Can we talk?

The Gangster

         Falling short of anything original to say, I want to talk about a black and white movie I saw. The Gangster is a film noir about crime. (Duh.) It stars Barry Sullivan, Harry Morgan, Belita, Joan Lorring, and a very young, slim Shelley Winters.

         I'm a big Barry Sullivan fan, mostly because of The Tall Man, a TV series he did with Clu Gulager back in the early 1960's. He also appeared in a lot of westerns over the next decade or so. Apart from westerns, I don't know much about his work. So he's the primary reason I watched this movie. The film was shot in 1947, so he would have been about 35. He had a convincing scar on his face, but he was still very good looking. And tall!

         Belita (real name) was a tall blond with a soft alto voice. She had a hard-to-spell last name, so she didn't use it professionally. Joan Lorring played the young, innocent cashier who knew what the criminals were doing. She quit, but told Shubunker (Sullivan) what she thought of him. She served as the voice of conscience, the harsh, critical voice of right and wrong.

         The young Harry Morgan was astounding. Who knew he could do that? So unlike Dragnet and M,A,S,H,, this role let a whole different person come out. Shelley's role was minor and came towards the end. She was such a new actor that she wasn't even credited.

         The camera work was excellent. Being in black and white, the contrasts were wonderful. The shadows played well into the story line, since we were expected to be a little afraid of what would happen next. When a storm comes up suddenly and empties the streets, the effects were great.

         Barry Sullivan did a stellar job. I felt sympathy for his character, even though he was cynical and a criminal (they didn't actually show him committing crimes). He smiled at his girlfriend so sincerely that I wanted things to work for them. I wanted Joan Lorring to show him some kindness.

         Alas, it was a dark film. It had a dark ending. Justice prevailed. Things were set right, at least temporarily, once again.Still, I just wished it could have gone differently. Made in 1947, but it still speaks to me.