Robert Ryan made a career of playing against type. Off-screen, he was a warm-hearted, intelligent man who fought against injustice and campaigned for civil rights. In character, he frequently played sardonic, sadistic villains. Maybe being 6"4" with the swagger of the ex-Marine and college boxer he'd been, coupled with a face of chiseled granite, contributed. And he was never more entertainingly sociopathic than as Nick Scanlon in "The Racket." A loose cannon mobster allied with a national crime syndicate, he refuses to cool his natural taste for violence to protect his associates' political power plays. His adversary and ex-childhood pal is staunchly honest cop Robert Mitchum. Together, they strike sparks in what has been incorrectly described as a "noir" film. It's more of a tough, smart gangster movie. There are stand-outs throughout, led by Ray Collins' sweaty, corrupt DA and Don Porter's smooth syndicate "front." But it's Ryan who ambles off with the acting honors.
Review of The Racket
