''Underworld U.S.A.'' (also known as ''Underworld USA'') is a 1961 American

neo-noir Neo-noir is a film genre that adapts the visual style and themes of 1940s and 1950s American film noir for contemporary audiences, often with more graphic depictions of violence and sexuality. During the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the term ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

produced, written, and directed by

Samuel Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and actor. He was known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made outside t ...

. It tells the story of a 14-year-old boy who goes to enormous lengths to get revenge against the mobsters who beat his father to death. It stars

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film ''PT 109 (film), PT 109'', a ...

Dolores Dorn Dolores Dorn (March 3, 1934 – October 5, 2019) was an American film and television actress, who was the co-star of ''The Bounty Hunter (1954 film), The Bounty Hunter'' (1954), ''Uncle Vanya (1957 film), Uncle Vanya'' (1957), ''Underworld U.S. ...

, and Beatrice Kay.

Plot

The 14-year-old Tolly Devlin and his mother figure (Beatrice Kay) see four hoods beat his father to death. Tolly vows to avenge his father, but he discovers that Farrar, the one perpetrator he recognized when his father was being beaten, has been arrested and imprisoned for life. Tolly becomes a petty criminal and safecracker. Many years later, during a stint in prison, Tolly discovers that Farrar is on his deathbed in the prison medical ward. Tolly manipulates his way into the room and tricks Farrar into revealing the names of the other three killers before he dies. The remaining killers have risen to be powerful lieutenants in the crime syndicate, so Tolly works his way into their organization. In the process, he saves and then begins a romance with a low-level syndicate money-runner named Cuddles (Dolores Dorn). Becoming a secret informant for the police, Tolly ends up playing both sides in his cagey campaign to bring down the remaining mobsters. Tolly's machinations convince syndicate boss Connors to have each of the three lieutenants murdered by the syndicate's ruthless assassin, Gus. Having accomplished his goal, Tolly plans to go straight and marry Cuddles. The police warn him that without bringing down Connors, he has no chance of getting out alive, but Tolly does not believe them. As Tolly prepares to leave, Gus arrives and informs him that Connors has assigned them to kill Cuddles and several other innocent witnesses. Tolly realizes that Connors must be stopped. He knocks out Gus and turns him in to the police, and then confronts Connors and his men. Tolly kills Connors, but is shot during the struggle. He stumbles into an alley and dies.

Cast

as Tolly Devlin *

as Cuddles * Beatrice Kay as Sandy *

Paul Dubov Paul Dubov (October 10, 1918 – September 20, 1979) was an American radio, film and television actor as well as screenwriter. He frequently appeared in the works of Sam Fuller. Biography Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 ...

as Gela * Robert Emhardt as Earl Connors * Larry Gates as John Driscoll * Richard Rust as Gus Cottahee * Gerald Milton as Gunther * Allan Gruener as Smith

Production

Producer

Ray Stark Raymond Otto Stark (October 3, 1915 – January 17, 2004) was an American film producer and talent agent. Stark's background as a literary and theatrical agent prepared him to produce some of the most profitable films of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, ...

asked Fuller to write and direct a film based on the title of a magazine article written by Joseph F. Dinneen. Fuller also was inspired by a book, ''Here Is to Crime'', by newspaperman Riley Cooper.Fuller, Samuel. ''A Third Face'', Pages 383-384. Alfred A Knopf (2002). An opening scene with a ''Union of Prostitutes'' was deleted by Sam Briskin and other Columbia executives. Fuller's character Tolly is a loner motivated by revenge using the United States government and his own devices to even the score. Fuller heard the reaction of a real-life gangster who reportedly said, "If only ''my'' son would have that kind of affection for ''me''!"

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Dennis Schwartz liked the film, and wrote, "Samuel Fuller's revenge crime thriller is shot in the same brisk and violent manner he shoots his war films".

Legacy

A wanted poster of Tolly Devlin appears in a police station in Columbia's film of '' Sail a Crooked Ship'' (1961).

Preservation

The Academy Film Archive preserved ''Underworld U.S.A.'' in 2000.

References

External links

* * * * {{Samuel Fuller 1961 films 1960s crime thriller films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films 1960s English-language films Films about organized crime in the United States Films based on newspaper and magazine articles Films directed by Samuel Fuller Films scored by Harry Sukman Films with screenplays by Samuel Fuller American neo-noir films 1960s American films English-language crime thriller films