The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

A major heist goes off as planned, but then double crosses, bad luck and solid police work cause everything to unravel.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Ben Maddow (screen play), John Huston (screen play)

Stars:

Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

When the intelligent criminal Erwin "Doc" Riedenschneider is released from prison, he seeks a fifty thousand-dollar investment from the bookmaker Cobby to recruit a small gang of specialists for a million-dollar heist of jewels from a jewelry. Doc is introduced to the lawyer Alonzo D. Emmerich who offers to finance the whole operation and buy the gems immediately after the burglary. Doc hires the safe cracker Louis Ciavelli, the driver Gus Minissi, and the gunman Dix Handley to the heist. His plan works perfectly but bad luck and betrayals compromise the steps after the heist and the gangsters need to flee from the police.

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Plot Keywords:

jewel heist | financial problem | criminal mastermind | mortal wound | corrupt lawyer | 

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Taglines:

The City Under The City!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

A publicity photo for the film showed Dix between Doll and Angela, who desperately tries to get him to turn away from Doll. Angela and Dix never meet in the film.

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Goofs

When Mr. Ciavelli was inside of a long narrow tunnel, he chisels through the thin brick wall of the tunnel and goes inside of a room; along that same wall is a door leading upstairs. On the other side of the wall, there was no evidence of a door.

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Quotes

Gus Minissi: You dirty fink! You're gonna wind up where you belong! You're gonna wind up in the morgue! You wait and see, you dirty fink! Home of the pigeons! Fink! Fink!

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Featured in Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend (1987)

User Reviews

One of a kind !!

I guess the great John Huston knew what he was doing when making this film. Get the right cast and so he did.! The timeless touches in this film make it so watchable so often that we forget that a studio like MGM rarley made a gutty film like this.

Every character in the " Asphalt Jungle" has his/her moments! When Angela Phinley says to Emerich( Calhern) what will happen and Emerich responds the appropriate " you'll have lots of vacation".

Marc Lawrence as cobby has never been better since his part as Ziggy in "Key Largo" Jean Hagen shows some real ability and we wonder why she was used in future films to a lessor effect.Hayden, as Dix Hanley has a warped credo for a man on the edge.Sam Jaffe steals the show as doc..smart enough in most items save for your girls dancing in bars.

Even the supporting cast shines under Huston, Mcintre and the police chief , Brad Dexter as the crooked investigator, Barry Kelly as the corrupt cop with James Whitmore playing a man whose body is warped but whose soul is still intact.

Thanks goodness there is no music( film score) during the jewel heist. This fact alone lets us know this is a real film..unlike the ones being released today.

Mikos Rosza's score is emotional for sure..and the final in a Kentucky field is very poetic a la Huston

Perfection...

C Pope

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

15 June 1950 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The Asphalt Jungle

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,232,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,868

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1