. Lee	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Isbell	....	grip (uncredited)
P.R. Keeler	....	gaffer (uncredited)
S.C. Manatt	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Martin	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Andrew J. McIntyre	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
John Banse	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Leslie H. Martinson	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (made in Hollywood, U.S.A. by)
• Loew's (produced by) (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Silver Screen (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"The Asphalt Jungle (The City Under the City)" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1950) | USA:Approved (PCA #14357) | West Germany:16 (nf) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1992) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Georgia Holt, mother of Cher, tested for the role of Angela Phinlay.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Dix and Doll arrive at the Hickory Wood Farm in their car, you can see the reflection of some of the crew members on the passenger side door.

Quotes:

Dr. Swanson:Well he won't get very far, that's for sure. He hasn't got enough blood left in him to keep a chicken alive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Smash: Pilot (#1.1)" (2012)

One Of The All-Time Best Noirs

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.