October, 1932 - Talented actor Paul Muni seemingly had proved his worth to Fox with his 1929 debut in The Valiant as well as later that year with a seven character portrayal in Seven Faces. However, Fox decided to let the actor go where he appeared next in the Broadway hit Counselor-at-Law.
It was after his Broadway success that Director Howard Hawks decided to cast Muni as the lead in the Warner classic gangster film Scarface, loosely based on real-life gangster Al Capone. The film and Muni's performance were loved by audiences.
Later that same year Paul Muni again starred for Warner Brothers in the acclaimed hit I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang based on the harrowing autobiographical experiences of Robert E. Burns.
Fox's loss was a huge gain for Warner Brothers and for actor Paul Muni who now had a contract that allowed him to approve his own material.
Starring – Paul Muni (Antonio ‘Tony’ Camonte), Ann Dvorak (Francesca ‘Cesca’ Camonte), Karen Morley (Poppy), Osgood Perkins (John ‘Johnny’ Lovo), C. Henry Gordon (Inspector Ben Guarino), George Raft (Guino Rinaldo), Boris Karloff (Gaffney).
Description - A classic gangster film with a simple premise. Rival gangs fighting over control of the city. Gangster Tony Camonte is looking to rise to the top of his profession, and it’s doesn’t hurt that he happens to be insanely violent.
In the world of organized crime, be careful what you ask for. Tony’s ruthless ambition has the police breathing down his neck and has resulted in strong dissatisfaction among the other crime bosses.
In addition, Tony’s overprotected sister Cesca is looking to become more independent and may have taken up with another gangster.
NOTABLE: In 1994 this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
The movie is based loosely on the life of Al Capone who liked the film so much he had his own print. As much as he enjoyed the similarities, it was rumored that some of Capone’s men visited writer Ben Hect to be sure the story wasn’t too close to real life.
Disturbed by the violence and the possibility of glamorizing a gangster the Hays Office demanded a rewrite of the script. In defiance, Producer Howard Hughes ordered Director Howard Hawks to shoot the film as realistic and grisly as possible.
The filming was cursed by several accidents; one of which was the accidental shooting with live ammunition of comedian Harold Lloyd’s brother Gaylord who lost an eye.
Look for the letter ‘X’ to be prominently used whenever a murder takes place.
This was one of the first films to feature the use of a ‘tommy gun,’ the Thompson Machine Gun.
This motion picture is rated #6 in AFI’s 10 Greatest Gangster Films.
Personal Comment: If you are a fan of the Crime/Gangster genre this film is a must. Along with Little Caesar, The Public Enemy, and The Roaring Twenties, the years 1931 and 1932 were the year of the gangster.
In 1983 Brian De Palma remade Scarface with Al Pacino and the film went on to become a cult favorite.
Cold-blooded murder, gang wars and explosions – was it a Hollywood production? No, it was the streets of Chicago during the 1920′s. The publics fascination with real crime and gangsters was a guilty pleasure that helped generate huge profits for Hollywood. What was happening on the streets during the 20′s would fuel the popularity of the crime and gangster movie genre in the 1930′s and 1940′s. So much so, that a new classification of movie emerged – film noir.
The history of the crime and gangster movie has its roots in the silent films of the early part of the 20th century. However, it wasn’t until the late 1920′s through the 30′s that these films became a bit more lifelike to moviegoers. The high-profile existence of actual gangsters, their crimes, and the amount of puplicity they received caused this movie genre to flourish. These included notorious names such as Al Capone and John Dillinger. Gangsters became as widely identifiable to the general public as presidents. On the movie screen, these characters were often portrayed as being money hungry, violent and inclined to shoot first and ask questions later. Film-goers loved it!
