Doll (Jean Hagen) and Dix (Sterling Hayden) with a diamond from “the biggest caper the Middle West has ever seen.” John Huston´s Noir ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ is one of those movies, you will never forget. Great actors, strong screenplay and an even better plot got me hooked. Several times. Keep on reading and meet characters, which get under your skin. Enjoy ‘Noirvember 2023’ at Classic Movie Ratings.
“After all, crime is just a left-handed form of human endeavor.”
One of the most astonishing aspects of ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ is, that you might think, that this movie is just about a jewelry heist. This assumption is wrong. The million dollar coup is secondary and with a little peak under the surface, you realize very quickly that everything is about human emotions. In this particular case, the feelings of a society tortured with twisted dreams and corrupted hearts. Nearly all characters are longing for money. More of the hard currency, which makes the world go round. Everyone needs it for a different reason. But in the end, it´s all for the same cause. The hope for a better life.
Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden) is already hiding from the police, before the whole business even starts. The shadow of a society haunted by poverty and forced into a criminal life?
The key concept of denied redemption of criminals caused by their own wrong decisions was one of W.R. Burnett´s specialties. He wrote the book template with the same name one year prior to release. Burnett also gave his blessing to the final screenplay. At an age of 28, he moved to Chicago and gathered ideas first hand by getting to know real street criminals. His books are famous for character studies of urban mobsters and you could say that he revolutionized the genre ‘gangster film’ with stories for flicks like ‘Little Caesar (1931),’ ‘Scarface (1932)’ and ‘Beast of the City (1932).’ After successfully writing ‘High Sierra (1940),’ in another team-up with Huston, he made the transition into the Noir era and his expertise peaked in ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950).’
The name of the American city, in which the story takes place, is never mentioned. Some people might say it must be Cincinnati, as the background of the opening credits is shot from the Ohio River. The A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, the landing made of brick stones and the Cincinnati skyline are visible. Another indication would be that the police car seen at the beginning drives from this scenery into the city, which suggests continuation. However, I noticed a quote which leads somewhere else. Cobby (Marc Lawrence) tells Doc (Sam Jaffe) that Louis (Anthony Caruso) is “the best box man West of Chicago.” But Cincinnati is located South East from the ‘Windy City.’ What is your opinion? Have you found other clues, which point to a specific metropolis?
“One way or another, we all work for our vice.”
The man, who sets everything in motion, arrives at the ‘jungle’ by night. Doc Erwin Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe) has a plan in his head for many years. His goal is to obtain a fortune by breaking and entering into ‘BELLETIER´S,’ a jeweler which has the purest stones with the highest value.
Doc (Sam Jaffe) has a proposition to make. In my opinion, one of the greatest criminal master minds of the classic period. He received an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Doc (Sam Jaffe) requires helping hands for this operation. To get them he needs money, which he doesn´t have after serving a seven year prison sentence. There´s only one option. A reliable investor. The bookie Cobby (Marc Lawrence) arranges a meeting with Alonzo D. Emmerich (Louis Calhern), apparently one of the towns ‘big shots.’
The facial expression, when someone says “500.000 Dollars. Maybe even more …” and just a moment later you think the money could belong to you. Marc Lawrence as Cobby …
… and the look of a desperate man, who has just begun planning an evil double-cross. Louis Calhern as Emmerich.
“If you want fresh air, don´t look for it in this town.”
The following personal is required, in case you are also planning to rob a jeweler.
Or in Doc´s words:
“A box man. He´ll be paid most, maybe 25.000 Dollars.
A top notch driver. He should get 10.000 Dollars.
And finally, sad to say, a hooligan. Most of these fellas are drug addicts. Violence is all they know. But they are unfortunately necessary. A more or less reliable man should get 15.000 Dollars.”
The heist crew from left to right: Doc, The Brain (Sam Jaffe), Dix, The Hooligan (Sterling Hayden), Louis, The Box Man (Anthony Caruso) and Gus, The Driver (James Whitmore).
To bring very different characters together to achieve something big is certainly not new. But in ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ the team up is extraordinary good. Doc (Sam Jaffe) wishes to cross the border to live in Mexico City chasing young women, Dix (Sterling Hayden) wants to return to the place he grew up to buy back the farm his family lost and Louis (Anthony Caruso) needs money for his child and wife. Just Gus´ (James Whitmore) motive is not mentioned in detail. Maybe he wants to expand his eating joint?
So everyone wants to do something else with their cut? Not really, if you have a look at the common ground of the crew. They all want to escape the dark world of crime and become, more or less, independent. Free from doing such stuff. Shaking of the dirt of the big city.
“I can open anything in four minutes.”
I watched many Noir Movies over the last couple of years and something I´m always very interested in is the cinematography.
The best part of ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950),’ to showcase the play of light and shadow, is the heist itself. Harold Rosson was in charge and received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. Another one of his projects, was the work he did for ‘Singin´ in the Rain (1952),’ which is interesting because both movies couldn´t be more different. This proves Rosson´s versatility and talent.
A black silhouette (Sterling Hayden) is walking towards a hidden side door.
Gus (James Whitmore) waits in the escape car.
Another shadow. Different man. Louis (Anthony Caruso) enters the jeweler.
Dix (Sterling Hayden) peaks into the street. All clear. For now …
Louis (Anthony Caruso) begins to work on the safe.
BOOM!
A nice shot. It looks like they all are beginning to turn around at the same time. Louis at the safe is blurred, Doc half-blurred and Dix is focus of the camera.
The way outside. What is waiting behind the door?
“Sounds like a siren in hell.”
The escape within reach … a gun falls to the ground … a shot goes off … and suddenly Louis (Anthony Caruso) has an unintentional slug in his belly …
Not even Doc (Sam Jaffe) can anticipate a thing like this, but the consequences are immense.
After the heart beating caper, a more downbeat Noir style takes over. But not in a negative way. John Huston squeezes several terrific performances out of his cast. Top notch dialogues included.
Emmerich´s double cross didn´t work out as planned. He hasn´t the money to buy the jewels and his partner in crime Brannom (Brad Dexter) draws the gun first to get his hands on the take. Nevertheless, Dix (Sterling Hayden) is quicker and kills the private detective …
… but he got shot too. A strong bleeding starts, while Doc (Sam Jaffe) tries to convince Emmerich (Louis Calhern) to contact the insurance company for a last chance of welfare.
All characters connected to the heist split up to different locations. But no matter what they do, a bag full off gems holds them together with a tight grip. Of course, this also counts for most of the films women which influence the crews fate for better or worse …
While Louis (Anthony Caruso) is fighting for his life, a deeply sad Maria (Teresa Celli) watches over her husband. She is terribly afraid of losing him and must blame someone for the dilemma. The only one in reach is Gus. In her despair, she calls him “dirty cripple” and “crooked bag.”
The movies most tragic, but also most despised, figure is Mr. ‘Clean from the outside and dirty from the inside’ Emmerich (Louis Calhern). Huston and Burnett decided that it takes two women for his fate. The first is his sick wife May (Dorothy Tree), which loves him while he lives a secret double life …
… with young and beautiful Angela (Marylin Monroe). Monroe stated that the acting she had done for ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ was one of the best performances in her entire career. I must say that it´s the first film, I saw up to now where she had a role. In my opinion, Monroe played the seducing blonde very good and convincing. Punch lines like “Haven´t you bothered me enough, you big banana head!” certainly helped to keep her in mind long after the credits have passed. In the end, Emmerich can´t bear the things he had done and blows his brains out …
“People are being cheated, robbed, murdered, raped.”
Who will safe ‘humanity’ before “the predatory beast take over?”
Maybe the cops? The answer is “Yes” and “No.”
I decided to keep the police intentionally out of this post for as long as possible, to give you a better feeling of Noir´s Capital without the protection of the law. The most criticized feature of ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ is an imposed message of a higher morality. The law, which equals The Good, ‘must’ win. This is what the casual moviegoer in the 1950s required.
Nevertheless, this doesn´t mean it´s not catchy. Police Commissioner Hardy (John McIntire) rules a large regiment of coppers and delivered the speech of his life time.
Police reporters gather around Police Commissioner Hardy (John McIntire) to ask their questions.
Commissioner Hardy: “Any more questions?”
Reporter 1: “I don´t like to refer to the same point Commissioner, but what about Ditrich? He is part of this police department …”
Commissioner Hardy: “Lieutenant Ditrich is in jail and he´ll go to trial. He will be trialed by twelve citizens, the people for he has been working. He shall receive justice or compassion, as they see fit.”
Reporter 2: “What would be your verdict commissioner?”
Commissioner Hardy: “I´m not sure. I´m not sure at all. Let me put it this way. There´s not anything strange that there are corrupt officers in police departments. The dirt they try to clean up must rub off on some of them. But not all of them. Maybe one out of a hundred. The other ninety nine are honest men, trying to do a honest job.”
.. Hardy turns on the police radio ..
“Listen … I know you´re police reporters and you hear this all day long, but I want you to listen to your conscious. Not to your ears … We sent police assistance to anyone of those calls. Those are not just code numbers on a radio beam. They are cries for help. People are being cheated, robbed, murdered, raped. That goes on twenty four hours a day. Every day in the year. That´s not exceptional. That´s usual. It´s the same in every city of the modern world. Suppose we had no police force. Good or bad. Suppose we had … Hardy turns of the police radio … just silence. Nobody to listen. Nobody to answer. The battle´s finished. The jungle wins. The predatory beast take over … Think about it.”
The commissioner says about his staff that “maybe one out of a hundred is a corrupt officer. The other ninety nine are honest men, trying to do a honest job.” In this case, the rotten egg is Lieutenant Ditrich (Barry Kelley), who was on Cobby´s payroll.
By the way, it´s not the police which finds the ground breaking clue. A taxi man (Benny Burt) drove Doc (Sam Jaffe) to Cobby´s bookie joint at the beginning. After the caper, Doc´s face is all over the newspapers. The driver recognized him and tells the commissioner.
“I´ll make it!”
On every long journey, a break now and then is a fundamental necessity. Doc (Sam Jaffe) changed his destination from Mexico to Cleveland. Why isn´t mentioned, but I would suspect as a reason that he hasn´t received cash from Emmerich (Louis Calhern) as originally planned. He has just the jewels which at the moment “are so much junk.”
Doc chooses a restaurant out of town for a short break for him and his German cab driver (Henry Rowland). A nice little place with the same cheap meals and drinks as any other. But this one has a music box and a girl which loves dancing …
His weak spot are young beautiful women. It´s mentioned several times throughout the movie. Right at the beginning, Doc peaks at a calendar of gorgeous dames. By watching Jeanie (Helene Stanley), the girl in the diner, dance for two minutes, he finds himself an own personal Femme Fatale. And she don´t even have to fulfill any characteristics of the Dark Dames of Noir. Her looks kept Doc in his chair, which gave the police enough time to find the big man.
Jeanie, the iconic dancing girl which sealed Doc´s probably last and final prison sentence, was played by Helene Stanley.
Cops looking through the diners window. Are they peaking at the girl or searching for Doc Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe)? I´m pretty certain that it´s both.
Doll is in love with Dix. That´s for sure. It´s very likely that he loves her too, but Dix shows his feelings differently. Mostly through gestures, instead of words. She decides to go with him, also if it means to take part in serious crimes.
Swanson (John Maxwell), doctor of a higher medical profession, stated: “He won´t get very far that´s for sure. He hasn´t get enough blood left in him to keep a chicken alive.” Doll (Jean Hagen) tries to prevent worse things from happening, but Dix (Sterling Hayden) has only one goal. To get home and feel the green grass of Boone County, Kentucky under his feet. Leave the city dirt behind. To breath again … and again …
Doll (Jean Hagen) and Dix (Sterling Hayden) on their way to metropolitan salvation.
The end scene of ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ belongs to the very best there is. After nearly one hour and fifty minutes running time the dark and hopeless city is replaced with three minutes light, sunshine and … death.
The …
… End.
Rating
No happy ending? Didn´t John Huston have any feelings? It sounds harsh, but the ending is perfect. It just would be inconceivable to end this masterpiece with a marriage scene or Doll and Dix laughing, because they started a successful horse breeding business. Every time, I watch ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ it´s like living side by side with the characters, which usually means that a picture is top notch. This movie is an analysis of a parallel world of crime and shows people very alike to us. They also have their dreams and aspirations for something higher, even if it´s an illegal high. Another great feature is the fact that everything could easily worked out just fine. But some small and unpredictable coincidences can tore the nicely worked out plans apart within seconds. Just like real life. This is so Noir!
Complete rating for ‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950):’
‘The Asphalt Jungle (1950)’ reached the ‘Perfect Peak’ on the ‘Rating Mountain:’
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