Force of Evil
| Force of Evil | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Abraham Polonsky |
| Produced by | Bob Roberts |
| Screenplay by | Abraham Polonsky Ira Wolfert |
| Based on | the novel Tucker's People by Ira Wolfert |
| Starring |
John Garfield Thomas Gomez Marie Windsor |
| Music by | David Raksin |
| Cinematography | George Barnes |
| Edited by | Art Seid |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,165,000 |
Force of Evil is a 1948 American crime film noir directed by Abraham Polonsky who had already achieved a name for himself as a scriptwriter, most notably for the gritty boxing film Body and Soul (1947). Like Body and Soul, the film starred John Garfield. The film was adapted by Abraham Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from Wolfert's novel Tucker's People. The film marked the first on screen acting role of Beau Bridges.
In 1994, Force of Evil was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The drama tells of a lawyer, Joe Morse (Garfield), working for a powerful gangster, Tucker, who wishes to consolidate and control the numbers racket in New York. This means assuming control of the many smaller numbers rackets, one of which is run by Morse’s older brother Leo Morse (Thomas Gomez). The plot which unfolds is a terse, melodramatic thriller notable for realist location photography, almost poetic dialogue and frequent biblical allusions (Cain and Abel, Judas's betrayal, stigmata).
According to MGM records the film earned $948,000 in the US and $217,000 overseas.
When the film was released, the staff at Variety magazine gave the film a mixed review:
"Force of Evil fails to develop the excitement hinted at in the title. Makers apparently couldn't decide on the best way to present an exposé of the numbers racket, winding up with neither fish nor fowl as far as hard-hitting racketeer meller is concerned. A poetic, almost allegorical, interpretation keeps intruding on the tougher elements of the plot. This factor adds no distinction and only makes the going tougher...Garfield, as to be expected, comes through with a performance that gets everything out of the material furnished...On the technical side, the production fares better than story-wise. The physical mounting is expertly valued; the New York locale shots give authenticity; and lensing by George Barnes, while a bit on the arty side, displays skilled craftsmanship.
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Wikipedia