The Films of Phil Karlson

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, although he never gained the same acclaim as other directors, Phil Karlson became famous in the 1950s with his productions of realistic "down and dirty" yet melodramatic crime movies, creating some of the best crime thrillers of the decade. The author points out that Karlson's films are hard-hitting and unpretentiously innovative, building on typical noir elements but venturing beyond standard "crime gone wrong" themes to explore the overlaps between reality and spectacle. The paper relates that, during the 1960s, Karlson directed the 'Untouchables' two-part pilot television series that was released later as the film "The Scarface Mob".

Table of Contents
Objective
Introduction
What the Reviewers Have to Say
Three Scenes from Karlson's Films
"99 River Street"
"The Big Heat"
"Scandal Sheet" (1952)

From the Paper:

"In the 1953 film 'The Big Heat', Debby Marsh is played by Gloria Grahame winner of Best Supporting Actress Academy Award the previous year for her role in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952). Debby plays the part of a kept-woman and is a cold creature and the paramour of Vince Stone played by Lee Marvin. Vince is Lagan's chief henchman in this film. In one scene, Debby is thrilled to be an interruption of the boys at a poker game when she answers the phone and hands it to Vince who rudely tells her to leave the room...Debby pauses
in front of a mirror preening at her reflection giving an insight into her vain character and is only the first of many preening scenes on her part in the movie."

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