The girl from the underworld

Movie
German title	The girl from the underworld
Original title	Party girl
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	1958
length	99 minutes
Age rating	FSK 18
Rod
Director	Nicholas Ray
script	George Wells
production	Joe Pasternak
music	Jeff Alexander
camera	Robert Bronner
cut	John McSweeney Junior
occupation
	Robert Taylor : Tommy Farrell; Cyd Charisse : Vicki Gaye; Lee J. Cobb : Rico Angelo; John Ireland : Louis Canetto; Kent Smith : Jeffrey Stewart; Corey Allen : Cookie La Motte; David Opatoshu : Lou Forbes; Claire Kelly : Genevieve, Farrell's wife; Jack Lambert : Nick, barman (anonymous);

The girl from the underworld (original title: Party Girl ) is an American gangster film and melodrama directed by Nicholas Ray from 1958.

action

Chicago at the beginning of the 1930s: At a party organized by the gangster Rico Angelo, dancer and "party girl" Vicki Gaye meets Ricos lawyer Tommy Farrell. Although Tommy initially treated her condescendingly about her job and she condemned his work for Rico, the two fall in love. Tommy has been unable to walk since an accident in his childhood and has to rely on a cane. After a hip operation that resulted in lengthy healing, his condition gradually improved. When his separated wife also agrees to the divorce, Tommy decides to start a new life with Vicki in another place. However, Rico does not want to release Tommy and demands that he take over the defense of his new business partner Cookie La Motte. After the bribery process that was broken, Rico had Cookie removed; Tommy, who witnessed the murder, is arrested and forced by politically ambitious prosecutor Jeffrey Stewart to testify against Rico. Rico has Vicki kidnapped and threatens to disfigure her face with acid if Tommy does not withdraw his statement. The police, who arrive at Rico's lair at the last moment, kill the gangsters. Tommy and Vicki are free.

background

The girl from the underworld started on October 28, 1958 in the USA and on November 27, 1959 in German cinemas.

Despite its late date of creation, the color photography dominated by strong red tones and the optimistic ending, The Girl from the Underworld is attributed by some film historians to the classic film noir (approx. 1941–1958).

criticism

“ The girl from the underworld proves once again that a tried and tested film recipe can be hard to kill. It should be noted that The Girl from the Underworld is pleasantly packaged in colors and CinemaScope and is professionally implemented by director Nicholas Ray and producer Joe Pasternak . [...] There is little new or exciting about this girl from the underworld , despite the traps that are set for her and the occasional shootings all around. "

- A. H. Weiler , The New York Times

“Despite the weak script, Ray's handling of color and scope format is as masterful as ever. [...] Thoughts and feelings are translated into breathtaking images. "

- Phil Hardy, Time Out Film Guide

"At first sight a skilful mixture of gangster drama and revue film , which can be understood as an allegory about questions of self-realization and violence, especially due to its fascinating color dramaturgy."

- Lexicon of international film

Web links

The girl from the underworld in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward (Ed.): Film Noir. An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition. Overlook / Duckworth, New York / Woodstock / London 1992, ISBN 978-0-87951-479-2 , pp. 222-223.
↑ ^a ^b The girl from the underworld in the lexicon of international films
^ Adolf Heinzelmeier, Jürgen Menningen, Bernd Schulz: Cinema of the night. Hollywood's Black Series. Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1985, ISBN 3-89136-040-1 , p 173.
^ " Party Girl proves once again that an old cinema concept takes a lot of killing. Party Girl, it should be noted at once, is handsomely accoutered in color and CinemaScope and professionally handled by Nicholas Ray, director, and Joe Pasternak, producer […] There is little that is novel or exciting about this Party Girl, despite her trappings or the occasional gunplay did surrounds her. "- review in the New York Times of 29 October 1958 accessed March 28, 2013.
^ "Although the script is poor, Ray's handling of color and scope is as masterful as ever. […] Ideas and emotions are transformed into stunning visuals […] ”- Review in Time Out Film Guide, Seventh Edition 1999. Penguin, London 1998, p. 682, accessed online on March 28, 2013.

[silver-ward-1] Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward (Ed.): Film Noir. An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition. Overlook / Duckworth, New York / Woodstock / London 1992, ISBN 978-0-87951-479-2 , pp. 222-223.

[ldif-2] The girl from the underworld in the lexicon of international films

[3] Adolf Heinzelmeier, Jürgen Menningen, Bernd Schulz: Cinema of the night. Hollywood's Black Series. Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1985, ISBN 3-89136-040-1 , p 173.

[4] " Party Girl proves once again that an old cinema concept takes a lot of killing. Party Girl, it should be noted at once, is handsomely accoutered in color and CinemaScope and professionally handled by Nicholas Ray, director, and Joe Pasternak, producer […] There is little that is novel or exciting about this Party Girl, despite her trappings or the occasional gunplay did surrounds her. "- review in the New York Times of 29 October 1958 accessed March 28, 2013.

[5] "Although the script is poor, Ray's handling of color and scope is as masterful as ever. […] Ideas and emotions are transformed into stunning visuals […] ”- Review in Time Out Film Guide, Seventh Edition 1999. Penguin, London 1998, p. 682, accessed online on March 28, 2013.