THE MIAMI STORY
US, 1954, 75 minutes, Black and white.
Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler, John Baer, Adele Jergens, Beverly Garland.
Directed by Fred F. Sears.
The Miami Story is a small-budget police thriller about gangsters at the beginning of the 1950s. There was a spate of such films, based on actual history – but there is great optimism from the actual politician introducing the film about the elimination of crime in Miami! These are pre-Castro times and the crime links are with gangs from Cuba.
Luther Adler portrays a crime lord in Miami, Tony Brill, running clubs and drugs, damaging the reputation of businesses in the city. Representation of businessmen have a meeting, one of them, a lawyer, remembers defending an innocent gangster earlier, Mike Pierce, played by Barry Sullivan. Rather unorthodox methods are used to find Pierce, an article about in the papers which disturbs his son.
However, he agrees to collaborate, sets up the impression of a rival gang to Tony Brill, and to collaborate with the Cubans. He closes down the club while Brill had abducted his son. There are further complications with the assassination at the airport by young thug, Ted, John Baer, who Mike persuades to betray Tony Brill. There is also a femme fatale, Gwen, Adele Jergens, working for Tony and the presence of her younger sister, Holly, Beverly Garland.
The film builds up to an expected confrontation and resolution of the crime situation in Miami – and happy romantic ending for Mike, Holly and his son.
Direction is by Fred F. Sears who, died early but achieved a great deal with many small-budget films.
1. The status of organised crime in the US in the early 1950s? The Kefauver Report? This film echoing government action, actual politicians promoting these films?
2. Miami, the settings, the city, hotels and departments, nightclubs, police, special squads? The musical score?
3. Miami in fact, the history of crime? Pre-Castro? and the Cuban connection? Criminals? Drugs? Gangs?
4. The assassination at the airport? Teddy and his skills, shooting, getting rid of the guns? His working for Tony Brill? Brill, his empire, his thugs? The club, luxury? Gwen and her relationship, as an assistant? The clash with the Cuban gangs?
5. The local business leaders, the meeting, memories of Mike Pierce and his gangster days? In retirement, with his son, hunting? The newspaper report, his son fighting the boy, the expose of his being a gangster? His going to the editor? The proposal by the group in Miami? His agreeing?
6. Mike, bringing to bear his skills as a gangster? Setting up? The backing of the group? The confrontation of Tony Brill? Holly coming to see him? Getting help? The confrontation with Ted, strong arm tactics? Closing down Brill’s club? Brill and his reaction? The kidnapping of Mike’s son?
7. Gwen, glamour, her work with Brill, her relationship to Holly, their discussions, hard-boiled? Holly being beaten? Gwen going to see her in hospital? The confrontation with Mike?
8. Mike, dealing with Ted, persuading him to betray Tony? Ted following through, confronting Tony, Tony and his bargaining, shooting of the blanks?
9. The setup, the camera in Tony’s office, the closing down of the club? Tony escaping, with Ted, planning to go to the yacht, to South America? Mike and the group in pursuit? Mike following through, the fight with Ted, fishing him out of the water? His son seeing him, the rescue?
10. The happy ending, Mike and his son with Holly?
11. A morale boosting effort of the early 1950s?
