IMDb > The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
The Asphalt Jungle
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The Asphalt Jungle (1950) More at IMDbPro »

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The Asphalt Jungle (1950) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   7,546 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Huston
Writers:
Ben Maddow (screenplay) and
John Huston (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Asphalt Jungle on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 May 1950 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Film-Noir | Drama more
Tagline:
The City Under the City
Plot:
A major heist goes off as planned, until bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
The Pleasures of Putting a Team Together
 (From IFC. 18 August 2009, 12:28 PM, PDT)
Rare Monroe Photos Posted Online
 (From WENN. 2 June 2009, 3:05 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Yet Another Huston Masterpiece! more (77 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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)
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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)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
112 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | German
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1950) | USA:Approved (PCA #14357) | West Germany:16 | UK:PG (re-rating) (1992) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA more
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The musical scoring (by Miklós Rózsa) is extremely scant, occurring only for the main titles, continuing through the opening sequence up to the point where Handley enters the cafe, and then returns some 107 minutes later when Handley and Doll return to his boyhood farm. Total scoring just under 6 minutes. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: A publicity photo for the film showed Dix between Doll and Angela, who desperately tries to get him to turn away from Doll. Angela and Dix never meet in the film. more
Quotes:
Dix Handley: Don't bone me! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Killer contro killers (1985) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
Yet Another Huston Masterpiece!, 3 February 2005
9/10
Author: (bsmith5552@rogers.com) from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

"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.

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