MURDER, INC
US, 1960, 103 minutes, Black and white.
Stuart Whitman, May Britt, Peter Falk, Henry Morgan, Simon Oakland, Morey Amsterdam, Sarah Vaughan, Vincent Gardenia, Sylvia Miles.
Directed by Burt Balaban and Stuart Rosenberg.
Murder, Inc is a film of 1960, getting an Oscar nomination for Peter Falk as the gangster-hitter, Reles. He gets the credit of ‘Introducing Peter Falk’.
The film was based on a book by the central police character, Turkus, played by radio personality, Henry Morgan. It takes the themes of gangsterism in the 1930s, especially incorporation of the mobs and the organisation of hit-lists of victims. With the character of Reles, the portrait of the hitman is quite vivid.
The film also focuses Lepke, his personality, his control, his power, his organisation. He was the only head of a gangster organisation to be executed. A film biography was made about him in the 1970s starring Tony Curtis.
Also central are a married couple played by Stuart Whitman and May Britt. They have connections with Reles and with Lepke and ultimately become victims of the organization. However, after Reles gives information to the police, and the wife is murdered, the husband testifies against Lepke.
From a later point of view, some of the performances are stilted and some of the direction is not particularly polished. Balaban was a producer and writer, Stuart Rosenberg had worked extensively in television but was to move into film-making with such successes as Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker.
1. A film about American gangsters, 25 years after the events? Some with their real names? The story of Lepke?
2. Black and white photography, the use of Cinemascope? The interiors of offices, homes, prisons? The streets of New York? The musical score, including songs, especially by May Britt and Sarah Vaughan? A comedy routine by Morey Amsterdam?
3. The opening with the hits on the staircase, the introduction to the killers, the introduction to Reles, his ruthlessness? Going to see Lepke? The deals? The incorporation of Murder, Inc? The naming of gangster leaders like Capone?
4. Murder, Inc? Organized crime? Deals across the various states? People on the hit list? The recruiting of the killers?
5. Corruption, business, sports?
6. The focus on Joey and Edie? Joey and his connections with the thugs, with Reles? The other associates? The connection with Lepke? Edie and her background, her knowledge of the criminals and their behaviour? Singing in the clubs? Her relationship with Joey, marrying him? Her concern, their clashes? Joey and his going along with the killers, the murder of the comedian, his reactions? Edie telling the police he was not a killer?
7. The police, their investigations, needing evidence? The increasing number of killings? Turkus, his associate? Their quests? In the context of the
1930s?
8. The arrests? The interrogation of Reles? His being willing to give information, the days of questioning, yet the need for evidence? His interactions with Joey? His attitude towards the police guarding him? His falling from the window, thrown?
9. Edie, giving information to the police, her concern about Joey, her going out into the night, the attack, her death? The effect on Joey?
10. Lepke and is ordering the killings? Of all the witnesses? Joey and his being guarded by the police, not giving information, changing his mind, in court?
11. Testimony against Lepke, the newspaper headlines, his being executed? The only major gangster executed?
12. The perspective of the film and the 1960s, the later gangster films and biographies of these criminals?
