The Phenix City Story

19551955
ApprovedApproved
1h 40min

Meg Myles in The Phenix City Story (1955)

Crime Drama Film-Noir

A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.

Director
- Phil Karlson(directed by)
Writers
- Crane Wilbur
- Daniel Mainwaring(as Dan Mainwaring)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See production, box office & company info

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination

Edward Andrews and John Larch in The Phenix City Story (1955)

John McIntire in The Phenix City Story (1955)

Meg Myles in The Phenix City Story (1955)

The Phenix City Story (1955)

Meg Myles in The Phenix City Story (1955)

The Phenix City Story (1955)

Kathryn Grant and Richard Kiley in The Phenix City Story (1955)

Richard Kiley in The Phenix City Story (1955)

John McIntire and Meg Myles in The Phenix City Story (1955)

Meg Myles in The Phenix City Story (1955)

The Phenix City Story (1955)

Meg Myles in The Phenix City Story (1955)

Director
- Phil Karlson(directed by)
Writers
- Crane Wilbur
- Daniel Mainwaring(as Dan Mainwaring)
All cast & crew

See production, box office, & company info

Dial 1119

6.7

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7.4

99 River Street

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7.3

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7.3

Murder by Contract

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6.9

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6.6

Hill 24 Doesn't Answer

5.9

Hill 24 Doesn't Answer

Framed

6.4

Deadline at Dawn

6.8

Deadline at Dawn

Kansas City Confidential

7.4

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The Mob

7.0

Force of Evil

7.3

In this semidocumentary, an Alabama town is run by a crime syndicate that's grown fat on prostitution and crooked gambling, directed at soldiers from Fort Benning across the river. Lawyer John Patterson, back from the army, is triggered by what he sees to join the reformers with a plan: to run his father Albert for state attorney general. The syndicate responds with escalating violence: is no one safe? Credits preceded by a "newscast" containing spoilers. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

southern gothic 1950s national film registry lawyer gambling 36 more

Taglines
- ALABAMA'S CITY OF SIN AND SHAME! (original print ad - all caps)
Genres
Certificate
- Approved
Parents guide

Trivia
In the film, John Patterson (Richard Kiley) is depicted as supportive of African-American Zeke Ward (James Edwards) and his family. In real life, following his term as Alabama attorney general (1954-58), Patterson ran for governor in 1958 in an openly racist campaign and won. One of his opponents, George Wallace, had run as a racial moderate and told his friends after the election, "John Patterson out-niggered me, and I'm never gonna be out-niggered again." Four years later, in 1962, Wallace won the governorship of Alabama as an avowed segregationist.

Goofs
When the body of Zeke Ward's little girl is thrown onto the Pattersons' lawn from the passing car, it is obviously a doll.

Quotes
Albert L. Patterson: Rhett, I'm not stickin' my neck out. Why should I? Phenix City has been what it is for 80, 90 years. Who am I to try to reform it?

Alternate versions
The initial release version ran 87 minutes, but soon after, a gratuitous 13-minute "newsreel" preface was added and an epilogue, read by Richard Kiley. The real John Patterson used this film as campaign too when he ran for Governor of Alabama (beating the young George Wallace). Patterson filmed the same epilogue as Kiley, and Patterson's version was used when the film played in Alabama.

Connections
Featured in Century of Cinema: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

Soundtracks
Phenix City Blues
Music and Lyrics by Harold Spina
Sung by Meg Myles

Top review

Mandatory Viewing

Whether your a fan of Noir or not, The Phenix City Story remains superior filmaking on all levels regardless of it's budget and lack of special effects. While some may laugh at substituting a doll briefly for a dead child; it's follow up scene continues to have as much shocking impact today as it did upon it's release. To say this is textbook noir filmaking is too small as by all standards The Phenix City Story is the barometer by which crime, realism, fistfights and expose cinema is measured up to.

helpful•33

6

scopitone
Mar 6, 2003

Release date
- July 19, 1955 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Eine Stadt geht durch die Hölle
Filming locations
- Phenix City, Alabama, USA
Production company
- Bischoff-Diamond Corporation
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 40min
Color
- Black and White
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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