Crooks and gangsters

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Movie
German title Crooks and gangsters
Original title Salty O'Rourke
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1945
length 99 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Raoul Walsh
script Milton Holmes
production ED Leshin
music Robert Emmett Dolan
camera Theodor Sparkuhl
cut William Shea
occupation

Crooks and Gangsters is a 1944 Hollywood film directed by Raoul Walsh with Alan Ladd in the lead role. Gail Russell plays by his side .

action

New Orleans, in the 1940s. The little crook Salty O'Rourke is a big horse lover and even bigger gamer and keeps afloat with little scams. One day he runs into a brutal gangster named Doc Baxter, whom everyone just calls "the bookmaker". Baxter had Salty's buddy killed for allegedly defrauding the bookmaker of $ 20,000. Now the big gangster sticks to the little crook and demands that Salty pay that amount in the next 30 days, otherwise Salty would be like his dead buddy. Under such pressure, Salty first pledged his expensive cufflinks and bought a horse called "Whipper", a real hothead, with the sum obtained. Salty hopes to win the Delington Handicap, a horse race in California, with this racy Zossen.

Salty hires the young but talented Johnny Cates as a jockey, who for a while went to Mexico for race manipulation. Since Cates has been banned for several years in the USA because of this, Johnny poses as his brother Timothy. Although he is only 17 years old, he looks a lot like him. Salty and Johnny travel with the horse trainer Smitty to Delington, where Johnny (alias Timothy) is supposed to attend the jockey school because of his young age. The beautiful black-haired teacher Barbara Brooks teaches there, who quickly throws Johnny out of class because he can't keep his cheeky mouth in check. Since Salty's own life depends on Johnny's ability, the crook makes good weather for Barbara and her mother. The cheeky Johnny quickly wins the favor of his teacher, while Barbara is more interested in the more mature Salty. But he only has eyes for the race, which he has to win if his life is dear to him. Salty asks Barbara to tutor Johnny, and the teacher agrees for Salty's sake.

Hoping to make Salty a little jealous, Barbara invites Johnny to accompany her to the pre-race ball. There Johnny proposes to the young woman. Since Barbara is only interested in Salty, she politely but firmly rejects Johnny. Johnny is very angry about this and wants to get back at his competitor Salty. Since Barbara is stuck with Salty, she reproaches him for only using her in the case of Johnny. She also confesses her love to the crook. In the meantime, gangster Baxter has arrived in town. He teams up with Johnny and they both agree to put Salty on the back.

The next day, Tony tells his friend Salty that he saw Johnny and Baxter together yesterday and that they are clearly up to no good. Salty approaches Johnny, appeals for his decency and asks the 21-year-old jockey not to get involved with Baxter. Salty confesses his love to Barbara, but tells her that he has to run away right after the race to avoid falling into Baxter's hands. Meanwhile, Johnny goes through a clearing in the middle of the race and speeds through the finish line first with “Whipper”. Baxter then has Johnny shot by his killer in the parking lot. Salty is now looking for the final argument with the criminal Baxter, but does not know that Barbara has stolen his pistol from him in the meantime. Arriving at Baxter's office, Salty destroys the light source, whereupon Baxter and his killer open fire and shoot each other. When the horse trainer Smitty Barbara and Salty drives out of town, the teacher gives her lover the revolver back, which he immediately throws away. Then they both kiss.

Production notes

Crooks and Gangsters was created between late August and late October 1944 and premiered in Arizona on March 22, 1945. The New York premiere took place on April 25 of the same year, the German premiere was on March 18, 1955.

Milton Holmes received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay . The film structures implemented by Haldane Douglas were designed by Hans Dreier , while John MacNeil was responsible for the equipment. Dorothy O'Hara designed the costumes. Wally Westmore was responsible for the make-up and the masks, the special photography was in the hands of Farciot Edouart , assisted by Loyal Griggs . Lothrop Worth served as a simple cameraman under head cameraman Theodor Sparkuhl .

Reviews

In the lexicon of international films it says: "Entertaining gangster film with dry, flippant dialogues."

The Movie & Video Guide called the film a "lively story."

Halliwell's Film Guide found the film to be "a very moderate and overly long star vehicle."

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Crooks and gangsters. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed February 23, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 1127
  3. ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 878

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