The Enforcer (1951)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Bretaigne Windust

Writer:

Martin Rackin (written by)

Release Date:

24 February 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Film-Noir

Tagline:

"If you're smart you'll come down - if you're dumb you'll be dead..." (one-sheet poster)

Plot:

A crusading district attorney finally gets a chance to prosecute the organizer and boss of Murder Inc.

Plot Keywords:

Murder Inc. | Murder | District Attorney | Prison | Flashback

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Dist. Atty. Martin Ferguson
Zero Mostel	...	Big Babe Lazick
Ted de Corsia	...	Joseph Rico (as Ted De Corsia)
Everett Sloane	...	Albert Mendoza
Roy Roberts	...	Capt. Frank Nelson
Michael Tolan	...	James (Duke) Malloy (as Lawrence Tolan)
King Donovan	...	Sgt. Whitlow
Bob Steele	...	Herman (as Robert Steele)
Adelaide Klein	...	Olga Kirshen
Don Beddoe	...	Thomas O'Hara
Tito Vuolo	...	Tony Vetto
John Kellogg	...	Vince
Jack Lambert	...	Philadelphia Tom Zaca

Also Known As:

Murder, Inc. (UK)

Runtime:

87 min | 85 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (nf) | UK:PG (1989) | UK:X (1951) (cut) | Australia:PG | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:(Banned) (1951-1960) | Sweden:15 (re-rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #14747) | Finland:(Banned)

Company:

United States Pictures

Trivia:

After several days of filming, director Bretaigne Windust fell seriously ill and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Humphrey Bogart asked his old friend, director Raoul Walsh, to come in and shoot the picture until Windust recovered. Unfortunately, Windust was more seriously ill than most realized, and his recovery took several months, during which Walsh finished the film. However, Walsh refused to take screen credit for it, saying that the picture was Windust's big break and he wasn't going to take it away from him.

Quotes:

Babe Lazich: [as they enter, the moving camera is from Babe's POV] It was a big day for me. They'd seen me in the neighborhood, and now they were sending for me, but I wondered why Duke was taking me to Olga's. I was sure excited because I was finally getting in with the real boys.
James Malloy: [to someone behind the door] It's me - Duke.
Babe Lazich: Back room was just like what you'd expect at the back of a store.
[the camera pans from face to face]
Babe Lazich: Shorty - that dope! And Philadelphia - he wasn't all there, but nobody ever said that when he was around. Vince - a bundle of nerves with no brain. And there behind the desk, all nerve and no brain - Mr. Rico!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bullets Over Hollywood (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Kiss Me Sweet

Another Spectacular Film Noir of Humphrey Bogart

Dist. Atty. Martin Ferguson (Humphrey Bogart) has the chance of sending the criminal Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloane) to the electric chair. He depends on the testimony of Mendoza`s right arm Joseph Rico (Ted De Corsia). Rico is so scared that commits a mistake and dies. Ferguson passes all the case again and again trying to find a new evidence or witness. Through flashbacks, the viewer sees what has happened until the death of Rico. Today I have just watched this movie on cable television, since it has not been released on VHS or DVD in Brazil. I can not understand how the Brazilian distributors have not paid attention on this spectacular film noir. It is almost a masterpiece, and unfortunately my friends, who are also fans of movies, do not know this magnificent film. The story is very tight, and all the cast has an excellent performance, with another great direction of Raoul Walsh. The black & white photography is fantastic, with the use of shadows specially in the exterior scenes. It is funny how the title of this movie is changed, depending on the country (`Murder, Inc.', in UK, and `A Price For Each Crime' in my country). The fans of film noir and police story will certainly love this unknown jewel. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): `Um Preço Para Cada Crime' (`A Price For Each Crime')