... that is who Shubunka (Barry Sullivan) is in this crime drama/noir that is quite good given that it came from poverty row outfit Allied Artists, previously known as Monogram Pictures. What can you say about a film where time is taken to paint a detailed psychological profile of a gangster and gives the film a fine supporting cast, but there is no time taken to ensure that Shubunka's scar shows up on the same side of his face throughout the film. I saw it change sides at least once! But I digress.
Shubunka is in charge of "the rackets" on Neptune Beach in New York City. He makes good money, but he's blown it all on a girl he's infatuated with, night club performer Nancy Starr (Belita). His nervous partner is Nick Jammey, the owner of an ice cream parlor down on the beach. The cast in the ice cream parlor could be a movie all on its own. You have Harry Morgan as a 38 year old soda jerk who wants to get laid in the worst way but has the pedestrian lady's man skills of a 14 year old boy, you have an accountant (John Ireland as Frank Karty) who hangs out in the ice cream parlor hiding from his brothers-in-law. You see, he was in charge of their auto repair shop's books and stole 1300 dollars from them so he could gamble on the horses - ironically one of Shubunka's rackets. His in-laws intend to keep beating him up until he returns the money, and he can't go to the police because, after all, he's the embezzler! The young cashier (Joan Lorring as Dorothy) doesn't say much until the end, and I'll get to that later. Nick Jammey, the owner of the parlor and Shubunka's partner, is the loving husband of a hypochondriac wife and a real tower of jello.
The gist of the plot is that another racketeer is trying to muscle in on all of Shubunka's rackets (Sheldon Leonard as Cornell), and although Shubunka is remaining cool about all of this, he is distracted by imaginations that his girlfriend is unfaithful. He's driving her to distraction by following her and accusing her one minute, telling her he loves her and buying her gifts the next.
By his own admission to the ice cream parlor cashier, Shubunka's been on his own since age six, working for gangsters at age 9, bootlegging himself at age 14. With nobody to care for him from the earliest age, it is no wonder he has grown up to trust nobody and makes his living any which way he can. The oddest thing about this film is that Shubunka keeps talking about how ruthless he is, yet I never see him do anything that seems the least bit ruthless. He talks tough to other thugs who are ruthless themselves, and the only time he gets physical is with a goofy thug who wants to start something and deserved the slapping Shubunka gave him. And his rackets that are supposed to be "so dirty"? All I can see that is involved is gambling - an activity that requires willing participants.
I'm going to spoil this a little for you and talk about the final dialogue in the film. In the end, Shubunka rather owns up to what I've just said about him not really being that ruthless after all - he says his real downfall was not being ruthless enough, for not being a big enough loner, for not believing his instincts that all people are untrustworthy. Who does he speak these words to? In the end he finds himself cornered in the house of the ice cream parlor cashier, the only person he thinks he can trust. Her response, knowing his background, knowing his predicament? She tells him to get out of her house, that he deserves to die for his sins. She's young and untested in life, and unlike Shubunka she's had the benefit of a secure roof over her head, a loving father, and a full stomach her whole life and yet she's completely without empathy for a fellow human being who never had any of these things. In the end I found myself liking the gangster Shubunka far more than I liked this narrow minded youngster.
I'm leaving out some key details and ironies in the plot, so even though I have a spoiler warning I think you'll find plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. This was a fine noir with a bunch of surprisingly gray characters for a production code era film, and I highly recommend it.
Shubunka is in charge of "the rackets" on Neptune Beach in New York City. He makes good money, but he's blown it all on a girl he's infatuated with, night club performer Nancy Starr (Belita). His nervous partner is Nick Jammey, the owner of an ice cream parlor down on the beach. The cast in the ice cream parlor could be a movie all on its own. You have Harry Morgan as a 38 year old soda jerk who wants to get laid in the worst way but has the pedestrian lady's man skills of a 14 year old boy, you have an accountant (John Ireland as Frank Karty) who hangs out in the ice cream parlor hiding from his brothers-in-law. You see, he was in charge of their auto repair shop's books and stole 1300 dollars from them so he could gamble on the horses - ironically one of Shubunka's rackets. His in-laws intend to keep beating him up until he returns the money, and he can't go to the police because, after all, he's the embezzler! The young cashier (Joan Lorring as Dorothy) doesn't say much until the end, and I'll get to that later. Nick Jammey, the owner of the parlor and Shubunka's partner, is the loving husband of a hypochondriac wife and a real tower of jello.
The gist of the plot is that another racketeer is trying to muscle in on all of Shubunka's rackets (Sheldon Leonard as Cornell), and although Shubunka is remaining cool about all of this, he is distracted by imaginations that his girlfriend is unfaithful. He's driving her to distraction by following her and accusing her one minute, telling her he loves her and buying her gifts the next.
By his own admission to the ice cream parlor cashier, Shubunka's been on his own since age six, working for gangsters at age 9, bootlegging himself at age 14. With nobody to care for him from the earliest age, it is no wonder he has grown up to trust nobody and makes his living any which way he can. The oddest thing about this film is that Shubunka keeps talking about how ruthless he is, yet I never see him do anything that seems the least bit ruthless. He talks tough to other thugs who are ruthless themselves, and the only time he gets physical is with a goofy thug who wants to start something and deserved the slapping Shubunka gave him. And his rackets that are supposed to be "so dirty"? All I can see that is involved is gambling - an activity that requires willing participants.
I'm going to spoil this a little for you and talk about the final dialogue in the film. In the end, Shubunka rather owns up to what I've just said about him not really being that ruthless after all - he says his real downfall was not being ruthless enough, for not being a big enough loner, for not believing his instincts that all people are untrustworthy. Who does he speak these words to? In the end he finds himself cornered in the house of the ice cream parlor cashier, the only person he thinks he can trust. Her response, knowing his background, knowing his predicament? She tells him to get out of her house, that he deserves to die for his sins. She's young and untested in life, and unlike Shubunka she's had the benefit of a secure roof over her head, a loving father, and a full stomach her whole life and yet she's completely without empathy for a fellow human being who never had any of these things. In the end I found myself liking the gangster Shubunka far more than I liked this narrow minded youngster.
I'm leaving out some key details and ironies in the plot, so even though I have a spoiler warning I think you'll find plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. This was a fine noir with a bunch of surprisingly gray characters for a production code era film, and I highly recommend it.