Scarface (1932) by Howard Hawks
Saturday, October 2, 1982, 9:30 pm
Two Early Gangster Classics
Scarface (1932) by Howard Hawks and Underworld (1927) by Josef von Sternberg
Scarface: With Paul Muni, George Raft, Ann Dvorak, Boris Karloff – first S.F. showing of the long-suppressed (40 years due to producer Howard Hughes) masterpiece which was largely responsible for the public outcry which led to the stiff censorship of the 1930s. Unparalleled in its understated sexuality and violence, Scarface is clearly Hawks’ finest achievement: brilliantly stylized acting, dialogue, dark and brooding lighting, imaginative use of sound. Godard called it the greatest American (i.e. Hollywood) sound film.
Underworld: With George Bancroft, Clive Brook, and Evelyn Brent – the first modern gangster film, and the first major aesthetic and popular success for von Sternberg.