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The Racket (1927 Film)
''The Racket'' is a 1928 American silent crime drama film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Thomas Meighan, Marie Prevost, Louis Wolheim, and George E. Stone. The film was produced by Howard Hughes, written by Bartlett Cormack and Tom Miranda, and was distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was adapted from Cormack's 1927 Broadway play '' The Racket''. Plot Chicago Police Department officer James "Mac" McQuigg tries to keep the peace in Chicago during the Prohibition gang wars but is hampered by massive corruption. After a shootout McQuigg manages to arrest mob boss Nick Scarsi's henchman Spike Corcoran, the political boss "The Old Man" arranges to have all charges dropped. After a birthday party for Nick Scarsi's younger brother Joe Scarsi ends in a shootout in which Nick Scarsi kills Corcoran, McQuigg arrests Nick Scarsi for murder but is forced to release him after being unable to find the murder weapon. Although McQuigg vows to bring down Nick Scarsi, he gets transf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone (born Leib Milstein (Russian: Лейб Мильштейн); September 30, 1895 – September 25, 1980) was an American film director. Milestone directed '' Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) and '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1930), both of which received the Academy Award for Best Director. He also directed '' The Front Page'' (1931), '' The General Died at Dawn'' (1936), ''Of Mice and Men'' (1939), '' Ocean's 11'' (1960), and received the directing credit for '' Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1962), though Marlon Brando largely appropriated his responsibilities during its production. Early life Lev or Leib Milstein was born in Kishinev, capital of Bessarabia, Russian Empire (now Chișinău, Moldova), into a wealthy, distinguished family of Jewish heritage. Milstein received his primary education at Jewish schools, reflecting his parents' liberal social and political orientation, and including a study of several languages. Milstein's family discouraged his early l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Racket Film Poster
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic pronoun ''thee'') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Government Of Chicago
The government of the City of Chicago, Illinois, United States is divided into executive and legislature, legislative branches. The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive, elected by general election for a term of four years, with no term limits. The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments. In addition to the mayor, Chicago's two other citywide elected officials are the City Clerk of Chicago, City Clerk and the City Treasurer of Chicago, City Treasurer. The Chicago City Council, City Council is the legislative branch and is made up of 50 alderpersons, one elected from each wards of the United States, ward in the city. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions and approves the city budget. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance usually adopted each November. Organization Generally speaking, the mayor and city departments comprise the Executive (governmen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Darrow
John Darrow (born Harry Simpson; 17 July 1907 – 24 February 1980) was an American actor of the late silent and early talking film eras. He is the uncle of actress Barbara Darrow. Biography Born in Leonia, New Jersey in 1907, Darrow began acting in theater with a stock company, right after graduating high school. Shortly after, he would begin his film career with a featured role in the 1927 silent film, ''High School Hero''. After several films with featured roles, he was cast as the lead in 1931's '' The Lady Refuses'', which co-stars Betty Compson and was directed by George Archainbaud. He would spend the next five years in leading man or featured roles, before retiring from acting in 1935. He would appear in five films that year, although four of them were produced in 1934. His final screen appearance would be in a supporting role in ''Annapolis Farewell''. Although he retired from acting, he did not leave the film industry and instead continued on to become a very succes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lee Moran
Lee Moran (June 23, 1888 – April 24, 1961) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. Moran was active in vaudeville before he began performing in films at Nestor Studios in 1909. He transcended the silent film era of motion pictures to the talkies. Moran appeared in more than 460 films, directed 109 and wrote for 92 between 1912 and 1935. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was often paired with actor Eddie Lyons. The two made one- and two-reel comedic films together for 10 years. Moran retired from films in 1936. Moran's wife, Esther, sued him for divorce, but her attorneys asked that the suit be dismissed in September 1922. The couple agreed to an out-of-court settlement. He died from a heart ailment on April 24, 1961, in Woodland Hills, California. He is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery. Selected filmography *'' When the Heart Calls'' (1912) *''Almost a Rescue'' (1913) *''Almost an Actress'' (1913) *'' An Elephant on His Hands'' (1913) *'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard "Skeets" Gallagher
Richard "Skeets" Gallagher (July 28, 1891 – May 22, 1955) was an American actor. He had blue eyes and his naturally blond hair was tinged with gray from the age of 16. Biography Gallagher was born on July 28, 1891 in Terre Haute, Indiana. As a child he was nicknamed Skeets, short for mosquito, because of his frequent speedy bursts of running. Gallagher was educated at Rose Polytechnic Institute and Indiana University. He first studied civil engineering and then law. His stage career began by writing a one-act skit that he took to a local theatre group. He started acting in vaudeville, and later signed with Paramount Pictures. He appeared in Frank Capra's first feature film '' For the Love of Mike'' (1927), a silent film now considered a lost film, and in several early sound films. He died on May 22, 1955 in Santa Monica, California from a heart attack. Gallagher campaigned for the reelection of President Herbert Hoover in 1932. Partial filmography *'' The Daring Ye ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam De Grasse
Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse. Biography Samuel Alfred De Grasse was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick to Lange De Grasse and Helene ( Comeau), both of French-Canadian descent. He trained to be a dentist, and married Annie McDonnell in 1904. Their daughter, Clementine Bell, was born in 1906. Annie died in 1909 while giving birth to another daughter, Olive, who also died. In 1910, Samuel was practicing dentistry and he and his daughter Clementine were living in Providence, Rhode Island along with his older sister, Mrs. Clementine Fauchy, and her 14-year-old son, Jerome Fauchy. He married British actress Ada Fuller Golden and became a step-father to her three children. His own elder brother, Joe, went into the fledgling movie business and Sam decided to also give it a try. He traveled to New York City and, in 1912, he appeared in his first motion picture. At first he played ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Sedley (actor)
Henry McDonald Sedley (1881–1962) was an American actor. He caused the death of a fellow student while a freshman at Yale University in 1901, which may have been the reason for a young woman being banned by her grandmother from marrying him. Prior to achieving fame in silent film, he owned several racehorses and was a champion jockey. Born in New York in 1881, he attended St. Paul's school, Andover, and the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale University, though he did not complete a degree at Yale. He bought a 70 foot racing yacht from Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and was described as a bon vivant. When a freshman at Yale in 1901, he caused the death of a classmate, Edward F. Corrigan. He was expelled from Yale in the aftermath. In 1907 he reached a settlement for $300. About the same time, Oliver Barnes, a wealthy friend from Reno, Nevada, took Sedley under his wing and assisted his transition into the film industry. In 1912, he was in the news when a young woman's grandmother forba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lucien Prival
Lucien Prival (July 14, 1901 – June 3, 1994) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1926 and 1953. Born in New York City, Prival was the son of a German mother and a Russian father. From 1912-1919 he lived with his family in Berlin. After returning to New York, Lucien worked as a salesman in an art store until he was able to land a small role on the stage.Los Angeles Times, February 2, 1927, page a11 He signed with First National Pictures. Partial filmography * ''Puppets'' (1926) - Frank * '' The Great Deception'' (1926) - Von Markow * '' A Man of Quality'' (1926) - Spanish Joe * '' High Hat'' (1927) - Minor Role * ''The Patent Leather Kid'' (1927) - The German Officer * '' American Beauty'' (1927, lost film) - Gillespie * '' The Racket'' (1928) - Chick * ''Adoration'' (1928) - Baron * '' The Peacock Fan'' (1929) - Dr. Chang Dorfman * '' Party Girl'' (1930) - Paul Newcast * '' In the Next Room'' (1930) - French Exporter * '' Hell's Angels'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Political Machine
In the politics of representative democracies, a political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives (such as money or political jobs) and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity. The machine's power is based on the ability of the boss or group to get out the vote for their candidates on election day. While these elements are common to most political parties and organizations, they are essential to political machines, which rely on hierarchy and rewards for political power, often enforced by a strong party whip structure. Machines sometimes have a political boss, typically rely on patronage, the spoils system, "behind-the-scenes" control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. Machines typically are organized on a permanent basis instead of a single election or event. The term "machine" usually is used by its reform-minded enemies in a pej ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Habeas Corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to bring the prisoner to court, to determine whether their detention is lawful. ''Habeas corpus'' is generally enforced via writ, and accordingly referred to as a writ of ''habeas corpus''. The writ of ''habeas corpus'' is one of what are called the "extraordinary", "common law", or " prerogative writs", which were historically issued by the English courts in the name of the monarch to control inferior courts and public authorities within the kingdom. The writ was a legal mechanism that allowed a court to exercise jurisdiction and guarantee the rights of all the Crown's subjects against arbitrary arrest and detention. At common law the burden was usually on the official to prove that a detention was authorized. ''Habeas corpus'' has cert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corruption In The United States
Corruption in the United States is the act of government officials Political corruption, abusing their political powers for private gain, typically through bribery or other methods, in the United States government. Corruption in the United States has been a perennial political issue, peaking in the Jacksonian era and the Gilded Age before declining with the reforms of the Progressive Era. As of 2025, the United States scores 65 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean") according to Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index. When ranked by score, the United States ranks 28th among the 180 countries in the index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. History 18th century Corruption in the United States dates back to the founding of the country. The American Revolution was, in part, a response to the perceived corruption of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchy. Separation of powe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
