The Beast of the City

This is one of the grittiest of the pre-Production Code features. It is important to realize that just two years later, with the implementation of the rewritten Production Code in 1934, this film could not have been made.

As with any piece of popular entertainment that is nearly 70 years old, there are going to be dated elements. What is more important is how relatively modern this film feels, especially compared to the films made under the Production Code after 1934. The story is a hard slice of life, and it will not suit all tastes. This is especially true for those who have been too conditioned by Production Code features and television.

The ending has been compared to Sam Peckinpah's THE WILD BUNCH and Don Siegel's DIRTY HARRY, and not without cause. However, try to imagine yourself as a member of the original theatrical release audience in 1932. There would have been very little to prepare you for it, apart from DOORWAY TO HELL, LITTLE CAESAR, PUBLIC ENEMY, and SCARFACE. The difference here is that the story is told from the point of view of the men in law enforcement. It focuses on something that was common knowledge at the time, that prohibition had corrupted law enforcement far beyond the scope of anything the public had ever known.

The remedy for corruption that this film prescribes is very strong medicine indeed. You may not like it, but I defy you not to think about it for a long time after you've seen it.

THE BEAST OF THE CITY (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932), a Cosmopolitan Production directed by Charles Brabin, is not a story about some wild gorilla loose in New York. King Kong would take care of that in 1933. The movie, in general, is MGM being, or at most, outdoing Warner Brothers crime dramas with gangsters as leading attractions. For something completely different, an opening statement written by President Herbert C. Hoover is brought forth on screen: "Instead of the glorification of cowardly gangsters, we need the glorification of policemen who do their duty and give their lives in public protection. If the police had the vigilante, universal backing of public opinion in their communities, if they had the implacable support of the prosecuting attorneys and the courts, I am convinced that our police would stamp out the excessive crime - which has disgraced some of our great cities." In other words, THE BEAST OF THE CITY is more than a crime story. It's a tribute to the crime fighting men in blue.

Taken from a story by "Little Caesar" author, W.R. Burnett, the fade-in follows the daily routine of the New York City police department through its camera tracking starting with police operators(one being Edward Brophy) taking, receiving or gathering information from phone calls before "calling all cars" to policemen in their siren blazing patrol cars racing down the streets to their latest assignments. James J. Fitzpatrick (Walter Huston) is introduced as a police captain whose failing methods in putting gang leader, Sam Belmonte (Jean Hersholt) in prison due to lack of evidence, assisted by a corrupt lawyer (Tully Marshall) who gets him released on technicality, gets himself demoted to desk job at a quieter precinct at the other side of town by his chief commander (Emmett Corrigan). Fitzpatrick, a family man with wife, Mary (Dorothy Peterson), twin daughters (Betty Mae and Beverly Crane) and son, Mickey (Mickey Rooney), redeems himself by capturing a pair of robbers, that reinstates his position as police chief. As Fitzpatrick continues his attempt to put an end of Belmonte's racketeering activities, Ed (Wallace Ford), his younger brother and detective in the police force, who, while on assignment, falls victim to Daisy (Jean Harlow), Belmonte's "stenographer" and mistress, Unable to obtain a promotion, Ed foils his brother's chances with his fight against crime.

Other members of the cast include: John Miljan (District Attorney); Sandy Roth (Lieutenant John "Mac" McGrowski); J. Carroll Naish (Pierre Choco, one of Belmonte's mob); Murray Kinnell (The Judge). There's also those familiar faces of character actors as George Chandler, Clarence Wilson, Arthur Hoyt and Nat Pendleton appearing in smaller roles.

Virtually forgotten following its very limited television broadcasts since the 1960s, this pre-code crime melodrama, which surfaced decades later in the wake of cable television on Turner Network Television (TNT) in the late 1980s before becoming a prominent fixture on Turner Classic Movies (1994 onward), THE BEAST OF THE CITY, being Walter Huston's movie from start to finish, is recognizable mostly for its presence by the second-billed Jean Harlow, still early in her career. For her second MGM film, the studio where she would remain until her untimely death in June 1937, is basically secondary than a major presence. She does make the most of it doing her part of a tough talking blonde. Harlow's character is introduced briefly in Belmonte's office with no spoken dialogue before coming forth minutes later in the police line-up where she captures the attention of the weakling brother (Ford) to a crime fighter (Huston). Though the Danish-born Hersholt may seem miscast as the Italian ring-leader, possibly John Miljan, probably tiring of his bad guy image by this point (cast as a gray-haired attorney), might have been better suited. Or Tully Marshall switching with Hersholt. Of its assemble, much of the cast is well placed in their roles, especially Walter Huston who can play bad guys, good guys or anti-heroes with conviction without any chance of being type-cast.

Once seen, whether on DVD or TCM viewing, it's hard to forget some of the violence (by 1932 standards) attached to THE BEAST OF THE CITY, along with its offbeat and dark method to Fitzpatrick's fight against crime. This is his story. This is MGM's contribution to the American policemen. This is Hollywood's participation to crime wave on the city streets, quite different, quite atypical from anything else regards to cops and gangsters up to this level. (***)

I would classify this early 1930s gangster flick as "ordinary" but that's better than you think, because these kind of movies ordinarily are fast-paced, a bit edgy, have unique language to them and generally are pretty interesting...and they are short films, which isn't always bad, either.

This one features Walter Huston as the hard-nosed committed cop trying to clean up his crime-ridden city with the eventual goal getting to the number one guy: the "beast" of the city. The ending is a wild one and commented on by a number of reviewers, here and elsewhere.

A subplot involves Huston's younger brother (Wallace Ford), also a lawman, who is corrupted and then, after being exposed, tries to atone for his sins at the end. Jean Harlow also stars in this film. Frankly, I never found her as sexy as her reputation, but she is excellent in here and very interesting to view. Finally, we also get to see a very young Mickey Rooney, as one of Huston's children. He didn't have many lines but you knew it was him with that smile and all those teeth!

Let's hope someone puts this out on DVD. It's too good to be a secret.

The Beast Of The City finds Walter Huston cast as a crusading and honest cop, possibly too rigidly honest. His character is a whole lot like Kirk Douglas's detective in Detective Story that would come out a generation later.

The film also borrows a lot from westerns at the time. Huston's unknown western city is ruled by gangster Jean Hersholt who is apparently untouchable as far as the law is concerned. A whole lot like real life gangsters Al Capone and Lucky Luciano who were coming into prominence.

Huston's family life is secure enough, wife Dorothy Peterson, a few kids among them a young Mickey Rooney. He also has his younger and weaker brother Wallace Ford living with them. Ford's got a real good deal, no rent and he apparently chases a lot of skirts. That proves to be his downfall and eventually Huston's.

The skirt that did them in belonged to Jean Harlow. Jean was never a better mantrap in her career than she is The Beast Of The City. Wallace Ford turns out to be putty in her hands.

Also note another good performance in The Beast Of The City is that of Tully Marshall who plays Hersholt's lawyer. The word shyster was invented for lawyers like Marshall, but he's good to have on your side especially if you're guilty as sin.

The climax is an unforgettable one and one more typical to a western than a modern drama. It's what makes The Beast Of The City a classic that is too rarely seen today.

Beast of the City, The (1932)

*** (out of 4)

MGM gangster film shown from the point of view of the police. Capt. Fitzpatrick (Walter Huston) is out to bring down gangster Sam Belmonte (Jean Hersholt) but is sold out by his brother (Wallace Ford) who has fallen for the gangster's girl (Jean Harlow). This film is certainly a lot different than the Warner gangster pictures as it doesn't glamorize the gangsters but instead puts the spotlight on the public for allowing gangs to rule the streets. Huston is his usual fiery self and both Ford and Harlow shine in their supporting roles. The subplot between Ford and Harlow is a bit weak but it leads to a highly powerful ending, which is among one of the best scenes from all the gangster films from this period.