Movielogr

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Directed by John Huston

Crime

Most recently watched by sleestakk

Overview

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar “Doc” Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

Rated NR | Length 112 minutes

Actors

Sterling Hayden | Louis Calhern | Sam Jaffe | Jean Hagen | James Whitmore | John McIntire | Marc Lawrence | Barry Kelley | Anthony Caruso | Marilyn Monroe | Teresa Celli | William 'Wee Willie' Davis | Dorothy Tree | Brad Dexter | John Maxwell | Mary Anderson | Ray Bennett | David Bond | Chet Brandenburg | Benny Burt | Frank Cady | Jean Carter | Mack Chandler | David Clarke | John Cliff | Harry Cody | Gene Coogan | Henry Corden | Chuck Courtney | John Crawford | Ralph Dunn | Gene Evans | Pat Flaherty | Alex Gerry | Sol Gorss | Fred Graham | Don Haggerty | Eloise Hardt | Thomas Browne Henry | Wesley Hopper | George Lynn | Fred Marlow | Strother Martin | Patricia Miller | Howard M. Mitchell | Ralph Montgomery | Alberto Morin | Kerry O'Day | Raymond Roe | Henry Rowland | Tim Ryan | James Seay | Jack Shea | Charles Sherlock | J. Lewis Smith | J.J. Smith | Joseph Darr Smith | Helene Stanley | Ray Teal | Leah Wakefield | Harlan Warde | Jack Warden | William Washington | Constance Weiler | Judith Wood | Victor Wood | Wilson Wood | Jeff York

Viewing History (seen 2 times)

Date ViewedDeviceFormatSourceRating
07/10/2018Home TheaterBlu-rayOwned8 stars
07/24/2011TVStreamingVideo on Demand9 stars
 

Viewing Notes

The Asphalt Jungle is a brilliant piece of noir filmmaking by none other than John Huston, starring one of my favorite, criminally underrated actors, Sterling Hayden (who also starred in another classic noir, The Killing, by another great director, Stanley Kubrick) as Dix Handley.

Everything goes tragically wrong for almost everyone in this great heist film. While Marilyn Monroe gets mentioned a lot for her part in this film, the actress who plays Doll Conovan, Dix’s unrequited love, Jean Hagen, is great. She’s also quietly beautiful in an understated role.

The Asphalt Jungle would make a good noir double bill with The Killing. I’d love to own them both on Blu some day.

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