norma jeane had a very small bit part in john huston's
the asphalt jungle - which he directed and co-wrote
but every time this 50's film classic was re-released
throughout the coming years
- she would figure prominently in the posters and promotions
and what a figure is was...
this was the film that first gave marilyn the exposure that
she so disparately sought and that we so disparately loved
meanwhile, in the movie's long and contrived plot
a brilliantly conceived and executed anatomy of a crime
a foolproof plot to grab-a-gob of jewels - the perfect crime
- almost works - but crime - as the writers put it
'is a left-handed form of human endeavor'
the bad guy's perfect crime unravels when a corrupt cop
angry that his patsy didn't let him in on the caper
beats this bookie into confessing his part as well as
fingering the other criminals involved
from this point on, the meticulously planned crime falls apart
as does the film itself, it's like a classic greek tragedy
the film's format is so weak and the dialogue is endless
as in a lot of films, there was great acting by great actors
but far too tedious for today's standards of great film making
THIS FILM CLOSED THIS YEARS FILM NOIR FESTIVAL