“Scarface” is one of the original gangster films starring Paul Muni as a thug who rises through the ranks of the Chicago gangland scene. Director Howard Hawks (“Bringing Up Baby” 1938) put together quite an exciting film from a marvelous screenplay by Ben Hecht. It was adapted from the 1930 novel of the same name by Armitage Trail, which was loosely based on the life of Al Capone.
Director Hawks had some problems with censorship boards in various cities due to the violence in the film. (This was the era before the more strict Production Code was enforced, staring in 1934.) He altered the ending of the film, which has been restored on many DVD versions. This delayed release of the film by one year, as it would have come out in 1931 alongside fellow mob pictures “Little Caesar” and “The Public Enemy.”
The supporting cast behind Paul Muni includes Ann Dvorak, George Raft, Boris Karloff, Karen Morley, Osgood Perkins, C. Henry Gordon, Vince Barnett, Purnell Pratt, Tully Marshall, Inez Palange, and Edwin Maxwell as the Chief of Detectives. “Scarface” was popular in theatrical release for producer Howard Hughes, The Caddo Company, and United Artists. A remake was released in 1983, also called “Scarface,” starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Scarface (1932)
cinema
My Review
“Scarface” is one of the original gangster films starring Paul Muni as a thug who rises through the ranks of the Chicago gangland scene. Director Howard Hawks (“Bringing Up Baby” 1938) put together quite an exciting film from a marvelous screenplay by Ben Hecht. It was adapted from the 1930 novel of the same name by Armitage Trail, which was loosely based on the life of Al Capone.
Director Hawks had some problems with censorship boards in various cities due to the violence in the film. (This was the era before the more strict Production Code was enforced, staring in 1934.) He altered the ending of the film, which has been restored on many DVD versions. This delayed release of the film by one year, as it would have come out in 1931 alongside fellow mob pictures “Little Caesar” and “The Public Enemy.”
The supporting cast behind Paul Muni includes Ann Dvorak, George Raft, Boris Karloff, Karen Morley, Osgood Perkins, C. Henry Gordon, Vince Barnett, Purnell Pratt, Tully Marshall, Inez Palange, and Edwin Maxwell as the Chief of Detectives. “Scarface” was popular in theatrical release for producer Howard Hughes, The Caddo Company, and United Artists. A remake was released in 1983, also called “Scarface,” starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer.