The Enforcer (1951)

A crusading district attorney finally gets a chance to prosecute the organizer and boss of Murder Inc.

Director:

Bretaigne Windust

Writer:

Martin Rackin

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Zero Mostel, Ted de Corsia

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Dist. Atty. Martin Ferguson
Zero Mostel	...	Big Babe Lazick
Ted de Corsia	...	Joseph Rico (as Ted De Corsia)
Everett Sloane	...	Albert Mendoza
Roy Roberts	...	Capt. Frank Nelson
Michael Tolan	...	James (Duke) Malloy (as Lawrence Tolan)
King Donovan	...	Sgt. Whitlow
Bob Steele	...	Herman (as Robert Steele)
Adelaide Klein	...	Olga Kirshen
Don Beddoe	...	Thomas O'Hara
Tito Vuolo	...	Tony Vetto
John Kellogg	...	Vince
Jack Lambert	...	Philadelphia Tom Zaca

Storyline

After years of pursuit, Assistant D.A. Martin Ferguson has a good case against Murder, Inc. boss Albert Mendoza. Mendoza is in jail and his lieutenant Joseph Rico is going to testify. But Rico falls to his death and Ferguson must work through the night going over everything to build the case anew.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | murder inc. | attorney | district attorney | death | 

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Taglines:

HUMPHREY BOGART As The Double-Fisted District Attorney Who Matched Bullet For Bullet With A Nationwide Network Of Killers-For-Hire! (One-sheet poster)

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Genres:

Drama | Crime | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Tiger

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, United States Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 85 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After several days of filming, director Bretaigne Windust fell seriously ill and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Humphrey Bogart asked his old friend, director Raoul Walsh, to come in and shoot the picture until Windust recovered. Unfortunately, Windust was more seriously ill than most realized, and his recovery took several months, during which Walsh finished the film. However, Walsh refused to take screen credit for it, saying that the picture was Windust's big break and he wasn't going to take it away from him.

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Goofs

When Rico gets in his car at the hideout on his way to fulfill a "contract" in the city, a crew member is visible in the reflection of the window of the car door as it is closed.

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Quotes

[Rico is convinced that Mendoza has escaped from prison, so Ferguson takes him down to Mendoza's cell]
Joseph Rico: [after looking in] He's smiling at me...
[looks in again]
Joseph Rico: Mendoza! Call them off! I'm not going into court! I swear I won't! Tell 'em! I'm not squealing! Please, tell 'em I'm not...
D.A. Martin Ferguson: Rico! You're gonna talk! Do you hear me? You're gonna talk! You're not blowing up this case! It took four years to put him in that cell and when he walks out he's going to the chair. So you gonna talk, it's the only ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in I Confess (1953)

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Soundtracks

"Kiss Me Sweet"
Written by Milton Drake
Played over the sidewalk loudspeakers

User Reviews

Great Start, But Disappointing After That

This starts off powerfully, with a very interesting scene and some excellent film- noir photography, but after the witness dies, so does the movie in many respects.

From that point on, it's just a bunch of flashbacks. When the "live" scenes reappear, they are not always easy to discern what's going on. The film also becomes too talky too often.

However, the characters are tough and generally interesting, with some good acting. Film-noir-wise, despite the presence of superstar Humphrey Bogart along with guys like Zero Mostel, Everett Sloane and Ted de Corsia, it's average fare for the day. it could - and should - have been better.