Sam Jaffe has just finished a stint in prison and he already has a new heist planned. He goes to minor-player bookie Marc Lawrence with this plan to steal gems worth at least 50 million. He can start work with just 50 grands in funds, and Lawrence knows a man who can provide those kinds of funds. That guy, prestigious lawyer Louis Calhern, is impressed with the plan and he even has a solution for the difficult task of fencing the jewels: he’ll do it himself through some wealthy, respectable friends.
If Calhern’s plan sounds suspicious, then you have probably seen a few noirs before watching 1950’s The Asphalt Jungle. Fans of the genre will be unsurprised to learn Calhern is broke. He even hire Bob Dexter’s private detective to call in debts from those who owe him, but no luck. Maybe it would be better for all concerned if Calhern was cut out of the plan.
Jaffe is savvy enough to know something is wrong with the man. He also know has enough sense to confide this in Sterling Hayden, who has been roped in as the muscle for the operation. The “boxman” who will blow the safe is Anthony Caruso. James Whitmore is the driver.
This is an interesting bunch, and every major character here seems to have their own distinctive nuance. Whitmore is younger than I’ve seen him before, and has a hump on his back, despite that not driving the plot in any way. Caruso is a new father who is careful not to speak too loudly when he gets the call for the job, lest he wake the baby.
One would think Hayden would be the weak link, as the first time we saw him was at the very beginning of the film, when he is running from police officers after robbing a hotel. Hayden has a stoic, intimidating manner here which has served him well in many films. That and above-average height gives him a natural advantage in that regard.
And yet, he isn’t a psychopath here. In fact, he is quite decent to Jean Hagen. Her character, named “Doll”, needs a place to stay and Hayden puts her up for a while. He doesn’t even expect anything, monetary or otherwise, in return. She would definitely like to give him something, however, as she is obviously crushing on him hard. I’m not sure if it is cute or embarrassing how eager she is to please. In an interesting bit of realism, she cries so hard in her first scene that her mascara runs and she loses an eyelash.
Whitmore also has an interesting aspect of his tough guy persona in that he loves cats. In his first scene, he kicks a trucker out of his diner because the man says he runs over every cat he sees. Whitmore, in a last warning to the man: “If I ever see you running over a cat, I’ll kick your teeth out.” And I believe Whitmore can and will do just that.
There isn’t anything interesting about Calhern, specifically, except his duplicity as a lawyer who may be a bigger crook than any of the clients he has defended in court. What is more interesting are those immediately in his orbit, such as Dorothy Tree as his invalid wife who is desperate for him to spend any time with her. But he has been making time with the girlfriend he’s been keeping in an apartment, and she is played by Marilyn Monroe.
It is odd to see her before she was fully “Marilyn Monroe”, and her performance felt to me like a dry run for when she was truly ready for the big time. One of the interesting aspects of Calhern’s relationship with her is he seems to be embarrassed by the difference in their ages. He especially chafes at her calling him “Uncle Lon”. The final scene between Monroe and Calhern, when they will be permanently separated, has a bitter truth to it that provides one of those gentle stings such films are effective at delivering: “What about my trip, Uncle Lon? Is it still on?” “Don’t worry, baby. You’ll have a plenty of trips.”
As interesting as the drama might be, we’re really here for the big heist at the jewelry store, and that delivers in spades. It involves a combination of service tunnels, alarms, an electric eye and nitro to blow the safe. Regarding that electric eye, I found myself cringing every time each one of the gang slides under it, as none of them bothers to remove their fedora. And things don’t go effortlessly: one of the alarms apparently wasn’t disabled (and I don’t believe we ever learn how that happened), a drill bit breaks, a night watchman gets off a wild shot which ricochets and hits somebody.
If you are familiar with the Hays Code, you will know roughly how the plot has to turn out. The only mystery is how it will happen for each of these characters. Jaffe is the most interesting of the bunch, so it is no surprise the end of his journey is the most fascinating. Similar to the relationship between Calhern and Monroe, there is something pathetic, yet bittersweet, as he watches 20-something Helene Stanley dance to the jukebox in a diner. Interesting how a man’s fundamental weakness, and just one nickel, can decide their fate.
Something I found intriguing about the picture is I wasn’t sure where it was set, but one of my notes from early in the runtime reads: “Great photography on the streets of LA and, even better, the back alleys and seedy joints.” True, except these bits were shot in Cincinnati. I’ve seen movies where older parts of that city were supposed to be the boroughs of New York in the early part of the 20th century, but it is the first time I have ever mistaken any part of that city for L.A.
The Asphalt Jungle was directed by John Huston, whose The Maltese Falcon is one of the earliest films to be declared canonical noir. I find it odd I am not a huge fan of that movie. I actually liked Jungle a bit more, while acknowledging it is the lesser film. And there aren’t any real shortcomings to it, though I don’t foresee it ever being amongst my most favorite of the genre. But it does what it does very well, and even has some interesting character shadings that aren’t necessarily to the plot. It is a movie where the criminals talk a great deal about “home”. For Hayden, it is back to his home in the bourbon country of Kentucky. For Jaffe, perhaps the most solidly noir character here, it is “where the money is”.
Dir: John Huston
Starring Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe
Watched on Criterion Collection blu-ray