The Racket (1928)

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

Bartlett Cormack (play)
Bartlett Cormack (adaptation)

Release Date:

1 November 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir

Plot:

An honest police captain vows to bring down a powerful bootlegger who is protected by corrupt politicians and judges.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Politician | Bootlegger | Reporter | Election

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Thomas Meighan	...	Police Captain James McQuigg
Louis Wolheim	...	Nick Scarsi
Marie Prevost	...	Helen Hayes
G. Pat Collins	...	Patrolman Johnson (as Pat Collins)
Henry Sedley	...	Spike Corcoran
George E. Stone	...	Joe Scarsi (as George Stone)
Sam De Grasse	...	District Attorney Harry Welch (as Sam DeGrasse)
Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher	...	Reporter Miller (as Skeets Gallagher)
Lee Moran	...	Reporter Pratt
John Darrow	...	Cub Reporter Ames
Lucien Prival	...	Chick
Dan Wolheim	...	Sergeant Turck

Runtime:

84 min (2004 alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

The Caddo Company

Trivia:

The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 22 November 1927 and closed in March 1928 after 119 performances. The opening night cast included Edward G. Robinson, Romaine Callender, G. Pat Collins (who is also in the movie), Norman Foster, Hugh O'Connell and Willard Robertson.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[McQuigg ducks into a doorway when one of Scari's henchmen shoots at but purposely misses him. Scarsi emerges from behind the door]
Nick Scarsi: Hello, Mac.
Police Captain James McQuigg: Hello, Nick.
Nick Scarsi: Take a tip, Mac... change your racket.
Police Captain James McQuigg: I like my racket... and I haven't shot yet.

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Racket (1951)

Wonderful rescued film

This has been resurrected courtesy of Turner Classic Movies, the University of Nevada, et al. (in pretty good shape, too) in a nicely done digital restoration, complete with a good score. If you get a chance to see it, you might want to take a chance: in spite of it being a silent (I consider that a handicap), it's an entertaining film, with a lot to like.

There's fine acting, especially by Louis Wolheim as the main gangster, whose face is so expressive you don't miss the sound as long as he's on screen. Marie Prevost and 'Skeets' Gallagher turn in solid supporting performances. There's clever dialogue: very good given the constraints silent films inherently have.

Personally, I thought the best feature is the wonderful cinematography. Rarely does the camera technique look dated or technically primitive, and many scenes are as well done as any since. The use of dissolves and interesting angles was delightful, and there are even a couple (surprising, to me) attempts at zooms that come off alright. Obviously a good director/cinematographer team. The overall look of the film is fresh and clear.

The story is pretty entertaining and the characters are brought to life, making me glad this film was brought back to life as well.