The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Ben Maddow (screenplay) and
John Huston (screenplay) ...
(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 Gone Wrong | Aftermath | Female Criminal | Caper | Jewelry Heist

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 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:
Ray Bennett	...	Detective in Hardy's office (uncredited)
Benny Burt	...	Taxi driver (uncredited)
Frank Cady	...	Night clerk (uncredited)
Jean Carter	...	Woman (uncredited)
David Clarke	...	Mr. Atkinson, railroad man (uncredited)
John Cliff	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Henry Corden	...	Karl Anton Smith (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	...	Red, boy in diner (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Gene Evans	...	Policeman at Ciavalli'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)
George Lynn	...	Detective at Ciavelli's apartment (uncredited)
Fred Marlow	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Strother Martin	...	William Doldy, second man in lineup (uncredited)
Patricia Miller	...	Girl (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Eddie Donato, grocer (uncredited)
Kerry O'Day	...	Girl (uncredited)
Raymond Roe	...	Tallboy (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	Frank Schurz, taxi driver (uncredited)
Tim Ryan	...	Jack, police clerk (uncredited)
James Seay	...	Officer Janocek (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Joseph Darr Smith	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Helene Stanley	...	Jeannie, girl in diner (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Leah Wakefield	...	Girl (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		(screenplay) and
John Huston		(screenplay)
W.R. Burnett		(novel)

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 designer
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
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)

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

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

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Martin	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Andrew J. McIntyre	....	assistant camera (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) (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

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

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:

Canada:PG (video rating) | Hungary:14 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1950) | USA:Approved (PCA #14357) | West Germany:16 | UK:PG (re-rating) (1992) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Debut of Strother Martin.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The safe the gang robs has an electronic-eye-alarm along the wall which must be avoided or else the alarm would sound off. Everyone avoids this alarm in the scene except for Dix, who is clearly standing in its way when the gang converses whether they should stay to finish the job or leave prematurely.

Quotes:

Dix Handley: Don't bone me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Who Do You Think You're Fooling? (1994)

Film is so gritty, you need to wipe your TV clean after viewing

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is a sometimes unsung triumph of director/writer John Huston. Sterling Hayden plays a down and out hoodlum who pairs up with cheesecake obcessed master thief Sam Jaffee. The seedy urbane characters that populate their world keep you glued to the screen. Marilyn Monroe is perfect as the spoiled mistress of crooked lawyer Louis Calhern. James Whitmore deserved an Oscar for his role as Gus, the diner owner with a fondness for kittens and crime. Has a great look, will make you pine for more black and white.