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The Racket

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It would be difficult to conjure a more cynical big city police story than "The Racket". One could argue that R is not truly "noir". It does possess a great background and atmosphere, though the Midwest location is never identified. R features two solid performances by the leads and an excellent supporting cast of both hard working cops and those on the other side of the law. Some add to the brew by playing "both sides". Robert Mitchum stands tall as a tough uncompromising Police Captain, standing for no nonsense on his watch. His phlegmatic persona is just right for the role. RM's polar opposite is the main bad guy (at least the most obvious one), Robert Ryan. RR tears up his scenes as a tough veteran hood, who thinks he can talk, bully or buy his way over or around the Law. Does he meet his match in Mitchum? Folks will just have to watch the movie but sparks will fly. Ray Collins is excellent as the venal DA, intent only on becoming a hand-picked judge. Robert Conrad plays an achingly dirty cop. Viewers-and Mitchum-wait for justice to awake and pinch these guys. A nice sub plot is provided by a romance twixt Lizabeth Scott and Ryan's brother. Liz is back to the good girl/bad girl role which best suits her. Another fine performance is that of Don Porter, Ryan's buttoned up, semi- Ivy League, boss. (Didn't he play Ann Sothern's boss on the old "Private Secretary" show?). According to Silver and Ward's "Film Noir", R had production problems thanks to interference from RKO boss Howard Hughes, with several rewrites and re-shootings. Those were not obvious to this reviewer. Cop movies don't get much better than "The Racket". Corruption, cynicism and all, most police officers are favorably portrayed here. This is a rare black and white release that would not suffer from colorization. Recommended!

For this 1951 version of "The Racket", executive producer Howard Hughes reworked the 1928 film "The Racket", which he had also produced. Both films are based on the popular Bartlett Cormack play that was a thinly disguised dramatization of Al Capone's organized crime operation in Prohibition-era Chicago. In stereotypical Howard Hughes fashion, this version of "The Racket" suffered from endless rewrites, reshoots, and multiple directors. John Cromwell got the directing credit, but Nicholas Ray did a lot of the reshoots, and there were several one-day directors in there too. If you notice discontinuities in the film, they are most likely due to reshoots. Sam Fuller wrote a script that Hughes rejected. William Wister Haines' script was accepted, but Hughes called on W.R. Burnett to do rewrites. Some of Howard Hughes' messy productions turned out great, but "The Racket" isn't one of them.

As the Congressional Crime Commission solicits cooperation from state politicians in fighting organized crime, the officials in this unnamed city have always thought it best to cooperate with the syndicate. An election is coming up, and city prosecutor Mortimer Welsh (Ray Collins) has been promised a county judgeship by the local racket. Police Captain Tom McQuigg (Robert Mitchum), an honest, stubborn anti-crime crusader, has just been transferred to the election district when a corrupt city official who was fingered by the Crime Commission is gunned down. McQuigg knows just where to look for the culprit. He pays a visit to crime boss Nick Scanlon (Robert Ryan), an old-school gangster who has little patience for the mob's new methods of using legitimate fronts and less conspicuous violence. McQuigg vows to see Nick pay for his crimes, but modernization of the syndicate may get him first.

Robert Ryan's performance is the reason to see "The Racket". It doesn't have much depth, but Ryan's commitment to his character steals the show. Robert Mitchum is phoning this one in. He seems bored and can't even manage a believable reaction shot. A lot of little stuff in this film doesn't make sense or seem to have a purpose. "The Racket" suffers from convolution in place and time. The play upon which it is based took place in 1920s Chicago. The bureaucratizing and legitimizing of the mob that are prominent in this version refer to the 1930s. And allusions to the Congressional Crime Commission place the film in the 1950s. It feels like a patchwork -and its editors would probably agree that it is. There is an interesting subplot about an ambitious cop (William Talman) who risks his family and his life for self-promotion. This is an awfully talented cast with a bad script -or, rather, scripts. It's too bad that Hughes didn't go with Sam Fuller's approach to the material instead.

The DVD (Warner Brothers 2006): The single bonus feature is a good audio commentary by film historian Eddie Muller. Muller discusses the history of both films and the play and compares them, the 3 different scripts for the film, the multiple directors and reshoots, Hughes relationships with the actors and directors, themes, cinematography, and shares some astute observations about what is good and what is bad in "The Racket". Subtitles are available for the film in English, French, and Spanish.

I'd never been able to get past the first couple of reels of The Racket on TV and it certainly looked like being the makeweight of Warner's new Film Noir collection, but once you get past the lunking Howard Hughes-imposed Nicholas Ray-directed prologue turns into a surprisingly engaging and gripping crime drama. Structurally it's certainly unusual, probably as a result of Hughes' typical interference - it's more than 17 minutes before Mitchum makes his entrance, and there are some sporadically awkward crosscuts to inserts shot by Ray and others after John Cromwell (who starred in the play the film was based on in the 1920s) had left.

Robert Ryan is surprisingly not quite there onscreen for once: not exactly bad, but somewhere between phoning it in and, in his early scenes at least, possibly drunk on set - his timing is slightly askew, his usual excellent instincts abandoned along with his sense of proportion in moments that are just a little over the top. But there's so much to admire that even the unlikely escalation of the feud between the two protagonists is carried along. There's a fine shootout in a garage, a neat car chase that sees the cops plow through a billboard for a mob-backed political candidate and a terrific death scene at the end. The supporting cast are intriguing too, with William Conrad's cop and Ray Collin's DA both corrupt but not so entirely that they're lost causes: they exist in a gray area that throws the leads into sharper relief.

Eddie Mueller's audio commentary is the only extra, but it's quite excellent and well worth listening to.

This is a review of RKO's THE RACKET (1951)which was directed by John Cromwell (& others). THE RACKET is the story of Captain Thomas McQuigg, police captian in an unamed large midwestern city, going after long-time crime boss Nick Scanlon, played by Robert Ryan in an apparent rivalry that goes back "to the old neighborhood." Some of this film seems a little archaic possibly because it is based on a 1928 film using virtually the same story, although this 1951 version is gussied up to include the stand- ins for the then modern day Senate Crime investigation chaired by Senator Estes Kefauver.

Captain McQuigg, played in a disinterested manner by Robert Mitchum, seems like he has a vendetta against Nick Scanlon but the Captain is so laid back some of the supporting players have to carry the anti-crime torch for him, specifically William Talman as young patrolman Officer Bob Johnson. In any event, it turns out that Nick Scanlon is only a foreman in the crime organization chain of command, there are other Mr Bigs who run things without most people knowing who or what they are. That's who the crime commission is finally trying to pin down in this somewhat disjointed expose of organized crime in Any Big City USA.

Howard Hughes, the man in charge at RKO at this time really made a mess of this film, eventually bringing in four other directors after John Cromwell was done, and no telling how many writers, including himself, probably.
THE RACKET is a film noir,let's call it a noir by committee, but more than that it is a big disappointment for anyone expecting to see a coherent, suspenseful crime film. This movie is really a waste of a lot of time, talent and money, unfortunately THE RACKET is a lot of noise signifying not very much.

Three Stars.

I order the DVD and it arrive very promptly, no long wait as initial I thought it would be. The disk was in the condition as stated and have had not problem. Yes, I would use the this vendor again without hesitation!

"The Racket" is a 1951 black and white crime film starring Robert Mitchum, Lizabeth Scott, and Robert Ryan. It was a re-make of the 1928 play and silent film of the same name in which a tough honest cop (Mitchum) tries to protect a key witness (Scott) against a mob leader (Ryan).

Robert Mitchum (1917-97) received his only Oscar nomination for "The Story of GI Joe", but movie fans know that Mitchum was a terrific actor who deserved far more acknowledgement, but his "bad boy" persona undoubtedly interfered. Mitchum's work in films like "The Night of the Hunter" (1955) and "Cape Fear" (1962) is ranked by AFI as among the top 100 villains of all time. I liked him best as the drunken sheriff in "El Dorado" (1966).

Robert Ryan (1909-73) co-stars as the gangster, a role originally played by Edward G Robinson. Ryan made nearly 100 films between 1940 and 1973. In his early years he often played a villain especially in film noir dramas ("Crossfire", "Act of Violence", "The Set Up"), then transitioned into the tough guy with a good heart role ("On Dangerous Ground"). My personal favorite Ryan role is Deke Thornton in "The Wild Bunch" (1969).

FWIW - Ryan and Mitchum appeared opposite each other in "Crossfire" (1947).

Sexy Lizabeth Scott (1922) was a staple in film noir of the 40s and 50s. Otfen promoted as a Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake clone, Scott had her own magic which is on display here only briefly. I liked her best in "Dead Reckoning" (1947), also directed by Cromwell.

Ray Collins (1889-1965) plays a corrupt DA. He appeared in "Citizen Kane", "The Magnificent Ambersons" and did a great job as the DA in "Touch of Evil" (1958) which was his last film before moving to TV where he appeared as Lt. Tragg on "Perry Mason". Collins puts in his usual excellent job. A truly reliable and formidable character actor for his entire career, when Collins is on the screen he demands your attention.

Another future Perry Mason player appears in this film - William Tallman (1915-68) who plays an honest cop. Tallman made a dozen B films in the 50s before transitioning to TV.

William Conrad (1920-94) plays a corrupt detective. Conrad is best known to us as the star of TV's "Cannon" (1971-1976). "The Killers" (1946) was his film debut, and he followed it with dozens of films until the 60s when his attention turned to TV. In addition to acting, Conrad provided voiceover for "The Fugitive", "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and "This Man Dawson".

Director John Cromwell (1887-1979) made nearly 50 films from 1929 to 1961, but he was particularly busy in the 30s when he made "Tom Sawyer" (1930), "Of Human Bondage" (1934), "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937), and "The Adventures of Marco Polo" (1938). When not directing he was a busy actor, especially on Broadway where he won a Tony in 1952 for "Point of No Return".

FWIW - Cromwell originally appeared in the Mitchum role in the 1928 silent film on which this 1951 film is based.

Nicholas Ray (1911-79) worked on the film. Ray is best known for "Rebel Without a Cause" (1956) for which he received an Oscar nomination (winner Delbert Mann for "Marty"). He also received a Cannes Film Festival nomination for "The Savage Innocents" (1960) and Venice Film Festival nominations for "Bitter Victory" (1957) and "Bigger than Life" (1956). My absolute favorite Ray film is the western "Johnny Guitar" (1954).

1951 was a good year for films. The top grossing films were "Quo Vadis", "Alice in Wonderland", "Show Boat", "A Streetcar Named Desire", and "David and Bathsheba". Oscars went to "The Quiet Man" (Director), "High Noon" (Actor), "Come Back Little Sheba" (Actress), "The Greatest Show on Earth" (Picture), and "Viva Zapata" (Supporting Actor). Other notable releases that year included "The African Queen", "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Murder Inc", and "A Place in the Sun".
Bosley Crowther of the NY Times called the plot "unoriginal" and the direction "uninspiring". He was equally unimpressed with the acting.

The film is often mis-labeled as "film noir". There is nothing film norrish about this film. It is a typical crime drama from the early 50s and reflects society's concern about "the syndicate" expanding its influence. In the real world, the Kefauver investigation was looking into this.

Apart from being repetitious the film also suffers from Mitchum's performance. Mitchum was at his best as a flawed human being ("El Dorado") or as an outright villain ("Night of the Hunter") and his heroic roles were always problematic. Ryan, on the other hand, is at his psychopathic best. There's a scene with Mitchum in which Ryan chews an apple with the kind of aggression you'd shoot a gun.

This film will appeal to Robert Ryan fans and to fans of crime dramas from the 50s. Film noir fans be warned - this is not film noir, nor anything close.

Bottom line - an OK crime drama from the 50s, but you've seen it all before.

"The Racket" has all the cliché's of bad guys bribing City Hall to keep their crimes unpunished. The good cop, Thomas McQuigg (Robert Mitchum) knows the crime boss Nick Scanlon (Robert Ryan) from younger days. Nick has made tons of money in crime, and Nick is just a middle class cop with high degree of ethics. They meet and confront each other as crimes increase and become more deadly. Nick's bosses in politics want him to use less violence and Thomas refuses to be bribed to stay out of his way. Complications arise when a sultry nightclub singer becomes engaged to Nick's brother. This enrages Nick, and he wants her out of the way.

The movie was made in 1951, black and white, and has several stars you may recognize from the early 1960's TV Shows. Overall it is the right length and interesting, although this type of plot has been in many movies.

This Howard Hughes production has its moments, but it's mostly a confusing mess - the result of multiple writers and directors as Hughes tinkered with this remake of a 1920s version of the same story. Ryan, Mitchum, Scott, and William Talman (plus a scene-stealing William Conrad) are fine, but the holes in the complicated plot are many, and the patchwork efforts meant to disguise them create problems of their own. For real entertainment and insight into the making of the film and the careers of the players, listen to the commentary by Eddie Muller. It's an education in film noir and the mid-century studio system all by itself.

The Racket, no noir just a big city crime story, is as predictable as a fig newton. Still, in some ways the movie as like finding out at first bite that your fig newton is made with pumpkin.

Captain Tom McQuigg (Robert Mitchum) is a big, tough cop in charge of a go-nowhere precinct. He's been bounced from precinct to precinct, not because he's a failure but because he's honest. His city is filled with corruption, vice, the numbers...you name it. Nick Scanlon (Robert Ryan), just as big a guy as McQuigg, just as tough and with a preference for violence, has run the city for years. Scanlon and McQuigg have a history that goes way back. Scanlon has the city under his thumb. It's Scanlon who sees to it that McQuigg gets the worst assignments and the lousiest precinct. If McQuigg won't play the game, Scanlon will make his life as hard as he can. Recently Scanlon has started a partnership with a big, out-of-town syndicate run by The Chief, a man no one knows. The Syndicate wants to grow opportunities in Scanlon's territory and Scanlon wants more of the big-time. It's a partnership as unstable as a one-legged man on a merry-go-round. And it looks like only Captain Tom McQuigg is determined enough and smart enough to stop Scanlon in his tracks.

There's nothing here that hasn't been done over and over. Director John Cromwell, however, keeps the clichés from bumping into each other too often. The story moves briskly along. But it's Mitchum and Ryan who make the movie worth watching. They're the unexpected pumpkin in the stale fig newton. Mitchum had finished his debt to society after his marijuana bust. Studio owner Howard Hughes wanted Mitchum in a role that would be on the side of the angels, with no fooling around on the other side. So Mitchum is a relentless good guy. He has no romantic interest except, seen one or twice, a good-looking, brave, supportive wife who Mitchum honors and loves. Mitchum's McQuigg plays by the book and even gives a speech or two condemning corruption. He's smart and clever, but his tricks to capture Scanlon are all aboveboard. Opposing him is Robert Ryan, who winds up playing a crook who is almost a psychopath. Scanlon cares for his younger brother, but slaps the kid around. He takes out inconvenient witnesses. He doesn't mind ordering a cop killed and doesn't mind doing the killing himself if need be. At times, he gets really, really mad.

Mitchum and Ryan were big men. When they face off with others in the room, the others look small. While this movie isn't all that good, both men give solid performances and neither, in my view, is able to outshine or out act the other. Mitchum had plenty of star charisma by the time the movie was made. Ryan has plenty of actor charisma. I wound up watching them both and wondering what either of them would do next.

The Racket is not an especially interesting movie, but Mitchum and Ryan give it what class it has. They played together in Crossfire, a film worth watching, with both men contributing a lot to that good movie. Lizabeth Scott, given little to do as a nightclub singer who turns on Scanlon, makes what she can of a seriously underwritten part.

If you're a Robert Ryan fan, you might be interested in these lesser known films of his: The Woman on the Beach ( Una Mujer en la playa ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ], The Set-Up, On Dangerous Ground, Inferno and The Day of the Outlaw. They're worth tracking down.

Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan are childhood buddies who find themselves on opposite ends of the law in the above average film noir crime drama "The Racket". Mitchum stars as police Captain Tom McQuigg, a rare honest cop in a city replete with officials on the take. Ryan, playing Nick Scanlon is a gangster fond of strong arm tactics and heading up a crime syndicate controlling the city.

Ryan is rampaging through town until he brazenly shoots and kills one of Mitchum's star police officers Bob Johnson played by William Talman, better known as Hamilton Burger, the prosecutor on TV's Perry Mason, in the precinct house. Mitchum's subsequent investigation sends Ryan's syndicate tumbling down like a house of cards. Ray Collins and Robert Conrad play the corrupt prosecutor and investigator respectively who get swept up by the crime commission. Lizabeth Scott plays chanteuse Irene Ryan, finance of Ryans younger brother. who turns witness against the syndicate.