Mr. DuLac’s review published on Letterboxd:
One way or another, we all work for our vice.
-Doc Riedenschneider
My second John Huston adaptation of a W.R. Burnett novel this week, the first one being High Sierra. Huston co-wrote this one with Ben Maddow, but also directed this time around. It is one of the most influential heist films ever made for the simple fact that Huston and Maddow realized, even at this early stage, that what would make the film great wasn't the heist itself, but the characters involved.
The film is filled with clearly defined characterization with, even more impressively, very specific dialogue styles written for everyone in the film. Combine that with great performances by the entire ensemble cast and you end up with a film that is overflowing with great memorable characters from beginning to end.
It's almost impossible to pick favorite ones, but the standouts for me are obviously Sterling Hayden as the massive brute Dix Handley who is loyal to a fault and the incredibly charming Jean Hagen as Doll Conovan who is in love with him as you get the feeling she hasn't had much luck when it comes to romance. Marc Lawrence also shines as the incredibly sleazy Cobby and Sam Jaffe as the "man with the plan" Doc Erwin Riedenschneider. Of course you have to mention Marilyn Monroe in a small role before she hit super-stardom.
None of the characters are interchangeable. They all have very distinctive lives and different motivations for taking part in the heist. Their individual downfalls or success are also different for everyone. It was either their motivations from the very beginning that is their ultimate undoing, or simple character flaws that they couldn't have possibly perceived as being fatal. Presented as a film-noir heist film, but very much a character driven ensemble. Loved every minute of it and would always want Sterling Hayden backing me up.