Scarface (1932)

Directors:

Howard Hawks
Richard Rosson (co-director)

Writers:

Armitage Trail (novel)
Ben Hecht (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 April 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

An ambitious and near insanely violent gangster climbs the ladder of success in the mob, but his weaknesses prove to be his downfall.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Gangster | Barbershop | Bullet Proof Automobile | Secret Love

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paul Muni	...	Antonio 'Tony' Camonte
Ann Dvorak	...	Francesca 'Cesca' Camonte
Karen Morley	...	Poppy
Osgood Perkins	...	John 'Johnny' Lovo
C. Henry Gordon	...	Insp. Ben Guarino
George Raft	...	Guino Rinaldo
Vince Barnett	...	Angelo
Boris Karloff	...	Gaffney
Purnell Pratt	...	Mr. Garston, publisher
Tully Marshall	...	Managing editor
Inez Palange	...	Mrs. Camonte
Edwin Maxwell	...	Chief of detectives
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Armetta	...	Pietro, barber (uncredited)
Gus Arnheim	...	Orchestra leader (uncredited)
Eugenie Besserer	...	Citizens Committee member (uncredited)
Maurice Black	...	Jim, headwaiter (uncredited)
William Burress	...	Judge (alternate ending) (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Waiter at Columbia Cafe (uncredited)
Virginia Dabney	...	Mabel (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Citizens Committee member (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Paul Fix	...	Hood with Gaffney (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Prison guard (alternate ending) (uncredited)
Gus Arnheim and His Orchestra	...	Paradise Club orchestra (uncredited)
Howard Hawks	...	Man on bed (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst	...	Citizens Committee member (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Costillo's hood (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Stag party janitor (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Dance extra (uncredited)
Jack Perry	...	Costillo's hood (uncredited)
Warner Richmond	...	Cesca's dance partner (uncredited)
Bert Starkey	...	Epstein, lawyer (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Costillo's hood (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Costillo's hood (uncredited)
Helen C. Thompson	...	Sadie Thompson (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar	...	Big Louis Costillo (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks
Richard Rosson		(co-director)

Writing credits
Armitage Trail		(novel "Scarface")
Ben Hecht		(screenplay)
Fred Pasley		(adaptation) uncredited
Seton I. Miller		(continuity) &
John Lee Mahin		(continuity) &
W.R. Burnett		(continuity)
Seton I. Miller		(dialogue) &
John Lee Mahin		(dialogue) &
W.R. Burnett		(dialogue)
Howard Hawks		uncredited

Produced by
Howard Hawks	....	producer (uncredited)
Howard Hughes	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Lee Garmes
L. William O'Connell		(as L.W. O'Connell)

Film Editing by
Edward Curtiss
Lewis Milestone		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Harry Oliver		(settings)

Production Management
Charles Stallings	....	production manager

Sound Department
William Snyder	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard A. Anderson	....	process photographer (uncredited)
Charles Bohny	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Roy Clark	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Warner Cruze	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Eugene Kornman	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Warren Lynch	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Douglass Biggs	....	editorial advisor

Music Department
Gus Arnheim	....	musical director
Adolph Tandler	....	musical director

Other crew
W.R. Burnett	....	continuity
Howard Hughes	....	presenter
John Lee Mahin	....	continuity
Seton I. Miller	....	continuity
E.B. Derr	....	supervisor (uncredited)
Howard Hughes	....	direction supervisor (uncredited)
Lincoln Quarberg	....	general press representative (uncredited)

Production Companies

• The Caddo Company

Distributors

• United Artists (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Pictures Corporation (1938) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United Artists (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Silver Screens

Other Companies

• Metropolitan Sound Studios  sound

Also Known As:

Scarface, the Shame of the Nation
The Shame of a Nation

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (2005) (DVD) | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Norway:16 (1984) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (re-release) | USA:Passed (original rating)

Company:

The Caddo Company

Trivia:

The censors of the time thought that the film depicted that a life of crime was too easy and that Tony had still gotten away with his crimes. A second ending was shot, showing Tony being taken away by the police. He is then tried, found guilty and hanged. Paul Muni is not seen throughout this ending. Tony's sister's death scene was also re-edited, as it was felt that his affections toward her were not so brotherly. None of these changes satisfied the censors, so director Howard Hawks decided to abandon the changes and released it without censor approval. The movie's subtitle, "(The) Shame of a Nation", was added to deflect criticism on the same grounds.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just before Tony and Guino kill Johhny Lovo, Tony can be seen standing by the door to Lovo's office; as the characters are in the office, the letters on the glass pane should appear inverted (right to left), but they don't.

Quotes:

Chief of detectives: Colorful? What color is a crawling louse? Say, listen, that's the attitude of too many morons in this country. They think these hoodlums are some sort of demigods. What do they do about a guy like Camonte? They sentimentalize, romance, make jokes about him...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Aviator (2004)

Soundtrack:

Some of These Days

Ahead Of Its Time, Action-Wise

Action-wise, this movie was 60 years ahead of its time, at least in terms of the amount of action in it. I think it's safe to say most classic films, including the crime movies, are much slower in pace than today's fare. Not this one.

Since they didn't show much blood in these old films, it isn't gory but it is action- packed with few lulls. Paul Muni, as "Tony Camonte," the head gangster, is compelling and fun to watch. He's tough-as-nails until the end. The women n here - Ann Dvoark and Karen Morely - are interesting, too, as is one of Muni's sidekicks, a big dumb guy who was funny. Don't be fooled by the billing of George Raft and Boris Karloff. They got it because they turned out to be big names later. In this film, they have very small roles.

This is Muni's show, though, all the way and few actors could ham it up in his day like him. It's a wild ride for the full 93 minutes.

p.s. To anyone misreading my opening remarks: more action doesn't always mean more interesting. Some times it does; some times it doesn't.