Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Great Film overall

Excellent adaptation.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

He got in early in his life, so now the only way out is a barrage of bullets in the back. He's Barry Sullivan, as tough a mob boss as you could ever find, and there's no Don Corleone politeness or Long Island mansion to hide in with the facade of legitimacy. There's nothing polite about the characters in this poetic but ultra gritty film noir that shows each of the main characters at their most vile, recreating New York City locations including an elevated train running, the Astor Place stop and an abandoned wharf where the violence gets pretty deadly. The fictional Neptune City is a unique replacement for similar beach communities like Coney Island and Atlantic City where corruption like this doesn't seem too far fetched. There really isn't a linear plot, but a series of events where the shadows of the city seems to emulate the darkness of the character's minds. This takes every film noir cliché and triples them, even more gritty than the classics made up until that time. This seems to be the kind of film that I could watch over and over and pick up new things each time. It's a living nightmare for Sullivan as he slips further and further into despair. While Joan Lorring and Belita are fine as the hard-boiled female characters, it's Harry Morgan, Sheldon Leonard and Akim Tamiroff in male supporting roles who get the raves. But the real stars are the script and the photography, perfect and moody in every way. In fact, just thinking about those technical aspects made me up my rating just by thinking about it.

Barry Sullivan gave a performance lacking total emotion in the film. He shows absolutely no expression as the head of the rackets along with shop owner, Akim Tamiroff. The latter does a fine job of acting as a man caught up in the rackets even though he constantly talks of his wife and home life.John Ireland is quite good as the CPA caught up in gambling addiction which leads him to an unspeakable act and the ultimate downfall of Sullivan as Sheldon Leonard and his crew try to take over the operation.Belita is charming as the woman Sullivan loved, but yet he is insanely jealous and suspicious of her, which leads to her ultimate betrayal of him.Two years after her Oscar nominated turn as the vicious young lady in "The Corn is Green," Joan Lorring is rather subdued her until her outburst directed at Sullivan towards the end of the film.For a supposed gangster, Sullivan shows a sheepish side,especially when he is cornered.For a film with this name, you would think there would be much more violent action.

Smalltime gangster feels heat of competition, while romancing showgirl.The most interesting thing about this crime drama are the visuals. Director Wiles goes all out with the stylized sets—the beachfront, the elevated train, the complex interiors, et al. I guess that's not surprising given his background as an art director. Apparently the King Brothers let him do pretty much what he wanted even on the small budget. The result is arty, but interesting. Then too, maybe you can take those stylized sets as mirroring Shubunka's inner state since he seems not too far from the nuthouse to begin with.Sullivan certainly looks the gangster part. With his high cheekbones and gimlet eyes, he's scary even without the big scar. Plus, he's about as cold and animated as a block of ice. Sullivan's a fine actor so that is no accident, but the characterization seems too extreme to involve us in his fate. On the other hand, Loring's semi-pretty working girl comes across well, as does Belita's glamour girl with her odd facial resemblance to noir icon Gloria Grahame. Like another reviewer, I'm a bit stumped by the seemingly unnecessary subplot with Morgan and D'Orsay. At first I thought the producers probably owed D'Orsay something so she got a tacked-on part. But then I noticed a parallel between Morgan's narcissistic Lothario and Sullivan's narcissistic gangster. Each appears imprisoned by his own limitations. Notice too that Morgan appears trapped by a jail-like fence following D'Orsay' rejection, a possible foreshadowing of Sullivan's downfall. Anyway, it's a thought. But what I really like about the script is how Sullivan's indifference toward Ireland's desperate gambler brings about his own end— a nicely ironic touch. Also, note how the entrepreneurial criminal operations are tied in with corruption at higher levels of politics and big money. That seems unsurprising since both screenwriter Fuchs and the uncredited Trumbo were later blacklisted. In fact, noir appears the favorite genre of many leftist screenwriters, perhaps because of the potential for unhappy endings in a capitalist society.Nonetheless, the movie as a whole comes across more as an object of contemplation than of audience immersion, but certainly continues to have its points of interest.

Occasionally Allied Artists was able to produce a first rate serious film unrelated to their usual formularized output.'The Gangster' is an unconventional crime picture that concentrates on the latter end of a racketeer's career,the effects rather than the causes of his persona,his neighborhood of operations,and the people who have been corrupted by his contact. As the protagonist Barry Sullivan essays a suitably morose,hardened individual driven by desperation to hold onto his rapidly crumbling kingdom.Desperate too are the pathetic bystanders who will be effected if this petty prince of rackets should fall to the machinations of a rival mob.Belita is a fashion socialite whom Sullivan uses but cannot love.Akim Tamiroff is terrific as the owner of a seemingly innocuous ice-cream parlor where Sullivan's influence has set in motion the tragic events that follow.Also well-cast are Joan Lorring as an adoring counter girl,John Ireland as a hooked gambler,Harry Morgan as an amusing soda-jerk,and every film buff's "favorite" New York thug,Sheldon Leonard as the leader of the new mob organization.