| Photos (see all 30 | slideshow) | Videos |
| Sterling Hayden | ... | Dix Handley | |
| Louis Calhern | ... | Alonzo D. Emmerich | |
| Jean Hagen | ... | Doll Conovan | |
| James Whitmore | ... | Gus Minissi | |
| Sam Jaffe | ... | Doc Erwin Riedenschneider | |
| John McIntire | ... | Police Commissioner Hardy | |
| Marc Lawrence | ... | Cobby | |
| Barry Kelley | ... | Lt. Ditrich | |
| Anthony Caruso | ... | Louis Ciavelli | |
| Teresa Celli | ... | Maria Ciavelli | |
| Marilyn Monroe | ... | Angela Phinlay | |
| William 'Wee Willie' Davis | ... | Timmons (as William Davis) | |
| Dorothy Tree | ... | May Emmerich | |
| Brad Dexter | ... | Bob Brannom | |
| John Maxwell | ... | Dr. Swanson | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Ray Bennett | ... | Detective in Hardy's office (uncredited) | |
| Benny Burt | ... | Taxi driver (uncredited) | |
| Frank Cady | ... | Night clerk (uncredited) | |
| Jean Carter | ... | Woman (uncredited) | |
| David Clarke | ... | Mr. Atkinson, railroad man (uncredited) | |
| John Cliff | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Henry Corden | ... | Karl Anton Smith (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Courtney | ... | Red, boy in diner (uncredited) | |
| Ralph Dunn | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Gene Evans | ... | Policeman at Ciavalli's apartment (uncredited) | |
| Pat Flaherty | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Alex Gerry | ... | Maxwell (uncredited) | |
| Sol Gorss | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Fred Graham | ... | Truck driver (uncredited) | |
| William Haade | ... | Bill, cop (uncredited) | |
| Don Haggerty | ... | Det. Andrews (uncredited) | |
| Eloise Hardt | ... | Vivian (uncredited) | |
| Thomas Browne Henry | ... | James X. Connery (uncredited) | |
| George Lynn | ... | Detective at Ciavelli's apartment (uncredited) | |
| Fred Marlow | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Strother Martin | ... | William Doldy, second man in lineup (uncredited) | |
| Patricia Miller | ... | Girl (uncredited) | |
| Howard M. Mitchell | ... | Secretary (uncredited) | |
| Alberto Morin | ... | Eddie Donato, grocer (uncredited) | |
| Kerry O'Day | ... | Girl (uncredited) | |
| Raymond Roe | ... | Tallboy (uncredited) | |
| Henry Rowland | ... | Frank Schurz, taxi driver (uncredited) | |
| Tim Ryan | ... | Jack, police clerk (uncredited) | |
| James Seay | ... | Officer Janocek (uncredited) | |
| Jack Shea | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Joseph Darr Smith | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| Helene Stanley | ... | Jeannie, girl in diner (uncredited) | |
| Ray Teal | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
| Leah Wakefield | ... | Girl (uncredited) | |
| Jack Warden | ... | Bit Role (uncredited) | |
| William Washington | ... | Suspect (uncredited) | |
| Constance Weiler | ... | Woman (uncredited) | |
| Judith Wood | ... | Woman (uncredited) | |
| Victor Wood | ... | Evans (uncredited) | |
| Wilson Wood | ... | Man (uncredited) | |
| Jeff York | ... | Policeman (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| John Huston | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Ben Maddow | (screenplay) and | |
| John Huston | (screenplay) | |
| W.R. Burnett | (novel) | |
Produced by | |||
| Arthur Hornblow Jr. | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Miklós Rózsa | (as Miklos Rozsa) | ||
Cinematography by | |||
| Harold Rosson | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| George Boemler | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Randall Duell | |||
| Cedric Gibbons | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Edwin B. Willis | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Jack Dawn | .... | makeup designer | |
| Sydney Guilaroff | .... | hair stylist | |
| Lou LaCava | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Elaine Ramsey | .... | hair stylist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Lee Katz | .... | production manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Jack Greenwood | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Jack D. Moore | .... | associate set decorator | |
Sound Department | |||
| Douglas Shearer | .... | recording supervisor | |
| Robert B. Lee | .... | sound recordist (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Robert Martin | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
| Andrew J. McIntyre | .... | assistant camera (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Eugene Zador | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| John Banse | .... | script supervisor (uncredited) | |
| Leslie H. Martinson | .... | script supervisor (uncredited) | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Du rififi chez les hommes | The Killing | The Anderson Tapes | Touch of Evil | Angels with Dirty Faces |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
"The Asphalt Jungle" is a classic "film noire" caper movie directed by the legendary John Houston. Except for the opening and closing scenes, the story takes place entirely at night.
As in most films of this genre, there are no heroes or villains, only a collection of tragic losers who are trying to better themselves through one last big caper.
Doc Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe) has just been released from prison. He has plans for a major jewel heist but needs financial backing and a crew to assist him. He goes to a small time bookie named Cobby (Marc Lawrence) who in turn puts him in touch with money man Emmerich (Louis Calhern). Doc assembles his crew, Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden) a small time thug, a driver Gus (James Whitmore) and explosives man Louis Ciavelli (Anthony Carouso). But it seems that Emmerlich is broke what with his high living and young mistress Angela (Marily Monroe). So Cobb is convinced to back the job.
Along the way we meet Doll Conovan (Jean Hagen) who carries a torch for Dix who doesn't really care. There's the corrupt cop Lt. Ditrich (Barry Kelley) and an unscrupulous private eye Bob Brannon (Brad Dexter) trying to get in on the action. While the caper seems to be going along nicely, several chance events occur which change the whole outlook of the event.
Even though filming at the prestigious M-G-M, Huston wisely cast his film with largely (at the time) relative unknowns. Hayden is excellent as the doomed anti-hero Dix and Hagen superb as the tragic Doll. But it is veteran Sam Jaffe as the cultured, German-accented and very cool Doc who steals the picture. Marilyn Monroe on the verge of stardom (Why didn't M-G-M sign her?), is very good as the "femme fatale" of the piece.
Also in the excellent cast are John McIntyre as the Police Commissioner, Don Haggerty and James Seay as a couple of detectives and Ray Teal as the policeman who causes grief for two of the escaping thieves. Watch for Strother Martin and Frank Cady (of TV's "Petticoat Junction")in the line-up sequence at the beginning.
Huston made only one more film for M-G-M, "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951) which he blamed the studio for butchering. Nevertheless, he left us with another classic in "The Asphalt Jungle.