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Movies / On DVD / The Asphalt Jungle
The Asphalt Jungle

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The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

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Reviews Counted:25

Fresh:24

Rotten:1

Average Rating:8.4/10

Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]

Starring: Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen

Starring: Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, Marilyn Monroe, James Whitmore, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley

Director: John Huston

Director: John Huston
Screenwriter: Ben Maddow, John Huston
Producer: Arthur Hornblow
Composer: Miklos Rozsa

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jul 6, 2004

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Asphalt Jungle

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/03/08
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of the first films to depict crime from the POV of the deviants rather than the police, this seminal film (arguably Huston's best) had a huge influence on the genre, manifest in the early work of Kubrick--and decades later Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
04/29/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This tale of a jewel theft gone wrong is notable for its gritty procedural detail and an emphasis on the inner lives of the small time crooks, expertly played by Sterling Hayden and Sam Jaffe.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/11/06
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
BBC

One of The Asphalt Jungle's strengths is that the crims seem about as thick as you suspect they would be in real life: no Cruise or Clooney-style braniac super-athletes here.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
11/04/06
Andrew Pulver
Andrew Pulver
Guardian [UK]

John Huston’s greatest noir thriller.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

A preeminent example of tough-guy cinema.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
05/03/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

No review available.

comment Comment
05/03/05
Jonathan R. Perry
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

Rogue's Gallery noir classic.

comment Comment
04/06/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

High-end noir in a low-end world.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
11/16/04
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Noirish Huston classic with great story, cast.

comment Comment
10/30/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

One of the first caper films told from the criminal's viewpoint.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/21/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Huston concentrates mostly on the film's performances, but like The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, he uses space, shadow and a very clever mise-en-scene to physically illustrate the film's themes.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
07/20/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

No review available.

comment Comment
04/21/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
01/18/04
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/14/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Among John Huston's most overrated works, only partially redeemed by Jaffe's brilliance and Marilyn's cameo.

comment Comment
08/14/03
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

Often copied but never equaled.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

They don't get more noir than this.

comment Comment
04/27/03
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for The Asphalt Jungle

December 30, 2008: Terminator Joins National Film Registry Opens in new window
"The Asphalt Jungle," "Sergeant York," "In Cold Blood," "Deliverance" and "The Terminator" are among the 25 film titles selected this year by the Library of Congress for... More...

August 21, 2008: EW Lists 11 Movies with a Playboy Connection Opens in new window
Just in time for The House Bunny's theatrical debut, Entertainment Weekly has compiled a list of 11 notable films with a Playboy connection. Put on your bunny ears! More...

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