| The George Raft Story AKA Spin of a Coin |
|
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joseph M. Newman |
| Starring | Ray Danton Jayne Mansfield Julie London Barrie Chase |
| Music by | Jeff Alexander |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Editing by | George White |
| Distributed by | released =1961 |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The George Raft Story is a fictionalized 1961 movie biography of former top Hollywood film star George Raft. Ray Danton portrays Raft and the film was directed by Joseph M. Newman. The picture was retitled Spin of a Coin for release in the United Kingdom, a reference to Raft's character's famous nickel-flipping in Scarface, the film that launched Raft's career as a major gangster actor.
Neville Brand appears briefly as Al Capone, recreating his role from the 1959 television series The Untouchables. Although other characters were fictional, Moxie was based on Raft's long-time friend and associate Mack Gray and "Benny" was modeled on Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel. No mention is made in the photoplay of Raft's long-estranged wife Grayce (Mulrooney) or early mob benefactor Owney Madden.
George Raft had played himself almost two decades earlier in a markedly different but equally fictionalized biographical movie about his early days as a dancer reluctantly involved with gangsters entitled Broadway.
Ray Danton ... George Raft
Jayne Mansfield ... Lisa Lang
Julie London ... Sheila
Barrie Chase ... June
Frank Gorshin ... Moxie
Barbara Nichols ... Texas
Brad Dexter ... Benny
Robert Strauss ... Frenchie
Herschel Bernardi ... Sam
Margo Moore ... Ruth
Neville Brand ... Al Capone