"The Asphalt Jungle" is a classic "film noire" caper movie directed by the legendary John Houston. Except for the opening and closing scenes, the story takes place entirely at night.
As in most films of this genre, there are no heroes or villains, only a collection of tragic losers who are trying to better themselves through one last big caper.
Doc Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe) has just been released from prison. He has plans for a major jewel heist but needs financial backing and a crew to assist him. He goes to a small time bookie named Cobby (Marc Lawrence) who in turn puts him in touch with money man Emmerich (Louis Calhern). Doc assembles his crew, Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden) a small time thug, a driver Gus (James Whitmore) and explosives man Louis Ciavelli (Anthony Carouso). But it seems that Emmerlich is broke what with his high living and young mistress Angela (Marily Monroe). So Cobb is convinced to back the job.
Along the way we meet Doll Conovan (Jean Hagen) who carries a torch for Dix who doesn't really care. There's the corrupt cop Lt. Ditrich (Barry Kelley) and an unscrupulous private eye Bob Brannon (Brad Dexter) trying to get in on the action. While the caper seems to be going along nicely, several chance events occur which change the whole outlook of the event.
Even though filming at the prestigious M-G-M, Huston wisely cast his film with largely (at the time) relative unknowns. Hayden is excellent as the doomed anti-hero Dix and Hagen superb as the tragic Doll. But it is veteran Sam Jaffe as the cultured, German-accented and very cool Doc who steals the picture. Marilyn Monroe on the verge of stardom (Why didn't M-G-M sign her?), is very good as the "femme fatale" of the piece.
Also in the excellent cast are John McIntyre as the Police Commissioner, Don Haggerty and James Seay as a couple of detectives and Ray Teal as the policeman who causes grief for two of the escaping thieves. Watch for Strother Martin and Frank Cady (of TV's "Petticoat Junction")in the line-up sequence at the beginning.
Huston made only one more film for M-G-M, "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951) which he blamed the studio for butchering. Nevertheless, he left us with another classic in "The Asphalt Jungle.
