The Racket
directed by John Cromwell
This 1951 movie is often described as a noir film. The Racket certainly looks like a noir film but I don't think it quite meets all of the criteria. The Racket is really just more of a crime movie.
directed by John Cromwell
Neither of the film's two primary male protagonists are particularly sympathetic nor do they suffer from any moral uncertainties or psychological battles. The film's female lead provides the only character growth.
Cromwell also directed Dead Reckoning, reviewed here. The Racket is a remake of a 1928 silent film of the same name. It is interesting and occasionally enlightening to see how attitudes around sex and violence and righteousness have changed for good or bad since 1951.
The Racket hints at things that are obvious to any adult and would be explicitly and tediously spelled out in any of today's films that used the same source material. Although this was marketed at being hard hitting at the time I didn't see it as such.
As is usual in many of these older films the hooker with the heart of gold archetype is recast as some other "questionable" female worker.
However whatever job title she holds her role is usually to tempt the hero or his friends and then die or perhaps help the good guys, be reformed and become a decent woman.
In an unnamed Midwestern city (the original movie was about Chicago) the tall, dashing, cold-hearted, and hot blooded gangster Nick Scanlon (Robert Ryan) is the top hoodlum in charge.
Like Santino Corleone, Lil Ze, O-Dog, Tommy DeVito and other such fictional or fictionalized counterparts, Nick likes to use violence and threat of same as the first, second and last option when dealing with opposition.
Unfortunately for Nick there's a national syndicate in charge of crime now, run by the never seen Old Man.
The syndicate doesn't like violence, at least not anywhere near as much as Nick does. Violence makes enemies. Violence makes headlines. Violence brings heat.
Indiscriminate violence of the kind Nick prefers is the old way. The new way is to reason with people, bribe them, do business with them. It's much more effective and profitable for everyone. If Nick doesn't straighten up and fly right, well then he might just find himself on the wrong end of a .45.
Another persistent thorn in Nick's side is honest police captain Thomas McQuigg (Robert Mitchum), a former childhood friend who despite an outwardly phlegmatic persona is fiercely devoted to bringing Nick and the syndicate down.
Thomas soldiers on in this quest even though Nick (or the syndicate) has successfully bribed the District Attorney (Ray Collins), cops in Thomas' station, more than a few judges, and even a state police detective (William Conrad).
But everyone has a weakness. Thomas thinks he's found Nick's when Nick's brother Joe (Brett King) falls in love with the sultry singer Irene (Lizabeth Scott). Nick is not happy about this development for reasons that don't need to be discussed here. Thomas thinks he can leverage Nick's distaste for Irene and Irene's knowledge of certain activities into a tool to take down not only Nick but the various corrupt public officials and even the entire syndicate. Thomas may not be too particular about who gets hurt in his crusade.
Robert Mitchum was famous for his laid back almost casual acting approach, which is on full display here. There are times when Mitchum's approach made sense but I don't think it worked in this movie for his character. Even when Thomas is making plans it seems like he's just sitting back with a whatever dude smirk. He just doesn't seem that invested in events. Thomas does get a few good lines about integrity.
Robert Ryan was equally famous for his intensity, which is also evident in every scene. You can feel Nick's growing danger to and frustration with people on both sides of the law. Nick (even at 6'4) is a tightly coiled menace just waiting to spring out and hurt someone. Scott is a woman who needs to decide which lifestyle suits her better. She's not just eye candy. This could have been a better movie. It likely would benefit from a remake.
