Scarface (1932)

Directors:

Howard Hawks
Richard Rosson (co-director)

Writers:

Armitage Trail (novel)
Ben Hecht (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 April 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

An ambitious and near insanely violent gangster climbs the ladder of success in the mob, but his weaknesses prove to be his downfall.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Gangster | Barbershop | Bullet Proof Automobile | Secret Love

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paul Muni	...	Antonio 'Tony' Camonte
Ann Dvorak	...	Francesca 'Cesca' Camonte
Karen Morley	...	Poppy
Osgood Perkins	...	John 'Johnny' Lovo
C. Henry Gordon	...	Insp. Ben Guarino
George Raft	...	Guino Rinaldo
Vince Barnett	...	Angelo
Boris Karloff	...	Gaffney
Purnell Pratt	...	Mr. Garston, publisher
Tully Marshall	...	Managing editor
Inez Palange	...	Mrs. Camonte
Edwin Maxwell	...	Chief of detectives

Also Known As:

Scarface, the Shame of the Nation
The Shame of a Nation
Arpinaama (Finland) [fi]
Czlowiek z blizna (Poland) [pl]
Der Mann mit der Narbe (Austria) [de]
Lo sfregiato (Italy) [it]
Narbengesicht (Germany) [de]
Scarface (France) [fr]
Scarface - A Vergonha de uma Nação (Brazil) [pt]
Scarface - Chicagos siste gangster (Sweden) [sv]
Scarface, el terror del hampa (Spain) [es]
Scarface, o Homem da Cicatriz (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (2005) (DVD) | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Norway:16 (1984) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (re-release) | USA:Passed (original rating)

Company:

The Caddo Company

Trivia:

This is one of the first films to feature the Thompson submachine gun, known to history as the "tommy gun." The characters never call it anything other than "machine gun," except when Poppy calls it a "bean shooter" and Tommy refers to the gun as a "typewriter" when he first sees one. Another name for a "tommy gun" was "Chicago typewriter."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Poppy visits Tony, she hold the flower, but Tony has it in the next shot.

Quotes:

Title Card: [opening message] This picture is an indictment of gang rule in America and of the callous indifference of the government to this constantly increasing menace to our safety and our liberty. Every incident in this picture is the reproduction of an actual occurrence, and the purpose of this picture is to demand of the government: 'What are you going to do about it?' The government is your government. What are YOU going to do about it?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Soundtrack:

Some of These Days

Easily one of the best gangster films ever

Film chronicles the rise and fall of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) an ugly, stupid and violent gangster.

This film was originally shot in 1930 but was held from release until 1932 because the censor demanded cuts. Watching it, I can only imagine how bad the missing material was. The film is full of shootouts and gun fights--they're quick, violent and just incredible. The body count has to be in the triple digits. The best scene has Boris Karloff as a gangster (!!!) shot to death in a bowling alley. As incredible as the violence is, the film condemns it--they make it clear that Scarface and his gang are cold-blooded killers and nothing more.

Also the film has PLENTY of sexual innuendo. Ann Dvorak plays Scarface's sister and it is made clear that she and her brother are VERY interested in each other. Also she does a very sexy dance in front of George Raft which is more than a little suggestive. I'm surprised that the censors let all this get by! The acting is superb. Muni plays Scarface as dumb, stupid, violent and ugly--and, in a way, very sexy. When he shoots down people it seems that he's actually getting a sexual charge from it! Also Muni, a very handsome man, was purposely made to look ugly. He looks more like an ape than human. George Raft as his best friend is also good--cold-blooded and heartless. Dvorak overplays it a bit but she is incredibly sexy. Hell, even Karloff is good as a gangster! The film is very well-directed by Hoaward Hawks--he pulls no punches. The script is quick and intelligent--it never stops moving.

After it was released (to great acclaim) in 1932 it was abruptly pulled--many people said glamorized gangsters (which is just ridiculous). It didn't surface until 1979 (Francis Ford Coppola helped get it re-released) and it was finally recognized for the classic it is.

Quite simply a GREAT film. Don't miss this one!