THE ENFORCER [1951 / 2023] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
Humphrey Bogart is the Ultimate Enforcer!
For as long as crime boss Albert Mendoza has been running a notorious ring of hired hit men, District Attorney, Martin Ferguson, has been hunting him down. But Martin Ferguson cuts a deal with Albert Mendoza's henchman Joe Rico, and the mob boss is finally arrested.
However, Rico dies mysteriously before he can testify against Albert Mendoza, and Martin Ferguson must re-examine years of potential evidence, desperately searching for something to incriminate the gangster with.
FILM FACT: ‘THE ENFORCER’ (aka Murder, Inc. in the United Kingdom) is a 1951 American film noir co-directed by Bretaigne Windust and an uncredited Raoul Walsh, who shot most of the film's suspenseful moments, including the ending. The production, largely a police procedural, stars Humphrey Bogart and is based on the Murder, Inc. trials. The supporting cast features Zero Mostel and Everett Sloane. Director Bretaigne Windust, an accomplished Broadway director, fell seriously ill during the beginning of shooting, so Raoul Walsh was brought in to finish the film. Raoul Walsh refused to take the credit, calling it Bretaigne Windust's work. This was Humphrey Bogart's last film for Warner Bros., the studio that had made him a star. Warner Bros. only distributed the film. It was produced by United States Pictures, and is now owned by Republic Pictures, a division of Paramount Pictures. According to Warner Bros. records, the film ‘THE ENFORCER’ earned $1,584,000 domestically and $1,289,000 foreign.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Zero Mostel, Ted de Corsia, Everett Sloane, Roy Roberts, Michael Tolan, King Donovan, Bob Steele, Adelaide Klein, Don Beddoe, Tito Vuolo, John Kellogg, Jack Lambert, Richard Bartell (uncredited), Chet Brandenburg (uncredited), Helen Brown (uncredited), Benny Burt (uncredited), Susan Cabot (uncredited), Steve Carruthers (uncredited), Danny Dayton (uncredited), Sayre Dearing (uncredited), Tom Dillon (uncredited), Ralph Dunn (uncredited), Art Dupuis (uncredited), Charles Ferguson (uncredited), Alan Foster (uncredited), Tim Graham (uncredited), Greta Granstedt (uncredited), Eula Guy (uncredited), Creighton Hale (uncredited), Chuck Hamilton (uncredited), Patricia Hayes (uncredited), Patricia Joiner (uncredited), Pete Kellett (uncredited), Fred Kelsey (uncredited), Karen Kester (uncredited), Mike Lally (uncredited), Perc Launders (uncredited), Louis Lettieri (uncredited), Edwin Max (uncredited), John Maxwell (uncredited), Philo McCullough (uncredited), David McMahon (uncredited), George Meader (uncredited), Howard M. Mitchell (uncredited), Jay Morley (uncredited), Jack Mower (uncredited), Paul Panzer (uncredited), Paul Panzer (uncredited), Montgomery Pittman (uncredited), Barry Regan (uncredited), Dan Riss (uncredited), Mario Siletti (uncredited), Robert Strong (uncredited), Brick Sullivan (uncredited), Chalky Williams (uncredited), Harry Wilson (uncredited), Tom Wilson (uncredited) and Bud Wolfe (uncredited)
Director: Bretaigne Windust and Raoul Walsh (uncredited)
Producer: Milton Sperling
Screenplay: Martin Rackin
Composer: David Buttolph
Orchestration: Maurice de Packh
Cinematography: Robert Burks, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 85 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures / Signal One Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE ENFORCER’ [1951] is a classic “film-noir” crime drama released in 1951, directed by Bretaigne Windust and Raoul Walsh. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Zero Mostel, the film follows a dedicated police officer as he investigates a ruthless crime syndicate.
‘THE ENFORCER’ (also known as Murder, Inc.) is a taut race-against-time thriller filled with shady characters and enlivened by a pleasingly complex flashback-within-flashback structure.
Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson [Humphrey Bogart] is desperate to protect star witness Joseph Rico [Ted de Corsia] on the night before he testifies against master criminal Albert Mendoza [Everett Sloane]. But Joseph Rico gets cold feet and falls to his death when attempting a window escape. With only hours to go before the trial starts, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson reviews the case records to try and uncover any previously missed clues.
Multiple flashbacks reveal the investigation started when James “Duke” Mallo [Michael Tolan] stumbled into a police station claiming he was forced to kill his girlfriend Nina Lombardo [Susan Cabot]. James “Duke” Malloy then hangs himself in his prison cell. Deceased James “Duke” Malloy surviving associates include “Big Babe” Lazick [Zero Mostel], who is interrogated and reveals the inner workings of a murder-for-cash business managed by Joseph Rico, receiving telephone instructions from Albert Mendoza. Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson uncovers a gruesome mass burial site and a plot to eliminate witnesses. With the clock ticking, the life of an innocent girl and the evidence needed to convict Albert Mendoza hang in the balance.
Inspired by real events, ‘THE ENFORCER’ celebrates thorough police work, a follow-the-evidence and intimidate-the-bad-guys approach working well for Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson and his crew to unearth and dismantle a lethal underworld business. Director Bretaigne Windust (with an uncredited assist from Raoul Walsh) trusts the convolutions of the Martin Rackin script, and embarks on a winding journey tracing nervous criminals dealing in death and guarding against each other as the noose tightens.
The film rides a shifty, always on the move energy, and introduces audiences to new-at-the-time terminology like “hit” and “contract.” Robert Burks’ cinematography enjoys dark corners, harsh lights, and sweaty men at close quarters, and in the final scene, the chaos of the crowd throwing plans into disarray.
For a long stretch, the film lacks an effective counterpoint to Humphrey Bogart's character. The connect-the-dots structure results in isolated chapters featuring a succession of low level criminals. Joseph Rico and Albert Mendoza return to the ring only in the final act, but the payoff is worth the wait. Bretaigne Windust patiently reveals a human dimension through the story of Albert Mendoza's origins and his very first hit, and Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson’s long chase ends with an imperative to save someone’s life.
In his element, Humphrey Bogart is supremely comfortable dishing out threats and picking up on hints. The rest of the cast is choppy, the bad guys generally lacking charisma, and no romantic sub-quests make it to the screen. ‘THE ENFORCER’ may lack glamour, but finds craftsmanship in the nitty-gritty of police work.
THE ENFORCER MUSIC TRACK LIST
KISS ME SWEET (uncredited) (Written by Milton Drake) (Played over the sidewalk loudspeakers)
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Bros. Pictures and Signal One Entertainment presents us the film ‘THE ENFORCER’ with a presentable 1080p black-and-white image and is shown in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio. There are some mild noise issues in certain landscape shots, but this image is generally attractive. Blacks are luscious, and background clarity enhances the film’s occasionally clever blocking. Textures, particularly of the sand that plays a pivotal role in the narrative, are well-detailed. There is a substantial amount of detail present throughout with subtle textures on the outfits and in the environments and production design. The contrast is steady with only a minor level of density fluctuation in the print. Black levels are pretty solid but could be given a bit more depth. There are no substantial occurrences of black crush or compression artefacts across this film. The black-and-white photography holds up very well throughout the film as they make the most of their high definition presentation with natural grain intact. The only slight negative aspect of this image presentation is that throughout the film we get a lot of while speckles. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Bros. Pictures and Signal One Entertainment brings us the film ‘THE ENFORCER’ with just one solid audio presentation and the soundtrack is clean and packs a bit of nicely understated oomph. David Buttolph’s score sounds really great. The Blu-ray comes with a pretty solid 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio track for this film and presents it very well. Dialogue comes through clearly without sounding too weak. It is really well audio balance with the environmental elements so important for the elements stay prominent in this nice sound mix.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Still Gallery: With this featurette, we get to view some great nine black-and-white images that relates to the film ‘THE ENFORCER,’
Finally, ‘THE ENFORCER’ [1951] is a very engaging and mysterious crime drama that showcases Humphrey Bogart’s talent as a leading man. With its well-paced narrative, strong performances, and atmospheric direction, the film remains an enjoyable watch for fans of classic “film-noir” and mysterious crime thrillers. Additionally, ‘THE ENFORCER’ presents a captivating depiction of the criminal underworld and the challenges faced by law enforcement during that era. It offers a glimpse into the social and political climate of the time, reflecting the concerns and anxieties of post-war America. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
