Underworld (1927)
Boisterous gangster kingpin Bull Weed rehabilitates his former lawyer from his alcoholic haze, but complications arise when he falls for Weed's girlfriend.
- Josef von Sternberg
- Henry Hathaway
- Ben Hecht
- Charles Furthman
- Robert N. Lee
- Charles Furthman
- Howard Hawks
- Robert N. Lee
- George Marion Jr.
- Josef von Sternberg
Rating: 7.007/10 by 74 users
Alternative Title:
암흑가 - KR
Le Notti di Chicago - IT
Alvilág - HU
Country:
United States of America
Language:
No Language
Runtime: 01 hour 27 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: death sentence, prison escape, revenge, organized crime, alcoholic, silent film
Josef von Sternberg does well here with his adaptation of Ben Hecht's gangster thriller. George Bancroft is "Bull Weed", a rumbustious character, in love with the aptly monikered "Feathers" - because she wears them everywhere - Evelyn Brent. His former attorney, the dapper "Rolls Royce Wensel" (Clive Brook) has problems with the bottle, but "Weed" manages to ween him off - only for the latter to fall in love with his gal. When "Weed" is finally apprehended by the police for murder, and sentenced to swing for it - the others must decide whether to abscond together, or to try to spring him! "Bull", meantime has plans for revenge of his own - and this all builds to an exciting denouement. There's a lot packed into this film. The love-triangle theme gradually underpins the story, but the romance doesn't overwhelm it - it's still a gangster movie with just the tiniest hint of menace from an engaging Bancroft, and quite bit of on-screen chemistry between the three. As you'd expect, the photography is pristine. Though maybe just a few too many static shots for me that slow the pace a bit, the story is well constructed and the last ten minutes are super.
