The Asphalt Jungle (1950 MGM)
Outline
Source Material
a.W.R. Burnett
i.Civil Servant in politically connected family in Ohio until 28
ii.Moved to Chicago after 100+ unpublished stories & 5 novels
1.Night clerk in seedy hotel
2.Thematically similar to Hammett & James M. Cain, but naturalistic, not stylized
iii.Little Caesar made his name. Novel in 1929/Film in ‘30
iv.Hollywood script writer: High Sierra (41) w/Huston, Wake Island (42)
1.Gangster: Scarface (dialogue), Beast of the City (story)
2.Noir: This Gun for Hire (42), The Racket (51)
v.Oscar Nom: Wake Island 1942 (John Farrow dir. Marines against Japan)
vi.Later: The Great Escape (‘62)
b.The Asphalt Jungle
i.Theme: Crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor
ii.Characterization: working class guys eeking out existence on the wrong side of the law
iii.Huston flipped perspective from cops (book) to criminals
iv.Characters
1.Dix: principled thief/”coiled angst”-Muller
2.Doc: Oggles girlie calendar, foreshadowing demise
3.Cobby: Not smart/doesn’t recognize Doc
v.Dialogue/Language: Matter of fact, but not hardboiled. Naturalistic?
1.Compared to Hemingway & Dos Passos
vi.“ Don’t bone me”, “hooligan”
vii.No Romanticism: Working class guys eaking out a living on the wrong side of the law
viii.Relationships (un-equal)
1.Dix/Doll
2.Emmerich/Monroe: Clearly transactional
3.Emmerich/Wife
Pre-Production
a.MGM
i.Louis B Mayer: “dirty ugly people, doing dirty ugly things. I wouldn’t cross the room to watch this picture”
1.Resigned in August 1951
ii.Dore Scharey: Head of Production
iii.MGM Noir: Postman Always Rings Twice (46), Act of Violence (48), Caught (49), Sidestreet (50), Tension (49), Johnny Eager (41)
b.Producer Arthur Hornblow Jr (1934-62 Career)
i.Gaslight, Witness for the Prosecution, Oklahoma
John Huston
c.Writing
i.Style
1.Small group of people who come together, but fails (common w/Burnett)
2.Credits: Jezebel (38), Sgt York (41), High Sierra (41)
d.Directing Style
i.Reserved/non flashy/naturalistic
ii.Impactful close-ups
iii.Static camera
e.1940’s Directing
i.War Service (Battle of San Pietro/ Let there be Light-PTSD) Five Came Back
ii.Maltese 41, Treasure of Sierra Madre 49, Key Largo, We Were Strangers
f.Post Asphalt Jungle Career
g.Awards: 15 Oscar Noms
i.Best Screenplay: 8 (Treasure win)
ii.Best Director: 5 (Treasure, Asphalt, African Queen, Moulin Rouge, Prizzi’s Honor
iii.Supporting Actor: 1 (The Cardinal-1963 Preminger)
iv.Best Picture: 1 (Moulin Rouge-52)
Production
a.Harold Rosson (Singin in the Rain, Wizard of Oz)
i.4 Oscar Noms
ii.Subtle & imaginative lighting
iii.Soft Noir lighting/Single light source-A POOL vs multiple pools
b.Miklos Rozsa
i.13 Oscar Noms, 3 Wins (Spellbound, Ben Hur, A Double Life)
ii.Noir Music: Double indemnity, The Killers, Criss Cross, Naked City, Brute Force
c.Walter Huston’s Death: Died during production. He was 66
Post-Production/Release
a.Themes
i.Crime is only a left handed form of Human Behavior
ii.Criminals are just working stiffs on the wrong side of the law
b.First time Huston’s name appeaard above the tile (A john Huston Film”
c.Released June 1st, 1950
i.$2 M BO $40,000 profit
d.Awards: 4 Oscar Noms: Director, Screenplay, Cinematography & Supporting Actor (Jaffe)
e.TV Show (1961) featured team of Detectives fighting organized crime, pilot lengthened into The Lawbreakers (1961). Jack Warden
Cast
a.Sterling Hayden (Dix Handley)
i.Left home at 16/sailed to Tahiti at ‘22
ii.Most beautiful man in movies on ‘46
iii.5th picture since returning from WWII
iv.1st of 8 Noirs: Johnny Guitar (54), Crime Wave, The Killing, Manhandled, Naked Alibi (Grahame), Suddenly, The Come On, Crime of Passion (Stanwyck)
v.General Ripper (Strangelove) & Cpt McClusky (Godfather)
b.Sam Jaffe (Doc Riedenshcnieder)
i.Primarily Broadway stage actor
ii.Blacklisted for 8 years (Huston brought him back in Barbarian & Geisha)
iii.Mad Grand Duke in The Scarlett Empress (vonSternberg)
iv.High Lama in Lost Horizon (Capra)
v.Gunga Din as Gunga Din(George Stevens-39)
c.Louis Calhern (Alonzo Emerich)
i.Duck Soup straight man
ii.Buffalo Bill in Annie Get Your Gun
iii.Died a month into shooting Teahouse of the August Moon & was replaced by Paulk Ford, who had created part on Broadway
d.Jean Hagen (Doll Conovan)
i.Singin’ in the Rain (Lina Lamont)
ii.Big Knife (’55)/Sunrise at Compabello (60)
iii.Moved mostly into TV in mid-50’s before dying at 54
e.Marc Lawrence (Cobby)
i.Noir Regular: I Walk Alone, Key Largo
f.Marilyn Monroe (Angela Phinlay) 95th Birthday June 1st
i.LOLA ALBRIGHT (Huston wanted her, but she wasn’t available (Champion)
ii.Casting
1.Story one: she read for the part, on the floor & blew Huston away
2.Story 2: He didn’t like her reading, but watched her walk out
3.Huston once said “Monroe is the only actress who can make an entrance by leaving a room”
4.Monroe’s 5th assignment
iii.Performance: 1 or 2 takes each scene. 5 minutes of screen time
iv.Reviews: “There’s a beautiful blonde named Marilyn Monroe. She makes the most of her footage” -Photoplay
v.Pre-Jungle films
1.Dropped by Fox in 1947
2.Ladies of the Chorus (’48), Love Happy (’49),
vi.Post Jungle Career
1.Don’t Bother to Knock (’52), Clash By Night (’52), Niagara (’53)
g.Anthony Caruso (Louis Ciavelli)
i.259 Credits
h.James Whitmore (Gus Minissi)
i.Shawshank Redemption (Brooks)/Battleground (Oscar nom)/Give em hell, Harry (Nom)
ii.Brad Dexter (Bob Brannon)
i.CAMEOS: Strother Martin (lineup)
Heist Film/Film Noir Legacy
ii.The Killing 56: Stanley Kubrick (structure of script)
iii.Bob Le Flamuer 56: Jean-Pierre Melville
e.Remakes: Badlanders (58), Cool Breeze (’72), Cairo (63)
Production Code
c.Adhered to letter of the law, but not the spirit (sympathy for criminals)
d.Police lecture near conclusion lifted directly from the book.
HUAC/Blacklist Implications
a.Huston & Hayden were both members of the Committee for the First Amendment (ill-fated trip to DC in ’47)
b.Sam Jaffe: Accused of Communism & kept off screen for 8 years
c.Dorothy Tree (Emerich’s wife): Blacklisted
d.Hayden & Marc Lawrence reluctantly named names
1.Hayden regretted it the rest of his life
e.Ben Maddow (co-screenwriter) worked without credit for 10 years.
f.Huston moved to Ireland & gained Irish citizenship
Quotes
a.“Crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor”-Emerich
b.“Never trust a policeman. Just when you think one’s alright, he turns legit.”-Doc
c.“One way or another, we all work for our vice”. -Doc
d.“Frankly, I don’t like the guy, but I never met a hooligan I did like. They’re like left-handed pitchers. They all got a screw loose somewhere.” -Ciavelli
e.“Don’t bone me!”-Dix
Outline
Source Material
a.W.R. Burnett
i.Civil Servant in politically connected family in Ohio until 28
ii.Moved to Chicago after 100+ unpublished stories & 5 novels
1.Night clerk in seedy hotel
2.Thematically similar to Hammett & James M. Cain, but naturalistic, not stylized
iii.Little Caesar made his name. Novel in 1929/Film in ‘30
iv.Hollywood script writer: High Sierra (41) w/Huston, Wake Island (42)
1.Gangster: Scarface (dialogue), Beast of the City (story)
2.Noir: This Gun for Hire (42), The Racket (51)
v.Oscar Nom: Wake Island 1942 (John Farrow dir. Marines against Japan)
vi.Later: The Great Escape (‘62)
b.The Asphalt Jungle
i.Theme: Crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor
ii.Characterization: working class guys eeking out existence on the wrong side of the law
iii.Huston flipped perspective from cops (book) to criminals
iv.Characters
1.Dix: principled thief/”coiled angst”-Muller
2.Doc: Oggles girlie calendar, foreshadowing demise
3.Cobby: Not smart/doesn’t recognize Doc
v.Dialogue/Language: Matter of fact, but not hardboiled. Naturalistic?
1.Compared to Hemingway & Dos Passos
vi.“ Don’t bone me”, “hooligan”
vii.No Romanticism: Working class guys eaking out a living on the wrong side of the law
viii.Relationships (un-equal)
1.Dix/Doll
2.Emmerich/Monroe: Clearly transactional
3.Emmerich/Wife
Pre-Production
a.MGM
i.Louis B Mayer: “dirty ugly people, doing dirty ugly things. I wouldn’t cross the room to watch this picture”
1.Resigned in August 1951
ii.Dore Scharey: Head of Production
iii.MGM Noir: Postman Always Rings Twice (46), Act of Violence (48), Caught (49), Sidestreet (50), Tension (49), Johnny Eager (41)
b.Producer Arthur Hornblow Jr (1934-62 Career)
i.Gaslight, Witness for the Prosecution, Oklahoma
John Huston
- Top 10 Films: Treasure of Sierra Madre, Maltese Falcon, Misfits, Heaven Knows, Man Who Would, Night of Iguana, Key Largo, African Queen, Beat the Devil
c.Writing
i.Style
1.Small group of people who come together, but fails (common w/Burnett)
2.Credits: Jezebel (38), Sgt York (41), High Sierra (41)
d.Directing Style
i.Reserved/non flashy/naturalistic
ii.Impactful close-ups
iii.Static camera
e.1940’s Directing
i.War Service (Battle of San Pietro/ Let there be Light-PTSD) Five Came Back
ii.Maltese 41, Treasure of Sierra Madre 49, Key Largo, We Were Strangers
f.Post Asphalt Jungle Career
g.Awards: 15 Oscar Noms
i.Best Screenplay: 8 (Treasure win)
ii.Best Director: 5 (Treasure, Asphalt, African Queen, Moulin Rouge, Prizzi’s Honor
iii.Supporting Actor: 1 (The Cardinal-1963 Preminger)
iv.Best Picture: 1 (Moulin Rouge-52)
Production
a.Harold Rosson (Singin in the Rain, Wizard of Oz)
i.4 Oscar Noms
ii.Subtle & imaginative lighting
iii.Soft Noir lighting/Single light source-A POOL vs multiple pools
b.Miklos Rozsa
i.13 Oscar Noms, 3 Wins (Spellbound, Ben Hur, A Double Life)
ii.Noir Music: Double indemnity, The Killers, Criss Cross, Naked City, Brute Force
c.Walter Huston’s Death: Died during production. He was 66
Post-Production/Release
a.Themes
i.Crime is only a left handed form of Human Behavior
ii.Criminals are just working stiffs on the wrong side of the law
b.First time Huston’s name appeaard above the tile (A john Huston Film”
c.Released June 1st, 1950
i.$2 M BO $40,000 profit
d.Awards: 4 Oscar Noms: Director, Screenplay, Cinematography & Supporting Actor (Jaffe)
e.TV Show (1961) featured team of Detectives fighting organized crime, pilot lengthened into The Lawbreakers (1961). Jack Warden
Cast
a.Sterling Hayden (Dix Handley)
i.Left home at 16/sailed to Tahiti at ‘22
ii.Most beautiful man in movies on ‘46
iii.5th picture since returning from WWII
iv.1st of 8 Noirs: Johnny Guitar (54), Crime Wave, The Killing, Manhandled, Naked Alibi (Grahame), Suddenly, The Come On, Crime of Passion (Stanwyck)
v.General Ripper (Strangelove) & Cpt McClusky (Godfather)
b.Sam Jaffe (Doc Riedenshcnieder)
i.Primarily Broadway stage actor
ii.Blacklisted for 8 years (Huston brought him back in Barbarian & Geisha)
iii.Mad Grand Duke in The Scarlett Empress (vonSternberg)
iv.High Lama in Lost Horizon (Capra)
v.Gunga Din as Gunga Din(George Stevens-39)
c.Louis Calhern (Alonzo Emerich)
i.Duck Soup straight man
ii.Buffalo Bill in Annie Get Your Gun
iii.Died a month into shooting Teahouse of the August Moon & was replaced by Paulk Ford, who had created part on Broadway
d.Jean Hagen (Doll Conovan)
i.Singin’ in the Rain (Lina Lamont)
ii.Big Knife (’55)/Sunrise at Compabello (60)
iii.Moved mostly into TV in mid-50’s before dying at 54
e.Marc Lawrence (Cobby)
i.Noir Regular: I Walk Alone, Key Largo
f.Marilyn Monroe (Angela Phinlay) 95th Birthday June 1st
i.LOLA ALBRIGHT (Huston wanted her, but she wasn’t available (Champion)
ii.Casting
1.Story one: she read for the part, on the floor & blew Huston away
2.Story 2: He didn’t like her reading, but watched her walk out
3.Huston once said “Monroe is the only actress who can make an entrance by leaving a room”
4.Monroe’s 5th assignment
iii.Performance: 1 or 2 takes each scene. 5 minutes of screen time
iv.Reviews: “There’s a beautiful blonde named Marilyn Monroe. She makes the most of her footage” -Photoplay
v.Pre-Jungle films
1.Dropped by Fox in 1947
2.Ladies of the Chorus (’48), Love Happy (’49),
vi.Post Jungle Career
1.Don’t Bother to Knock (’52), Clash By Night (’52), Niagara (’53)
g.Anthony Caruso (Louis Ciavelli)
i.259 Credits
h.James Whitmore (Gus Minissi)
i.Shawshank Redemption (Brooks)/Battleground (Oscar nom)/Give em hell, Harry (Nom)
ii.Brad Dexter (Bob Brannon)
i.CAMEOS: Strother Martin (lineup)
- DANCING GIRL (Helene Stanley) MODEL FOR CINDERELLA & SLEEPING BEAUTY
Heist Film/Film Noir Legacy
- Heist Films as reflection of filmmaking process (collaboratively planned endevor)
- Precursors: The Killers (’46), Criss Cross (’49), White Heat (’49)
- Descendants
ii.The Killing 56: Stanley Kubrick (structure of script)
iii.Bob Le Flamuer 56: Jean-Pierre Melville
- 50’s Heist Films
e.Remakes: Badlanders (58), Cool Breeze (’72), Cairo (63)
Production Code
- Main concern was detailed depiction of robbery itself
c.Adhered to letter of the law, but not the spirit (sympathy for criminals)
d.Police lecture near conclusion lifted directly from the book.
HUAC/Blacklist Implications
a.Huston & Hayden were both members of the Committee for the First Amendment (ill-fated trip to DC in ’47)
b.Sam Jaffe: Accused of Communism & kept off screen for 8 years
c.Dorothy Tree (Emerich’s wife): Blacklisted
d.Hayden & Marc Lawrence reluctantly named names
1.Hayden regretted it the rest of his life
e.Ben Maddow (co-screenwriter) worked without credit for 10 years.
f.Huston moved to Ireland & gained Irish citizenship
Quotes
a.“Crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor”-Emerich
b.“Never trust a policeman. Just when you think one’s alright, he turns legit.”-Doc
c.“One way or another, we all work for our vice”. -Doc
d.“Frankly, I don’t like the guy, but I never met a hooligan I did like. They’re like left-handed pitchers. They all got a screw loose somewhere.” -Ciavelli
e.“Don’t bone me!”-Dix
