Tagarchief: John Huston

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘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.

High Sierra (1941)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


´The blazing mountain manhunt for Killer Mad-Dog Earle!´

Directed by:
Raoul Walsh

Written by:
W.R. Burnett (screenplay and novel)
John Huston (screenplay)

Cast:
Ida Lupino (Marie Garson), Humphrey Bogart (Roy Earle), Alan Curtis (Babe Kozak), Arthur Kennedy (Red Hattery), Joan Leslie (Velma), Henry Hull (‘Doc’ Banton), Henry Travers (Pa), Jerome Cowan (Healy), Minna Gombell (Mrs. Baughmam), Barton MacLane (Jake Kranmer)

The famous bank robber Roy Earle (Humphrey Bogart), who was supposed to be in jail for life, is pardoned. He immediately joins a group of desperados who plan to rob a hotel. Along the way, he meets two women who will both play an important role in Earle’s remaining time on earth.

1941 was the year Bogart made his breakthrough as a Hollywood legend. It was the last time he got second billing. In the same year, he made The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston, who also wrote the screenplay for High Sierra. Both are early film noirs. High Sierra is based on a novel by W.R. Burnett, who also wrote the gangster films Little Caesar and Scarface.

Raoul Walsh directed another classic about the era of gangsters three years earlier: The Roaring Twenties. It was an influential genre picture. With High Sierra, he achieves the same. It has speed, excitement, and, in Bogart, a great leading man. The camerawork is also very advanced.

The ending at Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the USA, is a classic gangster moment. Walsh would direct his ultimate gangster film in 1949: White Heat.

Rating:

Quote:
DR. PARKER: “Remember what Johnny Dillinger said about guys like you and him? He said you were just rushing towards death.”

Trivia:
Bogart’s part was originally intended for Paul Muni (the original Scarface in 1932), who turned it down because he didn’t like the script.

Prizzi’s Honor (1985)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘Hired killers by day. Devoted lovers by night. Until they found their next assignment was each other.’

Directed by:
John Huston

Written by:
Richard Condon (also novel)
Janet Roach (screenplay)

Cast
Jack Nicholson (Charley Partanna), Kathleen Turner (Irene Walker), Robert Loggia (Eduardo Prizzi), John Randolph (Angelo ‘Pop’ Partanna), William Hickey (Don Corrado Prizzi), Lee Richardson (Dominic Prizzi), Anjelica Huston (Maerose Prizzi), Michael Lombard (Filargi ‘Finlay’), George Santopietro (Plumber), Lawrence Tierney (Lt. Hanley)

Don Corrado Prizzi is the old but powerful boss of Chicago’s biggest mob family. Charley Partanna (Jack Nicholson) is one of his most trusted soldiers. During the wedding of the Don’s granddaughter, Charley is struck by the only non-Italian woman at the party.

After the wedding, Charley tracks her down. Her name is Irene, and they hit it off immediately. It isn’t long before they marry. Only after a while does Charley discover that Irene is not who she claims to be. Meanwhile, certain members of the Prizzi family have agendas of their own. A complex web of intrigue begins to unfold, and Charley is forced to choose between Irene and the family he swore to protect.

This late film by John Huston is not nearly as effective as his earlier crime work. Its biggest problem is that it never commits to a main genre: it lacks the joke density of a comedy, the tension of a thriller, and the atmosphere of a mob film. The slightly bizarre and somewhat confusing story remains entertaining, but one has to wonder what the point of it all is.
Is this a film about family, loyalty, blood, and betrayal? If so, it must be said that it never quite finds the right tone, except during its excellent opening minutes.

Luckily, there is Jack Nicholson, who once again shows what a magnificent actor he is. Playing an Italian wiseguy may not be his specialty, but he certainly knows how to pull it off. The supporting cast delivers strong performances as well, which ultimately saves the film from failure. Huston has done much better, but it’s still worth checking out.

Rating:

Quote:
DON PRIZZI: “This drip of blood symbolises your birth into our family. We are one until death. We protect you, so that you protect the Prizzi honor. You swear it?”
CHARLEY: “Yeah.”

Trivia:
Anjelica Huston (Maerose Prizzi) is the daughter of director John Huston.