IMDb RATING
7.3/10
5.7K
YOUR RATING
A crusading district attorney finally gets a chance to prosecute the organizer and boss of Murder Inc.A crusading district attorney finally gets a chance to prosecute the organizer and boss of Murder Inc.A crusading district attorney finally gets a chance to prosecute the organizer and boss of Murder Inc.
Ted de Corsia
- Joseph Rico
- (as Ted De Corsia)
Michael Tolan
- James (Duke) Malloy
- (as Lawrence Tolan)
Bob Steele
- Herman
- (as Robert Steele)
Richard Bartell
- Police Records Clerk
- (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
- Ambulance Attendant
- (uncredited)
Helen Brown
- Landlady
- (uncredited)
Benny Burt
- Undetermined Secondary Role
- (uncredited)
Susan Cabot
- Nina Lombardo
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Bretaigne Windust
- Raoul Walsh(uncredited)
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe death of the "Joe Rico" character in a fall from a building parallels the real-life death (in 1941) of Abe Reles (aka "Kid Twist"), an underworld killer whose arrest the previous year led authorities first to discover the existence of the organization popularly dubbed "Murder Inc." in the newspapers. Reles, in order to avoid execution in the electric chair, agreed to testify against the organization after submitting to a police interrogation about it, which famously took a full two weeks to complete, so exhaustive were his recollections. However, he never appeared on the stand, dying --after falling or being pushed out of a window in the hotel where he was staying---the day before he was due to appear. The film depicts Rico's death as a tragic accident, but it is more than likely that Reles' death was murder--one which, furthermore, almost certainly had the collusion of corrupt police officers, although this was never proved.
- GoofsThere is no explanation given as why Rico's recorded confession and the murder attempt the night of his death cannot stand in court to convict Mendoza.
- Quotes
[Big Babe Lazich has just been invited to join Rico's gang. While he is waiting, he notices that Rico is always on the phone]
Babe Lazich: Who calls him on the phone?
Philadelphia Tom Zaca: If you're a good swimmer, you can ask the guy who found out. He's at the bottom of the river.
[He grins]
- ConnectionsFeatured in Bullets Over Hollywood (2005)
Featured review
Fast, Tough, and Unsentimental
Bogart may be the star, but it's De Corsia who supplies the vitality. The opening sequence remains a riveting case study in wild-eyed fear, as Rico (de Corsia) sweats a bucket load even though he's safely behind police walls. He's got good reason to sweat. The real life character that Rico appears based on, Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, ended up dead in police custody, somehow falling from a fifth story window before testifying against Murder Inc. How convenient.
This may not be the Warner Bros. of the 1930's, but it's still fast, tough, and unsentimental. And when killer Digger lets out a yelp knowing his turn has come, I was chilled to the bone and without need of fancy special effects. If the first 15 minutes amounts to paranoia run amok, the last amounts to suspense in spades as a cold-eyed killer stalks an unsuspecting girl along crowded city streets.
What a great cast of character parts-- plug-ugly psycho Jack Lambert all wrapped up in ice and apparently loving it; Fatso Zero Mostel auditioning as an assassin but serving as a kick-me doorstop instead; and a menacing Bob Steele brandishing a revolver instead of his usual six-gun, along with such familiar yet unsung faces as police chief Roy Roberts and detective King Donovan who gets an unscheduled face wash and without a towel. District attorney Bogart's good too, blending in nicely instead of trying to hog the screen as major stars sometimes do.
No romantic clinches here, just a chilling tale about an ambitious guy with a bright idea that can't be advertised in the Yellow Pages. Things get pretty complicated trying to fit the flashbacks into the unfolding events, but it all comes together in the end. Can't say I was impressed, however, by the key that unlocks the puzzle. Seems pretty far-fetched and certainly wouldn't work in these days of colorized contacts. Nonetheless, this is a surprisingly tense and uncompromised look at touchy subject that's since become familiar, but still merits a look-see.
This may not be the Warner Bros. of the 1930's, but it's still fast, tough, and unsentimental. And when killer Digger lets out a yelp knowing his turn has come, I was chilled to the bone and without need of fancy special effects. If the first 15 minutes amounts to paranoia run amok, the last amounts to suspense in spades as a cold-eyed killer stalks an unsuspecting girl along crowded city streets.
What a great cast of character parts-- plug-ugly psycho Jack Lambert all wrapped up in ice and apparently loving it; Fatso Zero Mostel auditioning as an assassin but serving as a kick-me doorstop instead; and a menacing Bob Steele brandishing a revolver instead of his usual six-gun, along with such familiar yet unsung faces as police chief Roy Roberts and detective King Donovan who gets an unscheduled face wash and without a towel. District attorney Bogart's good too, blending in nicely instead of trying to hog the screen as major stars sometimes do.
No romantic clinches here, just a chilling tale about an ambitious guy with a bright idea that can't be advertised in the Yellow Pages. Things get pretty complicated trying to fit the flashbacks into the unfolding events, but it all comes together in the end. Can't say I was impressed, however, by the key that unlocks the puzzle. Seems pretty far-fetched and certainly wouldn't work in these days of colorized contacts. Nonetheless, this is a surprisingly tense and uncompromised look at touchy subject that's since become familiar, but still merits a look-see.
Helpful•152
- dougdoepke
- Jun 22, 2008
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Svedok mora da umre
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,109,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 27 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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