The Racket (1951 film)

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Robert Mitchum as Police Captain Thomas McQuigg in The Racket

The Racket is a remake of the 1928 film of the same name. This film noir-style black-and-white film was directed by John Cromwell (with uncredited directing help from Nicholas Ray and Mel Ferrer). The police crime drama is based on a popular Bartlett Cormack play (Edward G. Robinson played the racketeer in the original Broadway production).

[edit] Plot

The plot of the film is very close to the original play and 1928 movie. Racketeer and mobster Nick Scanlon (Ryan) has managed to get several government and law-enforcement higher-ups on the take but he can't touch the incorruptible police captain McQueeg (Mitchum), who refuses all attempts at bribery. The city’s prosecuting attorney, Welch (Collins), and the police inspector, Turck (Conrad), are crooked and make McQueeg's job as an honest officer nearly impossible. McQueeg persuades a woman (a sexy nightclub singer played by Scott) to testify against Scanlong which makes her marked for death from the mob. McQueeg not only wants to nail Scanlon, but also stop all the mob corruption in the city - without getting himself or his witness killed.