‘The City Under the City’

Directed by:
John Huston

Written by:
W.R. Burnett (novel)
Ben Maddow (screenplay)

Cast:
Sterling Hayden (Dix Handley), Sam Jaffe (Doc Riedenschneider), Louis Calhern (Alonzo Lon’ Emmerich), Jean Hagen (Doll Conovan), Marc Lawrence (Cobby), James Whitmore (Gus Minissi), John McIntire (Police Commisioner Hardy), Barry Kelley (Lt. Ditrich), Anthony Caruso (Louis Ciavelli), Marilyn Monroe (Angela Phinlay)

John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle (1950) opens with haunting images of a bleak, grey city; a deserted street where a police car prowls for a hold-up man. The scene sets the tone: a decaying urban jungle, teeming with hooligans, corrupt cops, racketeers, and desperate hustlers. It’s a world now lost to time, but one Huston brings to life with unflinching realism.

At the center of the story is master criminal Doc Riedenschneider, freshly released from prison and eager to orchestrate one last major heist. He enlists the help of Emmerich, a crooked lawyer with deep pockets, and together they assemble a crew. Among them is Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden), a former farmer turned criminal and a man of brute strength, sharp wit, and an unexpected sense of honor.

Huston delves into the greed driving these men, each chasing the promise of a life-changing score. Their dreams of what comes after the heist echo themes Huston explored in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. But as a classic Film Noir, fate turns against them when Emmerich betrays his accomplices, absconding with the loot. The tragedy unfolds from there, compounded by the relentless pursuit of the police, who are just as hungry for their own ‘big score’. Huston underscores this irony early on, as cops raid a gambling den, knowing full well it’s a drop in the bucket of the city’s corruption.

The Asphalt Jungle is a gripping crime film, marked by Huston’s signature direction and standout performances. Hayden is particularly compelling as Dix, a man who is both intimidating in his criminal resolve and tender in his moments with Doll, his devoted girlfriend. The heist itself is a masterclass in tension, and the film’s denouement is tragic yet refreshingly free of heavy-handed moralizing. And for a fleeting moment, a young Marilyn Monroe graces the screen, radiant as ever in a small but memorable role.

A timeless noir, The Asphalt Jungle remains a stark, unforgettable portrait of ambition, betrayal, and the crushing weight of fate.

Rating:

Quote:

EMMERICH: After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavour.

Trivia:

The third Film Noir effort from director Huston after The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Key Largo (1948). This is the first one without Humphrey Bogart.