''The Gangster'' (aka ''Low Company'') is a 1947 American crime
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
starring
Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to:
*Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor
*Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia
*Barry Sullivan (lawyer), Chicago lawyer and ...
,
Belita
Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer and film actress.
Biography
Born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,Joan Lorring and
Akim Tamiroff
Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character act ...
. It was directed by
Gordon Wiles
Gordon Wiles (October 10, 1904 – October 17, 1950) was an American art director and film director. He won an Oscar for Best Art Direction for the film ''Transatlantic''. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father, Albert Wiles, was ...
, with a screenplay by Daniel Fuchs, based on his novel ''Low Company'' (1937).
Plot
Shubunka is a racketeer preying upon small-time operators on the New Jersey boardwalk. He has a girlfriend, Nancy Starr, a showgirl, and offers protection to a New York beachfront cafe owned by Nick Jammey. A more powerful rival, Cornell, seeks to take over Shubunka's operations and territory.
Karty, a regular customer, has gambling debts and has stolen money from his brothers-in-law's garage. He begs Shubunka for help but is refused. Dorothy, the cafe's cashier, quits her job, disillusioned by Shubunka's involvement in the rackets and concern for no one but himself.
Cornell wants to take over Shubunka's rackets. Jammey gives him inside information on Shubunka's organization. After a couple of Cornell's men beat him up on a picnic, Shubunka angrily accuses Nancy of having him set up. Karty has disappeared, meantime, but when his frantic wife appeals to Shubunka for help, he again infuriates Dorothy by saying no.
Karty gets into a fight with Jammey at the cafe and accidentally kills him with a skillet. Cornell mistakenly believes Shubunka to be responsible and goes after him. This time Nancy does betray Shubunka, having been bribed with a Broadway stage offer by Cornell.
Shubunka runs to Dorothy for help, but she declines, calling it
just deserts
Desert () in philosophy is the condition of being deserving of something, whether good or bad. It is sometimes called moral desert to clarify the intended usage and distinguish it from the dry desert biome. It is a concept often associated wi ...
for his unwillingness to help anyone else. With nowhere to hide, Shubunka is killed by Cornell in the street, just before the police arrive to place Cornell under arrest.
Cast
*
Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to:
*Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor
*Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia
*Barry Sullivan (lawyer), Chicago lawyer and ...
as Shubunka
*
Belita
Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer and film actress.
Biography
Born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,Joan Lorring as Dorothy
*
Akim Tamiroff
Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character act ...
Sheldon Leonard
Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter.
Early life
Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of middle-clas ...
Elisha Cook Jr.
Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American character actor famed for his work in films noir. According to Bill Georgaris of TSPDT: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in a total of 21 film n ...
Film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review, writing, "A Poverty Row crime melodrama that has its moments of traditional crime, but moves along not in the traditional way of tracing the rise and fall of its protagonist. Instead the film noir is more concerned with establishing a forlorn mood and being artistically stylish, as director Gordon Wiles (won an Oscar as art director for the 1931 '' Transatlantic'') creates a theatrical piece that is unnecessarily stagelike and much too pretentious for the modest storyline. It is adapted by screenwriter Daniel Fuchs from his book ''Low Company'', and much of its too arty nature is attributed by rumor to the uncredited role
Dalton Trumbo
James Dalton Trumbo (December 9, 1905 – September 10, 1976) was an American screenwriter who scripted many award-winning films, including ''Roman Holiday'' (1953), ''Exodus'', ''Spartacus'' (both 1960), and ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) ...
played in the screenplay."
'' TV Guide'' gave the film a positive review, writing, "''The Gangster'' is an offbeat entry in the film noir genre, one that places the accent on the psychological. Though at times muddled, the script strives to maintain a deeper approach than such films as '' The Public Enemy'' or ''Al Capone''. In its day this film was considered something of an artistic triumph..."
Film historian Blake Lucas, discussed the film noir aspects of the film, writing, ...''The Gangster'' is arty and affected, as director Gordon Wiles has gravitated toward the creation of a theatrical rather than a visual impression. A film - and the most visually exciting of film noir bear this out - can show discernment and restraint when there are pretentious aspects implicit in the material."Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward, eds. ''Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style,'' film noir analysis by Blake Lucas, page 111, 3rd edition, 1992. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press. .