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Force of Evil

  • 19481948
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.8K
YOUR RATING
John Garfield, Beatrice Pearson, and Marie Windsor in Force of Evil (1948)
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Film-Noir
An unethical lawyer, with an older brother he wants to help, becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.An unethical lawyer, with an older brother he wants to help, becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.An unethical lawyer, with an older brother he wants to help, becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Abraham Polonsky
  • Writers
    • Abraham Polonsky(screenplay)
    • Ira Wolfert(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Garfield
    • Thomas Gomez
    • Marie Windsor
Top credits
  • Director
    • Abraham Polonsky
  • Writers
    • Abraham Polonsky(screenplay)
    • Ira Wolfert(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Garfield
    • Thomas Gomez
    • Marie Windsor
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 74User reviews
    • 55Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos61

    John Garfield, Beatrice Pearson, and Marie Windsor in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield and Beatrice Pearson in Force of Evil (1948)
    Beatrice Pearson in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield in Force of Evil (1948)
    Roy Roberts in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield and Roy Roberts in Force of Evil (1948)
    Paul Fix and Roy Roberts in Force of Evil (1948)
    John Garfield and Beatrice Pearson in Force of Evil (1948)
    Howland Chamberlain in Force of Evil (1948)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Garfield
    John Garfield
    • Joe Morseas Joe Morse
    Thomas Gomez
    Thomas Gomez
    • Leo Morseas Leo Morse
    Marie Windsor
    Marie Windsor
    • Edna Tuckeras Edna Tucker
    Howland Chamberlain
    Howland Chamberlain
    • Freddie Baueras Freddie Bauer
    • (as Howland Chamberlin)
    Roy Roberts
    Roy Roberts
    • Ben Tuckeras Ben Tucker
    Paul Fix
    Paul Fix
    • Bill Ficcoas Bill Ficco
    Stanley Prager
    Stanley Prager
    • Wallyas Wally
    Barry Kelley
    Barry Kelley
    • Detective Eganas Detective Egan
    Paul McVey
    Paul McVey
    • Hobe Wheelockas Hobe Wheelock
    Beatrice Pearson
    Beatrice Pearson
    • Doris Lowryas Doris Lowry
    Murray Alper
    Murray Alper
    • Comptrolleras Comptroller
    • (uncredited)
    Jessie Arnold
    Jessie Arnold
    • Sorteras Sorter
    • (uncredited)
    Sam Ash
    Sam Ash
    • Citizenas Citizen
    • (uncredited)
    Georgia Backus
    Georgia Backus
    • Sylvia Morseas Sylvia Morse
    • (uncredited)
    Margaret Bert
    • Sorteras Sorter
    • (uncredited)
    Larry J. Blake
    Larry J. Blake
    • Detectiveas Detective
    • (uncredited)
    Mildred Boyd
    • Motheras Mother
    • (uncredited)
    Ralph Brooks
    • Attorneyas Attorney
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Abraham Polonsky
    • Writers
      • Abraham Polonsky(screenplay)
      • Ira Wolfert(screenplay) (novel "Tucker's People")
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In order to show cinematographer George Barnes how he wanted the film to look, Abraham Polonsky gave him a book of Edward Hopper's Third Avenue paintings.
    • Goofs
      When Joe reads the newspaper at the beginning of the film about the prosecutor cracking down on the numbers racket, the second paragraph of the story is about another topic entirely.
    • Quotes

      [after Joe bails his brother, Doris and the others out of jail]

      Doris Lowry: You know I've got my whole life to think about now and you won't be of any help.

      Joe Morse: How do you know? You know everything I touch turns to gold. It's raining out and I promised my brother to take you home.

      Doris Lowry: Well, that's a lie.

      Joe Morse: Well, it's not true; but I would have had he asked. You know you can't tell about your life 'til you're all through living it. Come on, I'll give you a lift. You're tired, I'm tireder. What can happen to either one of us? You tell me the story of your life and maybe I can suggest a happy ending.

    • Alternate versions
      All existing copies of the film are of the version that was cut by 10 minutes in order to fit into a double bill.
    • Connections
      Edited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      String Quartet opus 131, no. 14: Ist Movement
      (uncredited)

      Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

    User reviews74

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Great mix of mobsters and sibling rivalry in overlooked gem...
    Martin Scorsese has hailed this film as one of the forgotten masterpieces of the film-noir genre. He took it a step further by resurrecting the film from the vaults and teaching it at NYU in the late 60's. He said it was the first film he ever saw that related "to a world he knew and saw." Indeed, the film's realism and location shooting is great to see, especially Wall Street circa 1948. Those scrapers have stood for a long time. This is not traditional noir, however. It is an excellent study of a personal battle between two brothers. Joe (John Garfield) is a rich, corrupt mob lawyer, not unlike Duvall in the Godfather flicks. His older brother Leo (A great actor named Thomas Gomez) is a banker trying to live on the "up and up".

    The relationship is a tragic one. Thomas Gomez must be one of the most underrated actors of his day. He steals every scene he's in with the quick-talking Garfield, who was so good in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. This may be familiar to fans of RAGING BULL, where both sets of brothers in two very different films love each other, but have a difficult time displaying affection.

    Two fabulous scenes stand out and would be impossible if shot in color. The first occurs when Garfield stumbles upon a darkened office with his door slightly ajar. The light from his office cuts through the middle of the screen, allowing Garfield to snoop. Another is the shootout at the film's climax, where all of the three shooters are lying in the shadows, creating suspense based on what we cannot see. It is all done in a very impressionistic way, a superb use of lighting and shadow. This is black and white at its best. Pure and evil. A truly great film. I would stay focused on the scenes between Gomez and Garfield. This sad brotherhood plays incredibly against a brilliant backdrop of crime and double-crossing.

    FORCE OF EVIL is another reminder of how good Hollywood films of the 1940's were. Without them, we probably would not have the classics of the past 25 years.
    helpful•35
    6
    • Don-102
    • Mar 14, 1999

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 1949 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Numbers Racket
    • Filming locations
      • George Washington Bridge, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Enterprise Productions
      • Roberts Pictures Inc.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $948,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,165,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 19 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

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