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CrimeDrama

The Asphalt Jungle

- The City Under the City

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

Release Date : 1950-05-12

Language :GermanEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Sterling Hayden

Character Name : Dix Handley

Original Name : Sterling Hayden

Gender : Male

Louis Calhern

Character Name : Alonzo D. Emmerich

Original Name : Louis Calhern

Gender : Male

Sam Jaffe

Character Name : Doc Erwin Riedenschneider

Original Name : Sam Jaffe

Gender : Male

Jean Hagen

Character Name : Doll Conovan

Original Name : Jean Hagen

Gender : Female

James Whitmore

Character Name : Gus Minissi

Original Name : James Whitmore

Gender : Male

John McIntire

Character Name : Police Commissioner Hardy

Original Name : John McIntire

Gender : Male

Marc Lawrence

Character Name : Cobby

Original Name : Marc Lawrence

Gender : Male

Barry Kelley

Character Name : Lt. Ditrich

Original Name : Barry Kelley

Gender : Male

Anthony Caruso

Character Name : Louis Ciavelli

Original Name : Anthony Caruso

Gender : Male

Marilyn Monroe

Character Name : Angela Phinlay

Original Name : Marilyn Monroe

Gender : Female

Teresa Celli

Character Name : Maria Ciavelli

Original Name : Teresa Celli

Gender : Female

William 'Wee Willie' Davis

Character Name : Timmons

Original Name : William 'Wee Willie' Davis

Gender : Male

Dorothy Tree

Character Name : May Emmerich

Original Name : Dorothy Tree

Gender : Female

Brad Dexter

Character Name : Bob Brannom

Original Name : Brad Dexter

Gender : Male

John Maxwell

Character Name : Dr. Swanson

Original Name : John Maxwell

Gender : Male

Mary Anderson

Character Name : Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Anderson

Gender : Female

Ray Bennett

Character Name : Detective in Hardy's Office (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Bennett

Gender : Male

David Bond

Character Name : Father Sortine (uncredited)

Original Name : David Bond

Gender : Male

Chet Brandenburg

Character Name : Man at Line-Up (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Benny Burt

Character Name : Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Benny Burt

Gender : Male

Frank Cady

Character Name : Night Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Cady

Gender : Male

Jean Carter

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jean Carter

Gender : Male

Mack Chandler

Character Name : Gambler (uncredited)

Original Name : Mack Chandler

Gender : Male

David Clarke

Character Name : Mr. Atkinson (Railroad Man) (uncredited)

Original Name : David Clarke

Gender : Male

John Cliff

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : John Cliff

Gender : Male

Harry Cody

Character Name : Gambler (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Cody

Gender : Male

Gene Coogan

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Gene Coogan

Gender : Male

Henry Corden

Character Name : Karl Anton Smith (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Corden

Gender : Male

Chuck Courtney

Character Name : Red (Boy in Diner) (uncredited)

Original Name : Chuck Courtney

Gender : Male

John Crawford

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : John Crawford

Gender : Male

Ralph Dunn

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Dunn

Gender : Male

Gene Evans

Character Name : Policeman at Ciavelli's Apartment (uncredited)

Original Name : Gene Evans

Gender : Male

Pat Flaherty

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat Flaherty

Gender : Male

Alex Gerry

Character Name : Maxwell (uncredited)

Original Name : Alex Gerry

Gender : Male

Sol Gorss

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Sol Gorss

Gender : Male

Fred Graham

Character Name : Truck Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Graham

Gender : Male

Don Haggerty

Character Name : Det. Andrews (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Haggerty

Gender : Male

Eloise Hardt

Character Name : Vivian (uncredited)

Original Name : Eloise Hardt

Gender : Female

Thomas Browne Henry

Character Name : James X. Connery (uncredited)

Original Name : Thomas Browne Henry

Gender : Male

Wesley Hopper

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Wesley Hopper

Gender : Male

George Lynn

Character Name : Detective at Ciavelli's Apartment (uncredited)

Original Name : George Lynn

Gender : Male

Fred Marlow

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Marlow

Gender : Male

Strother Martin

Character Name : William Doldy (uncredited)

Original Name : Strother Martin

Gender : Male

Patricia Miller

Character Name : Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Patricia Miller

Gender : Male

Howard M. Mitchell

Character Name : Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Howard M. Mitchell

Gender : Male

Ralph Montgomery

Character Name : Counterman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Montgomery

Gender : Male

Alberto Morin

Character Name : Eddie Donato (uncredited)

Original Name : Alberto Morin

Gender : Male

Kerry O'Day

Character Name : Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Kerry O'Day

Gender : Male

Raymond Roe

Character Name : Tallboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Raymond Roe

Gender : Male

Henry Rowland

Character Name : Frank Schurz (Doc's Taxi Driver) (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Rowland

Gender : Male

Tim Ryan

Character Name : Jack (Police Clerk) (uncredited)

Original Name : Tim Ryan

Gender : Male

James Seay

Character Name : Officer Janocek (uncredited)

Original Name : James Seay

Gender : Male

Jack Shea

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Shea

Gender : Male

Charles Sherlock

Character Name : Gambler (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Sherlock

Gender : Male

J. Lewis Smith

Character Name : Gambler (uncredited)

Original Name : J. Lewis Smith

Gender : Male

J.J. Smith

Character Name : Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : J.J. Smith

Gender : Male

Joseph Darr Smith

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Joseph Darr Smith

Gender : Male

Helene Stanley

Character Name : Jeannie (Girl in Diner) (uncredited)

Original Name : Helene Stanley

Gender : Female

Ray Teal

Character Name : Cop in Car Barn Slugged by Dix (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Teal

Gender : Male

Leah Wakefield

Character Name : Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Leah Wakefield

Gender : Male

Harlan Warde

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Harlan Warde

Gender : Male

Jack Warden

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Warden

Gender : Male

William Washington

Character Name : Suspect (uncredited)

Original Name : William Washington

Gender : Male

Constance Weiler

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Constance Weiler

Gender : Male

Judith Wood

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Judith Wood

Gender : Female

Victor Wood

Character Name : Evans (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Wood

Gender : Male

Wilson Wood

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Wilson Wood

Gender : Male

Jeff York

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeff York

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Experience has taught me never to trust a policeman. Just when you think one's all right, he turns legit. Out of MGM, The Asphalt Jungle is directed by John Huston and based on the novel of the same name by W.R. Burnett. It stars Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, Teresa Celli, and in a minor but important role, Marilyn Monroe. Miklós Rózsa scores the music and Harold Rosson photographs it in black & white. Plot sees Erwin "Doc" Riedenschneider (Jaffe) leave prison and quickly assemble a gang to execute a long in gestation jewellery heist. However, with suspicion rife and fate waiting to take a hand, the carefully constructed caper starts to come apart at the seams. John Huston liked a tough movie, having given film noir in America a jump start with The Maltese Falcon in 1941, he also that same year adapted W.R. Burnett's novel High Sierra. Burnett also had on his CV crime classic stories Little Caesar & Scarface, so it's no surprise that Huston was drawn to The Asphalt Jungle. As it turned out, it was a match made in gritty urban heaven. The Asphalt Jungle was one of the first crime films to break with convention and tell the story from the actual side of the criminals. Where once it was the pursuing law officers or private detectives that were the heavy part of the plotting, now under Huston's crafty guidance we have a study in crime and a daring for us to empathise with a bunch of criminals, villains and anti-heroes. As a group the gang consists of very differing characters, and yet they have a common bond, for they each strive for a better life. Be it Hayden's luggish Dix, who dreams of buying back his father's horse ranch back in Kentucky, or Jaffe's Doc, who wants to retire to Mexico and surround himself with girls - it's greed and yearning that binds them all together - With alienation and bleakness, in true film noir traditions, featuring heavily as the plot (and gang) unravels. With gritty dialogue and atmospherically oozing a naturalistic feel, it's also no surprise to note that Huston's movie would go on to influence a ream of similar type films. Some good, some bad, but very few of them have been able to capture the suspense that is wrung out for the actual heist sequence in this. Fabulous in its authenticity, and with that out of the way, it then sets the decaying tone for the rest of the piece. Interesting to note that although we are now firmly in the lives of the "gang", including their respective women (Hagen, Monroe & Celli all shining in what is a very macho movie), we still know that the society outside of their circle is hardly nice either! This is stripped down brutalistic film noir. Merciless to its characters and thriving on ill fate, and closing with a finale that is as perfect as it gets, this is a top line entry in what is the most wonderful of film making styles. 9.5/10