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The Asphalt Jungle Overview:

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) was a Crime - Film Noir Film directed by John Huston and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr..

SYNOPSIS

Considered by many to be the defining film of the crime oeuvre. After many years in prison, Doc (Jaffe), an over-the-hill criminal decides upon his release from prison to make one last go of it. His attempts to reunite the old gang and their plotting make a gripping backdrop for standout performances, including a lusty Monroe. Based on a novel by W.R. Burnett. Remade in 1958 as Badlanders, in 1963 as Cairo, and 1972 as Cool Breeze.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Asphalt Jungle was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2008.

Academy Awards 1950 --- Ceremony Number 23 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorSam JaffeNominated
Best CinematographyHarold RossonNominated
Best DirectorJohn HustonNominated
Best WritingBen Maddow, John HustonNominated
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The Asphalt Jungle BlogHub Articles:

Day 24 of Noirvember: Ten Things You May Not Know About The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

By shadowsandsatin on Nov 24, 2023 From Shadows and Satin

Of all of the noirs I’ve seen in my lifetime, one of the absolute best, in my estimation, is The Asphalt Jungle (1950). It has so much going for it – a stellar ensemble cast, hard-hitting dialogue, a simple but riveting story, and a perfect noir ending. Helmed by John Huston, the film focuses on... Read full article

Noir Nook: 10 Things About The Asphalt Jungle (1950) That You May Not Know

By Karen Burroughs Hannsberry on Sep 10, 2020 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Noir Nook: 10 Things About The Asphalt Jungle (1950) That You May Not Know Of all of the noirs I’ve seen in my lifetime, one of the absolute best, in my estimation, is The Asphalt Jungle (1950). It has so much going for it – a stellar ensemble cast, hard-hitting dialogue, a simple but rivetin... Read full article

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

on Sep 8, 2017 From Journeys in Classic Film

Oft-considered one of the greatest film noirs ever made, John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle is a story about the perils of city life…with the added bonus of a jewel heist. John Huston’s story is a dark and twisty tale that isn’t so much about law and order, but the crimes peop... Read full article

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – Film-Noir

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 18, 2013 From 4 Star Films

* May contain spoilers Directed by John Huston and starring an ensemble cast headed by Sam Jaffe and Sterling Hayden, this was the first great noir heist film. Jaffe has just recently been released from prison and he has contrived an intricate jewel robbery. He teams with a multi-talented safe cra... Read full article

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – Film-Noir

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 18, 2013 From 4 Star Films

* May contain spoilers Directed by John Huston and starring an ensemble cast headed by Sam Jaffe and Sterling Hayden, this was the first great noir heist film. Jaffe has just recently been released from prison and he has contrived an intricate jewel robbery. He teams with a multi-talented safe cra... Read full article

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The Asphalt Jungle Quotes:

May Emmerich: Oh Lon, when I think of all those awful people you come in contact with - downright criminals - I get scared.
Alonzo D. Emmerich: Oh, there's nothing so different about them. After all, crime is only... a left-handed form of human endeavor.
Police Commissioner Hardy: People are being cheated, robbed, murdered, raped. And that goes on 24 hours a day, every day in the year. And that's not exceptional, that's usual. It's the same in every city in the modern world. But suppose we had no police force, good or bad. Suppose we had... just silence. Nobody to listen, nobody to answer. The battle's finished. The jungle wins. The predatory beasts take over.
Doc Riedenschneider: One way or another, we all work for our vice.
Police Commissioner Hardy: In some ways, he's the most dangerous of them all. A hardened killer. A hooligan. A man without human feeling or human mercy.
Cobby: Here's to the drink habit. It's the only one I got that don't get me into trouble.
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The Asphalt Jungle Facts
The musical scoring (by Miklós Rózsa) is extremely scant, occurring only for the main titles, continuing through the opening sequence up to the point where Handley enters the café, and then returns some 107 minutes later when Handley and Doll return to his boyhood farm. Total scoring just under 6 minutes.
Debut of Strother Martin.
Body Count= Four (Emmerich, Brannom, Ciavelli, Dix)
John Huston originally intended the role of Angela Phinlay for Lola Albright.
Brannom (Brad Dexter) is the first character to die in the film. Dexter later appeared as Harry Luck in The Magnificent Seven. He was the first of the Seven to be killed.
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