Underworld U.S.A.

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Underworld U.S.A.
Directed by	Samuel Fuller
Produced by	Samuel Fuller
Written by	Samuel Fuller
Starring	Cliff Robertson Dolores Dorn Beatrice Kay
Music by	Harry Sukman
Cinematography	Hal Mohr
Editing by	Jerome Thoms
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	May 13, 1961 (USA)
Running time	99 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Underworld U.S.A. (also known as Underwold USA) is a 1961 film noir produced, written and directed by Samuel Fuller. It tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who sees four mobsters beat his father to death. Twenty years later, the killers have risen to the top of the crime syndicate and the protagonist, Tolly Devlin, has a plan for revenge. It stars Cliff Robertson, Beatrice Kay and Dolores Dorn.

[edit] Plot

Fourteen-year-old Tolly Devlin sees four hoods beat his father to death. Twenty years later, the killers have risen to the top of the crime syndicate. Ever since his adolescence, Tolly's (Cliff Robertson plays him as an adult) goal has been to get the band of mobsters who killed his dad. Tolly has even allowed himself to become a criminal and to be sent to prison so that he could get close to one of the perpetrators. Tolly becomes as vindictive and sadistic as the men he's after. He rejects the two relationships that could redeem him (with his mother-figure Beatrice Kay and with his moll Dolores Dorn) in favor of cold, hard vengeance.

Becoming a secret informant for the Feds, Tolly ends up playing both sides against the middle in his cagey campaign to bring down the remaining mobsters. Tolly's nihilistic vendetta eventually robs him of his own humanity (and even more).

[edit] Production

Producer Ray Stark asked Fuller to write a direct a film based on the title of a magazine article of the title written by Jospeh Dineen. Fuller also was insired by a book Here Is to Crime by newspaperman Riley Cooper.^[1]

An opening scene with a Union of Prostitutes was deleted by Sam Briskin and other Columbia executives.^[2] Fuller's character Tolly is a loner motivated by revenge using the United States Government as well as his own devices to even the score. Fuller heard the reaction of a real life gangster who reportedly said "If only my son would have that kind of affection for me!".^[3]