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The Asphalt Jungle Details

1950 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 1111 members

Directed by John Huston, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is considered by many to be the defining film of the crime oeuvre. After many years in prison, Doc (Sam Jaffe), a seemingly over-the-hill and retired (i.e. rehabilitated) criminal decides upon his release to make one last go of it. His attempts at reuniting the old gang come up .. Read more

Starring Marilyn Monroe, Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe
Director John Huston
Genres Drama

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The Asphalt Jungle cover art

The Asphalt Jungle

Directed by John Huston, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is considered by many to be the defining film of the crime oeuvre. After many years in prison, Doc (Sam Jaffe), a seemingly over-the-hill and retired (i.e. rehabilitated) criminal decides upon his release to make one last go of it. His attempts at reuniting the old gang come up against the intentions of his partner who intends to start a Kentucky horse farm with his share of the take. Doc's lecherous tendencies for young curvaceous women get him nowhere but delight the viewer with standout performances by Jean Hagen and a lusty Marilyn Monroe. The tremendous character development is aided by Huston and Ben Maddow's script, and Huston's direction. Based on a novel by W.R. Burnett. Remade in 1958 as BADLANDERS, in 1963 as CAIRO and 1972 as COOL BREEZE.

Starring Marilyn Monroe, Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley
Director John Huston
Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 1 hr 52 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 01 Feb 2006
Production year: 1950
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (5) of The Asphalt Jungle

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  • 5 stars out of 5

    Shot with an almost documentary realism, this exceptional film noir from director John Huston continues to influence heist movies today. It has everything you could ask of a thriller. There's a scintillating plot (co-scripted by Ben Maddow and Huston from WR Burnett's novel), in which the perfect plan unravels with compelling inevitability; a seminal performance from Oscar-nominated Sam Jaffe as a criminal mastermind; totally convincing ensemble playing from his bungling gang (including Sterling Hayden and Anthony Caruso); and superb support from Jean Hagen and Marilyn Monroe as molls. Add Miklos Rozsa's atmospheric score and Harold Rosson's gritty photography and you have a masterpiece.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 3 stars out of 4

    Probably the very first film to show a 'caper' from the criminals' viewpoint (a genre which has since been done to death several times over), this is a clever character study rather than a thriller, extremely well executed and indeed generally irreproacha

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of The Asphalt Jungle

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  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    How it should be done

    Must have made a real impact when it first came out and could still serve as a model for todays gangster movies.

    It's good to see something with a plausable plot that is not a vehicle for improbable care chases and 'goodies' escaping machine gun fire as so often happens in contemporary film. Honest to goodness docu style depicting human aspirations brought down by human failings.

      • A customer from gloucester
      • Posted 03 Dec 2006 14:03

  • Most recent members' review of The Asphalt Jungle

    View all
  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    How it should be done

    Must have made a real impact when it first came out and could still serve as a model for todays gangster movies.

    It's good to see something with a plausable plot that is not a vehicle for improbable care chases and 'goodies' escaping machine gun fire as so often happens in contemporary film. Honest to goodness docu style depicting human aspirations brought down by human failings.

      • A customer from gloucester
      • Posted 03 Dec 2006 14:03

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Rating breakdown

1,111 Member ratings
  • 100
145
  • 90
108
  • 80
293
  • 70
236
  • 60
176
  • 50
71
  • 40
35
  • 30
18
  • 20
20
  • 10
9

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      • Directed by John Huston, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is considered by many to be the defining film of the crime oeuvre. After many years in prison, Doc (Sam Jaffe), a seemingly over-the-hill and retired (i.e. ...