Underworld
(1927) American
B&W : Eight reels / 7643 feet
Directed by Josef von Sternberg

Cast: George Bancroft [‘Bull’ Weed], Clive Brook [‘Rolls Royce’], Evelyn Brent [‘Feathers’], Larry Semon [‘Slippy’ Lewis], Fred Kohler (Sr.) [Buck Mulligan], Helen Lynch [Mulligan’s girlfriend], Jerry Mandy [Paloma], Karl Morse [‘High Collar Sam’]

Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation production; distributed by Paramount Pictures Corporation. / Produced by Hector Turnbull. Scenario by Robert N. Lee, from an adaptation by Charles Furthman of a story by Ben Hecht. Set design by Hans Dreier. Cinematography by Bert Glennon. Intertitles by George Marion Jr. Presented by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky. / © 29 October 1927 by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation [LP24601]. New York premiere 20 August 1927. General release 29 October 1929. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Arthur Rosson was originally intended to direct the film. Indications that this was Semon’s final film are erroneous. [?] Katchmer-Eighty p. ? and Sarris-Sternberg p. ? list the scenario writer as Robert N. Lee. / Silent film.

Drama: Crime.

Synopsis: Synopsis available in AFI-F2 n. F2.5955.

Survival Status: Print exists [16mm reduction positive].

Keywords: Crime: Murder - Criminals: Gangs, Gangsters - Death: Murder - Police: Policemen - Weapons: Guns

Listing updated: 25 March 2007.

References: AFI-F2 n. F2.5955; Bardèche-History pp. 299, 300, 383; Bohn-Light pp. xxv, 88; Brownlow-Parade pp. 192, 194-196, 198, 202, 204; Everson-American pp. 229-230; Everson-Detective p. 110; Geduld-Birth p. 147; Katchmer-Eighty pp. 10, 12; Kerr-Silent pp. 8, 47, 152; Leish-Cinema p. 53; Limbacher-Feature p. 263; Nollen-Karloff p. 215; Parish-Gangster pp. 2, 33, 124, 400-401; Quirk-Powell p. 88; Sarris-Sternberg pp. 8, 13, 15-16, 19, 23, 46; Shipman-Cinema p. 96; Sinyard-Silent pp. 129, 130, 131; Sklar-Movie p. 179; Sweeney-Coming pp. 106, 118; Vermilye-Twenties pp. 186, 187; Weaver-Twenty p. 319 : ClasIm-301 p. 13.