Originally Posted by Turnbull
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950)

Doc Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe), master criminal just released from prison, blows into a Midwestern city with a plan for a big diamond heist. He connects with Emmerich (Louis Calhearn), crooked lawyer and doublecrosser, who'll fence the goods, and Cobby (Marc Lawrence), sniveling bookie who'll put up working capital. He also recruits a small gang to pull off the heist, including Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden, just about my favorite actor of this period), who'll supply strong-arm. The heist goes off almost perfectly, until a series of unforeseen mishaps takes everything down. This is one of John Huston's masterpieces, with a tight, film-noir-worthy script, superbly filmed with lots of deep focus, no music, and full of interesting characters and situations, played beautifully by a great cast. Marilyn Monroe has a bit part as Emmerich's dumb-blond mistress, and she's absolutely mesmerizing. A great movie.

I agree..watch it whenever it appears on TCM..


I didn't want to leave blood on your carpet...