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poster of Underworld
Rating: 7/10 by 72 users

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.

Directing:
  • Josef von Sternberg
  • Henry Hathaway
Writing:
  • Ben Hecht
  • Charles Furthman
  • Robert N. Lee
  • Charles Furthman
  • Robert N. Lee
  • Josef von Sternberg
  • George Marion Jr.
  • Howard Hawks
Stars:
Release Date: Sat, Aug 20, 1927

Rating: 7/10 by 72 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
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Evelyn Brent
Feathers McCoy
Clive Brook
Rolls Royce Wensel
Fred Kohler
Buck Mulligan
Helen Lynch
Meg, Mulligan's Girl
Larry Semon
Slippy Lewis
Alfred Allen
Judge (uncredited)
Shep Houghton
Street Kid (uncredited)
Andy MacLennan
Laughing Man at the Ball (uncredited)
Ida May
Laughing Woman at the Ball (uncredited)
Karl Morse
High Collar Sam (uncredited)
Bob Reeves
Detective at Railroad Station (uncredited)
Julian Rivero
One of Buck’s Henchmen (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

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.


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