I was born with this on my back. I didn’t grow it myself.
This brilliant John Huston film is one of the finest examples of film noir ever made. The plot revolves around a jewellery heist engineered by recently paroled master criminal “Doc” Reidenschneider (Sam Jaffe). To pull off the caper, he needs a safe-cracker, a get-away driver and a strong-arm man ( ” a hooligan” ) and $50,000 to pay the three men. He gets the names of these men from Cobby the bookie who also tells him he can get the financing from corrupt
lawyer Alonzo Emmerich (Louis Calhern). Through unforeseen circumstances, the well-planned caper goes awry in more ways than one.
What follows is a taut and
suspenseful crime drama to the very end. The hooligan ,Dix Handley, is played by Sterling Hayden in a magnificent performance; Dix’s friend, the hunch-backed diner owner Gus (James Whitmore) is the driver. Marc Lawrence plays the part of Cobby the bookie. Marilyn Monroe is perfectly cast in the small but important role as the ravishing young mistress/girlfriend of lawyer Emmerich.
Sterling Hayden is absolutely the right actor to play Dix. With his heavyweight boxer’s frame, gravelly voice, and angry glare, he literally embodies the role: he exudes menace! All of the performances in the movie are first-class, with special mention going to James Whitmore as Gus and Sam Jaffe as Doc.
As well as directing the film, John Huston co-wrote the screenplay, adapted from the novel by W. R. Burnett. The hard-boiled and realistic dialogue is vivid and very believable. One of the best lines goes to Whitmore’s character, Gus. After being called a cripple-back, Gus replies: “I was born with this on my back. I didn’t grow it myself.” The film is filled with wonderful dialogue like this.
A must-see film – the viewer is compelled to keep watching from start to finish!
