Force of Evil

Force of Evil
File:Forceofevil.jpg Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Abraham Polonsky
Written by	Abraham Polonsky Ira Wolfert
Produced by	Bob Roberts
Starring	John Garfield Thomas Gomez Marie Windsor
Cinematography	George Barnes
Music by	David Raksin
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates	December 25, 1948 (U.S.A.)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Force of Evil (1948) is a film noir directed by Abraham Polonsky who had already achieved a name for himself as a scriptwriter, most notably for gritty boxing film Body and Soul (1947). Like Body and Soul it starred John Garfield. The movie was adapted by Abraham Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from Wolfert's novel Tucker's People.

The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Plot

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).

Cast

• John Garfield as Joe Morse
• Beatrice Pearson as Doris Lowry
• Thomas Gomez as Leo Morse
• Marie Windsor as Edna Tucker
• Howland Chamberlain as Freddie Bauer
• Roy Roberts as Ben Tucker
• Paul Fix as Bill Ficco
• Stanley Prager as Wally
• Barry Kelley as Det. Egan

External links

• Noir of the Week review
• Force of Evil at IMDb.
• Force of Evil at AllMovie.
• Force of Evil at the TCM Movie Database.