THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (also known as The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) is a 1974 American crime drama film[1] directed by Joseph Sargent, produced by Gabriel Katzka and Edgar J. Scherick, and starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam and Héctor Elizondo.[3] Peter Stone adapted the screenplay[3] from the 1973 novel of the same name written by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John Godey.
The title is derived from the train’s radio call sign, which is based on where and when the train began its run; in this case, the train originated at the Pelham Bay Park station in the Bronx at 1:23 p.m. For several years after the film was released, the New York City Transit Authority would not schedule any train to leave Pelham Bay Park station at 1:23.[4]
The film received critical acclaim. Several critics called it one of 1974’s finest films, and it was a box-office success.[5] As in the novel, the film follows a group of criminals who hijack a New York City Subway car and hold the passengers for ransom. Musically, it features “one of the best and most inventive thriller scores of the 1970s”.[6] It was remade in 1998 as a television film and in 2009 as a theatrical film.
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FORT APACHE, THE BRONX
Fort Apache, The Bronx is a 1981 American crime drama film directed by Daniel Petrie. The film stars Paul Newman as Murphy, a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, and Ken Wahl as his young partner, Corelli, both of whom work in a crime-ridden precinct in the Bronx. Although Murphy’s life takes a good turn when he falls in love with young nurse Isabella (Rachel Ticotin), the arrival of police captain Connolly (Ed Asner) threatens to tip the neighborhood’s delicate balance into anarchy. Danny Aiello, Kathleen Beller and Pam Grier play supporting roles. The film was written by Heywood Gould and produced by Martin Richards and Thomas Fiorello, with David Susskind as executive producer.
It was filmed on location in the Bronx. Author Tom Walker sued Time-Life Television, alleging that the film infringed on his book, Fort Apache, but lost after a lengthy court battle. The film received mixed reviews; however, Newman’s acting was noted as a strength of the film. In addition, the film was the main inspiration for the long-running police drama series Hill Street Blues.
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CASINO
Casino is a 1995 epic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, adapted by Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi from the latter’s nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.[6] It stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, Frank Vincent and James Woods. The film was the eighth collaboration between director Scorsese and De Niro.
Casino follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is asked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day casino and hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Other significant characters include Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a “made man” and friend of Sam, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler whom Sam marries and has a daughter with. The film details Sam’s operation of the casino, the difficulties he confronts in his job, the Mafia’s involvement with the casino, and the gradual breakdown of his relationships and standing, as Las Vegas changes over the years.
The primary characters are based on real people: Sam is inspired by the life of Frank Rosenthal, also known as “Lefty”, who ran the Stardust, Fremont, Marina, and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago Outfit from 1968 until 1981. Nicky and Ginger are based on mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro and former dancer and socialite Geri McGee, respectively.
Casino was released on November 22, 1995, by Universal Pictures, to a mostly positive critical reception, and was a worldwide box office success. Stone’s performance was singled out for acclaim, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
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SCARFACE
Scarface is a 1983 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino.[6] It is a remake of the 1932 film,[7][8][9] in turn based on the novel first published in 1930 by Armitage Trail.[7][10][9] It tells the story of Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Pacino), who arrives in Miami during the Mariel boatlift and becomes a powerful drug lord. The film co-stars Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Míriam Colón and F. Murray Abraham.[6]
Pacino became interested in a remake of the 1932 version after seeing it, and he and producer Martin Bregman began to develop the feature project. Sidney Lumet was initially hired to direct the film but was replaced by De Palma, who hired Stone to write the script. De Palma dedicated this version of Scarface to the memories of Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht, the director and screenwriter, respectively, of the original film.[11] Filming took place from November 1982 to May 1983 in Los Angeles and Miami. The film’s soundtrack is composed by Giorgio Moroder.
Scarface premiered in New York City on December 1, 1983, and was released on December 9 by Universal Pictures. The film grossed $45 million at the domestic box office and $66 million worldwide. Initial critical response was negative due to its extreme violence, profanity and graphic drug use. Some Cuban expatriates in Miami objected to the film’s portrayal of Cubans as criminals and drug traffickers. In the years that followed, some critics have reappraised it, considering it to be one of the greatest gangster films ever made.[12] Screenwriters and directors such as Martin Scorsese have praised the film, and it has been referenced extensively in pop culture, especially in hip hop culture/gangsta rap,[13][14] as well as comic books, television programs and video games. The film is regarded as a cult classic.[15][16]
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ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES
Angels with Dirty Faces is a 1938 American crime drama film directed by Michael Curtiz for Warner Brothers. It stars James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, The Dead End Kids, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and George Bancroft. The screenplay was written by John Wexley and Warren Duff based on the story by Rowland Brown. The film chronicles the relationship of the notorious gangster William “Rocky” Sullivan with his childhood friend and now-priest Father Jerry Connolly. After spending three years in prison for armed robbery, Rocky intends to collect $100,000 from his co-conspirator Jim Frazier, a mob lawyer. All the while, Father Connolly tries to prevent a group of youths from falling under Rocky’s influence.
Brown wrote the scenario in August 1937. After pitching the film to a number of studios, he made a deal with Grand National Pictures, who wanted Cagney to star in the lead role. However, the film never came to fruition, owing to Grand National’s financial troubles that led to their bankruptcy in 1939. Cagney then returned to Warner the same year, taking Brown’s script with him. Warner acquired the story and asked a number of directors to take on the project, eventually settling with Curtiz. Principal photography began in June 1938 at Warner’s Burbank studios, and finished a week behind schedule in August, due mostly to the time it took to shoot Rocky’s standoff with the police and eventual execution.[2]
Angels with Dirty Faces was released on November 28, 1938, to positive reviews. At the 11th Academy Awards, the film was nominated in three categories: Best Actor (Cagney), Best Director (Curtiz), and Best Story (Brown). Angels with Dirty Faces is considered by some to be one of the best films of all time, and is widely regarded as a defining moment in Cagney’s career.[3][4] It was shortlisted by the American Film Institute in 2008, and was voted 67th in a list of the “100 Best Film Noirs of All Time” by Slant Magazine in 2015.
In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”[5]