Search - The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle is a brilliantly conceived and executed anatomy of a crime -- or, as director John Huston and scripter Ben Maddow put it, "a left-handed form of human endeavor." Recently paroled master criminal Erwin "Doc" Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe), with funding from crooked attorney Emmerich (Louis Calhern), gathers several crooks together in Cincinnati for a Big Caper. Among those involved are Dix (Sterling Hayden), an impoverished hood who sees the upcoming jewel heist as a means to finance his dream of owning a horse farm. Hunch-backed cafe owner (James Whitmore) is hired on to be the driver for the heist; professional safecracker Louis Ciavelli (Anthony Caruso) assembles the tools of his trade; and a bookie (Marc Lawrence) acts as Emmerich's go-between. The robbery is pulled off successfully, but an alert night watchman shoots Ciavelli. Corrupt cop (Barry Kelley), angry that his "patsy" (Lawrence) didn't let him in on the caper, beats the bookie into confessing and fingering the other criminals involved. From this point on, the meticulously planned crime falls apart with the inevitability of a Greek tragedy. Way down on the cast list is Marilyn Monroe in her star-making bit as Emmerich's sexy "niece"; whenever The Asphalt Jungle would be reissued, Monroe would figure prominently in the print ads as one of the stars. The Asphalt Jungle was based on a novel by the prolific W.R. Burnett, who also wrote Little Caesar and Saint Johnson (the fictionalized life story of Wyatt Earp). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sterling Hayden - Dix Handley
Louis Calhern - Alonzo D. Emmerich
James Whitmore - Gus Ninissi
Jean Hagen - Doll Conovan
Sam Jaffe - Doc Erwin Riedenschneider

1950	Best Film - Any Source (nominee)	British Academy of Film and Television	John Huston
1950	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	John Huston
1950	Best Director (nominee)	Golden Globe	John Huston
1950	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Ben Maddow
1950	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	John Huston
1950	Best Cinematography - Black and White (nominee)	Golden Globe	Harold Hal Rosson
1950	Best Black and White Cinematography (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Harold Hal Rosson
1950	Best Director (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	John Huston
1950	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Ben Maddow
1950	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	John Huston
1950	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Sam Jaffe
1950	Best Director (winner)	National Board of Review	John Huston
1950	International Prize for Best Actor (winner)	Venice International Film Festival	Sam Jaffe

John Huston's crime film The Asphalt Jungle arrives on DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. English and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Mono. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by star James Whitmore and film noir expert Drew Casper, an introduction by John Huston compiled from vintage materials, and the theatrical trailer. This fine disc is also available as part of a five-disc box set featuring other film noir classics like Out of the Past and The Set-Up. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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