THE RACKET

US, 1951, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Lizabeth Scott, Ray Collins.
Directed by John Cromwell.

The Racket is a 1950's style treatment of the Syndicate, Mafia situations (like such Humphrey Bogart films of the same time, The Enforcer, Deadline U.S.A.). It is tough and straight in its treatment. In the 30's, the gangsters could be taken as somewhat glamorous villains. Moralising statements were added in to remind the public of their disastrous effects in the cities (e.g. Scarface and Little Caesar).

In the 1950's, the gangsters are in no way glorious but rather disgusting in their resorts to violence (although many bosses consider this as a thing of the past) and in the graft, corruption and manipulation of power. The moralising comes at the end from the mouth of the central character. Robert Mitchum shows the American image of the good, tough cop. Robert Ryan is adequate as the old-style sadistic gangster. The film is sufficiently well-paced. Its story and many features are familiar to us now. But it is an interesting document from a U.S. of the past - which in many ways is still the same.

1. This film was made in 1951 and shows preoccupations of the times as well as the syndicate, crime and fashion styles of the times. How different is the American racket and corruption scene from the 1920's and the 1970's?

2. How does a film like this affect your attitudes to politicians, the syndicate bosses who run cities, and to the police?

3. Is this kind of set-up a peculiarly American thing or is it just that the Americans show us themselves more frequently than others?

4. How had Nick Scanlon arrived as boss of the city? How much violence had he used? How important was violence to him?

5. Why did the bosses think violence was an outmoded technique and to be avoided? what did they use in its place? Was it more effective? Was it more effective because it was more respectable?

6. Why was McQuigg? a good policeman? Could you fault him in any way?

7. Did Johnson do a good job? Could you fault him at all?

8. How did the bosses keep their hold over lawyers, judges and police? How is it possible to combat such ruthless power syndicates? How effective are honesty and courage?

9. The film ended with a morale-boosting little sermon. How effective are films like this, in forming in public attitudes a disgust for such corruption and vice?