Truly Dreadful Film

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

He got in early in his life, so now the only way out is a barrage of bullets in the back. He's Barry Sullivan, as tough a mob boss as you could ever find, and there's no Don Corleone politeness or Long Island mansion to hide in with the facade of legitimacy. There's nothing polite about the characters in this poetic but ultra gritty film noir that shows each of the main characters at their most vile, recreating New York City locations including an elevated train running, the Astor Place stop and an abandoned wharf where the violence gets pretty deadly. The fictional Neptune City is a unique replacement for similar beach communities like Coney Island and Atlantic City where corruption like this doesn't seem too far fetched. There really isn't a linear plot, but a series of events where the shadows of the city seems to emulate the darkness of the character's minds. This takes every film noir cliché and triples them, even more gritty than the classics made up until that time. This seems to be the kind of film that I could watch over and over and pick up new things each time. It's a living nightmare for Sullivan as he slips further and further into despair. While Joan Lorring and Belita are fine as the hard-boiled female characters, it's Harry Morgan, Sheldon Leonard and Akim Tamiroff in male supporting roles who get the raves. But the real stars are the script and the photography, perfect and moody in every way. In fact, just thinking about those technical aspects made me up my rating just by thinking about it.

What a load of awful characters. Charles McGraw is good as always with a brief appearance as a thug as is Sheldon Leonard (Cornell) as a gangster boss. Outside of these two, the only others of any note are Fifi D'Orsay as an elderly suitor for the idiotic character that is Harry Morgan's soda jerk. She gets one brief scene which provides the funniest moments of the film as she throws him out of her apartment. The other cast member of note is an uncredited Shelley Winters who plays a cashier for about 30 seconds of screen time. Given that most of the film contains the other lot in this film, that's not a good sign.The film follows unpleasant Barry Sullivan (Shubunka) as he loses hold of his small-time crime empire. It's impossible to identify with him just as it is impossible to identify with anyone else. The film is boring and confusing at the beginning as the dialogue isn't delivered in a particularly clear manner. I'm not going to namecheck the duds in this film as it would take too long. Didn't care for any of the characters and the story wasn't too gripping. A waste of time for all involved. I guessed the girlfriend Belita (Nancy) plot line pretty early on so no mystery there either. She also sings a boring song.

After the 1946 success of their million dollar musical noir SUSPENSE Monogram and their A grade production name ALLIED ARTISTS repeated their Barry Sullivan and Belita pairing plus many excellent sets and camera angles in a truly strange crime drama THE GANGSTER. Typical of their urban style and effort to make socially arresting films (BLACK GOLD, HIGH TIDE, and later PHENIX CITY STORY)I find I am quite haunted by this grim and emotional portrayal of a doomed big shot draining mentally and emotionally in his seaside square mile of crummy crim competition. It is almost as if everyone in this film acts as though he is sure they are trying to cause him to have a mental breakdown. Sullivan is a career criminal on the very edge of insanity brought on by just a plain lousy life of struggle, arguing and ratty behavior. His affair with the incredibly gorgeous Belita (of skating fame) is racked with his paranoia and melancholy at best. It is as if his falling in love with her is causing his mind to unravel and local thugs know it. THE GANGSTER is a very well made film and genuinely emotionally interesting. It is NOT as the title suggests, a 'gangster film' however it is quite a sad and tortured tale depicting the tragic shattering in slow motion of a big man's heart and mind as he realizes (or just thinks that) his world is crumbling. The scenes at the beach promenade with Belita dressed all in white offer the viewer genuine beauty. She is sublimely dressed and photographed all through this handsome film. In fact she reminded me of a young Gertrude Lawrence: Belita was British and a champion skater at a young age throughout the UK before coming to Monogram when only about 19 years old. She just died, in 2006 at about 82 years old. Barry Sullivan is a revelation. THE GANGSTER is one of the most interesting psychological dramas made, given that it is set within his mind, hence the fake looking world he inhabits (stylised sets etc). He has fallen in love and knows he doesn't deserve it or control it, thus causing emotional fright and mental collapse. What a topic! Good movie, this!

As a film noir entousiasme, I don't rate this film on the top ten of the genre. But it has some moments. Some great shots by Cinematographer Paul Ivano that would deserve being laminated and hanged on a wall. I'll let you notice them. Also check out a young 24 years old Shelley Winter with a 10 seconds scene as a waitress. In brief a movie carried by cinematography more than acting, by atmosphere more than by a script.