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 In this day and age people seem to forget about the 1932, Paul Muni-starring version of the gangster classic Scarface. By now, Brian De Palma's 1983 remake needs no introduction, having proliferated American pop culture in ways ranging from video games to dialogue referenced often enough to fill anyone's lifetime. But the original Scarface seems to keep getting lost in the shuffle; it may not look like much in retrospect, but for its time, this crime saga did for screen violence in the '30s what De Palma's take on the tale did for it in the '80s. The film also stars Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley, Osgood Perkins, C. Henry Gordon, George Raft, Boris Karloff .
Karen Morley
Our story is one that has served as the backbone to many a gangster picture. Tony Camonte (Muni) is a low-level Italian mob flunkie with big aspirations. Tired of his congenial boss not doing enough to expand his criminal empire, Tony takes matters into his own hands and uses brute, violent force to blast his way up the underworld ladder. Bit by bit and crime by crime, he insinuates himself as the leader of his little outfit, wooing away the new boss's girl (Karen Morley) and striking even more terror into the hearts of his rivals after being introduced to a handy new invention called the tommy gun. But as Tony's thirst for power grows, so does his recklessness and temper, increasing his already frightening obsession with protecting his sister (Ann Dvorak) as well as sending him on a collision course with the law that won't end with a clean getaway.
One only has to look at modern-day action opuses to see how cinematic violence has evolved from the days of Scarface, where all a death scene needed was an actor grunting and slumping over to show that they kicked
George Raft
the bucket (compare that to Clive Owen making homicidal use of carrots in Shoot 'Em Up). Something like Scarface might seem like a cap gun in comparison to what action cinema doles out today, but back then, even the film's many bloodless shootings landed the production in hot water with the Hays office.
Yet while Scarface is memorable because of its violence, that's not what makes it such an everlasting film classic. The stories we see told in more modern mob dramas, from The Godfather to American Gangster, all owe a little something to this little buffet of bullets. Scarface is the quintessential example of the American Dream being turned on its ear. Inspired by a sign outside his apartment proclaiming "The World Is Yours," Tony Camonte proceeds to ruthlessly run and gun his way to the top, caring only for himself and fulfilling his twisted version of a destiny.
It's the ferocity of Tony's meteoric rise and inevitable, equally-thunderous downfall that serves as the meat of Scarface's story. Al Pacino's enterprising gangster in 1983 is well-known (and all-too-often imitated) enough, but Muni's performance as Tony tops the legendary Pacino's turn in a surprising number of ways. Muni never goes terribly over-the-top, always keeping within the realm of frightening realism in playing his role. From orchestrating the merciless slaughter of all those who oppose him to displaying an obsessive need to control his sister (a plot element explored and exploited to an even creepier extent in the remake), Muni's performance as the unbalanced Tony is as absorbing as can be, resulting in perhaps the screen's first true anti-hero. The rest of the film, though, doesn't come out with a much similar shine. The story does tend to get a little repetitious, the character of Tony's forgetful secretary provides almost painfully bad comic relief, and since Boris Karloff is my all-time favorite actor, I had to be disappointed at his all-too-brief role as one of Tony's rivals (although it was bizarre not seeing him in monster make-up for once).
As far as my preferences go, I have to give the winning edge to the 1983 Scarface over the '30s version. Its over-the-top violence and performances extend almost into the realm of parody, making a statement about the excess of the decade while simultaneously coming across as a brutal yet absorbing gangster story. But that doesn't make the original Scarface any less worth watching; as I mentioned before, it may not seem like much, but as far as sheer effectiveness and plotting go, you may be surprised that the apple didn't fall too far from the thematic tree.
Director: Howard Hawks (co-directed by Richard Rosson)
Writers: Ben Hecht (screenplay); Seton I. Miller,John Lee Mahin and W.R. Burnett (continuity and dialogue); Armitage Trail (novel)
Cast: Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley, Osgood Perkins, C. Henry Gordon, George Raft, Boris Karloff
Rating: PG (lots of shootings)
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Run Time: 93 minutes
Studio: United Artists
Format: Black-and-white, fullscreen
Top photo: Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak
Photo credits: United Artists
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