Scarface (1932)

Today we get talk to talk about perhaps the greatest gangster film ever made. Scarface truly deserves a 500 page book written by some brilliant researcher and writer. However we'll do our what we can to cover why this film is truly the best in it's genre. Please, if this blog does nothing else, let it encourage you to see Scarface at some time in your life. Scarface is truly The Sistene Chapel of Gangster Films. It's nice that Scarface has also been getting some respect in recent years with several decent DVD prints being released. I can remember just a couple of years ago having to track down a poorly transferred VHS copy of this film and "temporarily borrow" it from a video store... I'm pretty sure my late fees for this film have reached five digits by now.

Why does this seem familiar?

Remember when that ultra-violent gangster movie called Scarface took a story straight out of the headlines about an immigrant gangster with the sexually precocious young sister and womanizing best friend working his way up through the criminal underworld to become the head of a large black market smuggling operation absolutely captivated the nation, became an ingrained part of American culture, and sent the moralistic segments of society into an uproar? If you're thinking of the 1983 film starring Al Pacino, you'd be thinking of the weak imitation of the original. Howard Hawk's Scarface was largely the first Blockbuster in cinema history, largely the first film to run into censorship trouble and the first film to spawn the merchandising empires we see with films now. Sometimes the stars just align to create a watermark in artistic achievement. For the gangster film, this watermark is Scarface. Scarface was directed by one of the finest directors in silver screen history, Howard Hawks. Produced by one of the most powerful and wealthy men in American history, Howard Hughes. Written by one of the finest screenwriters in Hollywood history, Ben Hecht. And launched the careers of future screen icons Paul Muni, George Raft, and Ann Dvorak.

Look! They got Machine Guns you can carry!

If you know the plot to the 1983 film, you pretty much know the plot of the 1932 film. Just substitute cocaine for alcohol and drug war for prohibition. However what's interesting to me is how different the two film's approach Tony's relationship with his sister. In the 1932 film, the incestuous themes between the two are much more on the surface. Two or three times while watching this film I've raised an eyebrow and felt a little uncomfortable. Also what makes this film standout is the amount of sheer violence. You can tell from the energy and exuberance coming out of this film that the cast and crew were immensely enjoying the violence and characters they were portraying in this film. Even by today's standards the shootings, bombings, and throwing people out of cars is jarring and sensationalistic. However Scarface is born out of the height of the prohibition gang war era and the headlines that carried it.

When Tommy Guns were available at the local drugstore

Scarface was written by Ben Hecht, a Chicago newspaper man during the heyday of Al Capone and The St. Valentine Day's Massacre. Hecht largely created the gangster film genre with his first screenplay Underworld (which we'll get to soon on this blog) and used his experiences with real gangsters and real events in the Chicago turf wars in his early films. Virtually every character in Scarface is based upon a prominent gangster from those times. Scarface marches across the screen like a tabloid novel from the early 20th century. Both glorying and condemning the gangsters, the politicians, and the newspaper men of the time. Scarface also has a strange dark comedic tone to it at times. Camonte's secretary is largely comic relief and serves to relief tension and gain a few cheap laughs. Scarface has several subtle jokes in it and serves to point fun at the less than Ivy league backgrounds of the stereotype of gangsters at the time. Hecht would later write and contribute on such films as Mutiny on the Bounty, The Man with the Golden Arm, and virtually all of the Hitchcock films.

Accidents happen while shaving.

Scarface stars Paul Muni as Tony Camonte, a character largely based on Al Capone who was a contemporary in the daily headlines when this film was released. Muni could be considered possibly the first method actor in Hollywood. One can see a lot of Roberto De Niro in Muni's performance. Especially when considered against Muni's other films where his characters came across so differently than Camonte. Muni's performance of Tony Camonte in Scarface is an unashamed ensemble of the violence and brashness of the gangsters of headlines. Ruthless, cold, unsophisticated, and vibrant. It's said that Muni was discovered in a Jewish Playhouse in New York for the lead role in Scarface. When asked to play a character loosely based on Al Capone, Muni responded "I'm not that kind of guy." Legend had to hire a boxer to teach Muni to be a tough guy as he was completely sedentary before this film. Muni would become a superstar in from his performance in Scarface, signing one of the biggest deals in Hollywood with Warner Bros. immediately after this film's release. Muni would later go on to star in such films as I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (we'll get to this one soon) The Story of Louis Pasteur, and The Good Earth.

The beginning of an iconic image

This film was also the breakout role for tough guy turned dancer turner actor and Hell's Kitchen's own George Raft. Raft's version of the coin flipping henchman Guino Rinaldo became the culture's idea of a gangster much the same way Tony Montana is our image today. Raft drew upon his experience growing up with real life gangsters such as Benny Siegel (we'll get to the movie Bugsy soon) in the legendary neighborhood Hell's Kitchen. Raft cooly breezes through the film as Camonte's best friend and henchman. I got to be honest though, I've never been much of a George Raft fan. However he does add a lot to this film and adds an air of legitimacy. Raft would go on to act in such great films as They Drive By Night, Some Like it Hot, and A Bullet for Joey.

Look Familiar?

Ann Dvorak play's Tony's little sister Francesca 'Cesca' Camonte in Scarface. Dvorak is the very embodiment of teenage precociousness in this movie. Cesca is young strong headed woman just beginning to blossom into womanhood. Dvorak captures the spirit and the defiance of this character and proves to be a great match to Muni's performance. Dvorak is probably my favorite actress from the golden age of Hollywood. She had a great exuberance and exotic beauty to her that set her apart from the other actresses in this time period. Dvorak would also go on to play very edgy cynical characters as she got older. Dvorak would go on to be in such films as Bright Lights, Love is a Racket, and Gangs of New York (1938).

Hawks's dares any director to follow him

Scarface was directed by Howard Hawks who was arguably one of the best directors during the golden age of Hollywood. Hawk's visionary and extremely artistic Scarface is still impressive for it's cinematic impact today. In 1932 in the beginnings of the sound era Hawks's moving shots and wild atmosphere were like a gangster virtual reality ride. Scarface was named the best American sound film by critic Jean-Luc Godard. And I think Scarface should honestly be held on the same level as films like Citizen Kane for it's cinematic technical achievements. Hawks employed a number of clever and genius artistic and visual tricks in this film. The most prominent being an X subtly displayed on the screen whenever a murder was about to or had taken place. This visual symbology represented the headlines at the time where newspapers would post mug shots of criminals with Xs over them when they had been killed. Hawks embraced and was able to bring Hecht's Chicago's sensationalistic headlines and writing style to the screen. Hecht would later say that Hawks was the only director he ever enjoyed working with.

What does the world's richest man do? Make the world's
greatest gangster movie of course.

I don't usually talk about the producer of a film. However when it was the richest, most powerful, and most controversial man in American history... how can you not? Howard Hughes was a multi-millionare eccentric playboy who decided one day he was going to get into the movies. A few years and successful films later, Hughes decided that he was going to make a film of the best seller novel at the time about Al Capone. So Hughes enlisted Hecht (whom he employed on his previous film The Front Page) to draw up the script and Scarface was born. Hughes is notable because this film wouldn't have existed without him. Censorship boards all across the country rejected Scarface for it's violence and glorfying of mobsters. Hughes used his money and influence to shoot a new ending for Scarface to appease the Censorship Boards. However when this version was also rejected, Hughes used his influence to bully through the censorship boards with the original version and have his film played to very positive critical reviews. This resulted in wide spread acclaim for the film. Hughes is also notable for making the first deal for product placement in a movie. This film proved so popular that White Owl Cigars paid $250,000 to be able to say their brand of cigar was the brand Tony Camonte smokes. Scarface became Hughes's biggest cinematic financial success. Hughes's maverick attitude wasn't forgotten by film industry which is largely why this film went out of print and as recently as a few years ago was difficult to get a copy of.

Not an ominous scene at all.

All in all, this film deserves so many more words than the ones I've given it here. Scarface is truly the genre defining and perhaps best film in the gangster film genre. This film is so good that an almost exact replica proves to still be one of the most popular films ever almost 80 years later. I strongly recommend any fans of the original film, any fans of classic films, and any film fans in general give this film a view.

     

NEXT MOVIE:

EL MARICHI (1992)

Arguably the best movie to come out of the independent film wave of the early 1990s and the film that launched the career of one of the best film makers today Robert Rodriguez.