{"id":31824,"date":"2013-06-25T11:27:10","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T18:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31824"},"modified":"2021-01-01T11:13:13","modified_gmt":"2021-01-01T18:13:13","slug":"underworld-1927","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31824","title":{"rendered":"Underworld (1927)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Nobody helps me! I help other people.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Poster-190x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"190\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-31825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Poster-190x300.jpg 190w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Poster-81x128.jpg 81w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn inebriated man (Clive Brook) is picked up by a notorious gangster (George Bancroft), who takes pity on him and gives him a place to stay &#8212; but when Brook and Bancroft&#8217;s girlfriend &#8220;Feathers&#8221; (Evelyn Brent) fall for each other, and Bancroft&#8217;s chief rival (Fred Kohler) continues to make aggressive passes at Feathers as well, tensions quickly get heated.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clive Brook Films<\/li>\n<li>Gangsters<\/li>\n<li>George Bancroft Films<\/li>\n<li>Josef von Sternberg Films<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Silent Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary lists three of Josef von Sternberg&#8217;s final silent films in his <em>GFTFF<\/em>: <em>The Last Command<\/em> (1927), <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2244\"><em>The Docks of New York<\/em> (1928)<\/a>, and this title, often cited as the thematic forerunner of several classic 1930s gangster flicks. Ben Hecht wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay, basing it upon real-life scenarios and people in Chicago&#8217;s gangland &#8212; but ultimately the film&#8217;s focus is less on the broader world of gangsters (Bancroft doesn&#8217;t seem to belong to a larger organization, for instance) than on the emotional conflicts faced by the key players. Indeed, the narrative is primarily concerned with exploring how Brook and Brent will deal with their love\/lust for one another, given their sense of moral obligation to big-galoot Bancroft:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent-1024x775.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"484\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent-1024x775.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent-768x581.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent-357x270.png 357w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Brook-Brent.png 1373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and how Bancroft will handle their perceived disloyalty when his rivalry with Kohler turns fatal and he&#8217;s sent to jail. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft-1024x763.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"477\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft-1024x763.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft-362x270.png 362w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Bancroft.png 1375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, none of the characters are fleshed out enough for this rather simplistic scenario to become engaging on anything other than a surface level; we&#8217;d love to know more about stoic Brook, for instance, and how he ended up on the streets, or how and why &#8220;Feathers&#8221; feels such undying loyalty for Bancroft. With that said, von Sternberg&#8217;s directorial talents are in clear view &#8212; especially during the creatively filmed mid-way party sequence. While this one can&#8217;t quite be elevated to must-see status, it&#8217;s far more accomplished than most other films of its era, making it worth a one-time look. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The creatively filmed party sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party1.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party1-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party1-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-31827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Underworld-Party2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it remains of interest for its clear influence on future classics of the genre. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0018526\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3269von.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/underworld-1927\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Nobody helps me! I help other people.&#8221; Synopsis: An inebriated man (Clive Brook) is picked up by a notorious gangster (George Bancroft), who takes pity on him and gives him a place to stay &#8212; but when Brook and Bancroft&#8217;s girlfriend &#8220;Feathers&#8221; (Evelyn Brent) fall for each other, and Bancroft&#8217;s chief rival (Fred Kohler) continues to make aggressive passes at Feathers as well, tensions quickly get heated. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Clive Brook Films Gangsters George Bancroft Films Josef&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31824\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31824"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61014,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31824\/revisions\/61014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}