A fence, also known as a receiver, mover, or moving man, is an individual who knowingly buys stolen goods in order to later resell them for profit. The fence acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may not be aware that the goods are stolen.
Sterling Hayden (Dix) was one of those rare characters whose real life was far more interesting than his Hollywood life. He generally held his own acting career in contempt (despite having appeared in classics like this film, The Killing, Dr. Strangelove, The Godfather, and The Long Goodbye) and more than once tried to leave it. He preferred sailing (for long periods of his life he lived on his own ship) and writing (his autobiography, "Wanderer," is well worth reading). During World War II he became a member of the OSS (the precursor of the CIA), fought beside Yugoslav partisans, and was awarded the Silver Star, as well as a citation from Yugoslav president Tito.
7:28 Although he doesn’t have a single line of dialogue, sharp-eyed viewers will recognize this as character actor Strother Martin, who was in dozens of films and television shows, but who is perhaps most famous for portraying the Captain in COOL HAND LUKE (1967), uttering the iconic line, “What we got here is…a failure to communicate.”
And Frank Cady, best known as Sam Drucker on "Petticoat Junction" also has a small role as the intimidated potential eye witness that Hayden is staring down at
@@metrogoldwyn Frank Cady was also in Hitchcock's "Rear Window" on the 4th floor apartment where he slept outside on the fire escape with his wife and Yorkshire Terrier across from Jimmy Stewart's apt.
I realize that Noirvember is done and gone but please allow me to suggest Stanley Kubrick’s film “The Killing.” It’s a great early Kubrick that stars “Asphalt Jungle’s” Sterling Hayden in another heist caper.
Sterling Hayden plays Johnny Guitar in the movie of the same name, with Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge. An unusual western where the big shoot out is between two women. 1954, in glorious color.
15:16 The actor seated in the middle here, Anthony Caruso, was a character actor who was in quite a few films and even more television series, including Gunsmoke. However, fans of Star Trek: The Original Series will recognize him as the actor who played crime boss Bela Oxmyx in the fan favorite episode "A Piece of the Action.”
Caruso’s family lent support to a struggling young actor. When that actor, Alan Ladd, hit the big time, he repaid their kindness by having Caruso cast in some of his films, including the western remake of “Asphalt Jungle,” “The Badlanders.”
7:27 Strother Martin was great at playing the villain. He's very young here. He was in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," as the mine payroll currier.
Great reaction, MIA!! I love love this movie. The last scene where Dix just makes it to the corral, and dies…and the horses come to him, playfully nudging him…chokes me up every time.
John Huston had a penchant for picking stories with these kinds of endings, the "so close and yet so far" fallout from greedy pursuits -- Dix getting the horse farm he wanted (sorta) in the ironic way you describe ... the money blowing away at the end of Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the denouement of The Maltese Falcon. These are such iconic moments in the movies and there's just nothing like these anymore. Powerful stuff.
I have the same reaction to Sterling Hayden - he kind of scares me. And he played a corrupt cop in The Godfather and what a menacing man! There is a scene with him and he gives the most baleful look to Michael Corleone that I thought it was straight up frightening. Love the reaction, Mia!
A"fence" is a person who buys and sells stolen goods. For example a person steals a bike worth $500, you sell it to a fence for $200, who sells it on for $300.
Sterling Hayden is awesome. He never gave a fuck about acting but even he knew this John Huston film was different. It inspired the likes of Rififi and countless other gems.
Mia. I really enjoy the levels of your movie reactions. It's educational and entertaining and great insight into characters etc. Also love your crushes on various stars. I have them too and I'm an older woman.
I just found your series a few weeks ago and I love the whole idea of someone seeing classic films for the first time. You've had a good number of the movies that are my favorites and you have a great grasp of the language of film and some valid and sometimes surprising insights. Keep it up. And here's a film that it seems few people have heard of, but if anyone asks me what my favorite film is, this one pops into my head immediately. Please give this one a shot - you won't be sorry. It's hilarious, beautifully shot great dialogue, and has an amazing cast of great English actors and comedians - Michael Caine in a very early role, John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore - and Peter Sellers! It takes place in Victorian England and is a dark comedy, unlike any other you've ever seen. It's THE WRONG BOX, and it's available on RU-vid. Never put out officially on DVD. Wonderful!
"One way or another, we all work for our vice." Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Strother Martin (uncredited). Neorealism Influence Fact: In shooting the film, John Huston was influenced by European neorealist films such as Rome, Open City (1945) and Bicycle Thieves (1948). He combined the naturalism of that genre with the stylized look of film noir and Hollywood crime films. Casting Notes Fact: The poster showing Marilyn Monroe in a purple dress was created much later, after she became a household name. Monroe was basically unknown when the film was made in 1950 and only has a very small role. She certainly wouldn't have been given top billing at the time. In fact, she wasn't named on the original posters at all. Marilyn Monroe regarded this as one of her best performances, particularly her final scene with Louis Calhern.
@@MoviesWithMia Nothing to apologize for, i’m just glad you got to see it. I knew you’d appreciate it. Here’s another classic that many don’t know about. Seconds (1966) by John Frankenheimer starring Rock Hudson. Fantastic movie.
So glad everyone noticed Strother Martin but the first man in the lineup did alright in his career too. That's Henry Corden, 269 movie and TV credits and he was one of the actors who was the voice for Fred Flintstone for many years. Oh, and the cop who was slugged by Dix, that's Ray Teal, 345 movie and Tv credits.
A great heist-gone-wrong thriller. One of infinite numbers of variations of Chaucer’s “Pardoner’s Tale.” In fact Houston used the plot in “Sierra Madre,” which you’ve already seen, so he apparently liked this sort of thing. Other such films include “Heat,” “Topkapi,” and “Reservoir Dogs.”
That same year, 1949, Marilyn Monroe had a bit part in the last Marx Brothers movie "Love Happy." Groucho appeared in the movie in a supporting part, it was generally Harpo's movie idea and Chico joined him. The producer wanted Groucho to see the audition because he was going to do the scene with the girl. So when auditioning Monroe for the walk on part, 2 other actresses were asked to walk across the stage, and then last was Monroe. When the producer asked which girl should get the part, Groucho said something like "Are you kidding? the 3rd girl, the whole room revolved when she walked across the room ...." lol
I'm prejudiced since Sam Jaffe was my father's cousin, but it surprises me that none of the comments are about his performance. In 1950 how (as an actor) do you get across the fact that this guy is a mastermind criminal AND a perverted old guy...without making it so obvious that the censors ruin the film? People of that time did notice him...nominated for Best Supporting actor Academy Award.
I love your content. Also, the title of this film says so much. The Asphalt Jungle is slang for the city. The word, ‘Jungle’ portrays that the people are just wild animals living in the city.
Fantastic reaction to a fantastic movie! Been dying for you to see this since last year's Noirvember! And Zac, great edit! Such a great movie, and i totally agree with what you say about Marilyn's effect on men. Go look at her first TV appearance with Jack Benny. This guy had been around since the 30s and you can tell he's a little distracted! lol. Hey, for next year, I've got two great and essential late period film noirs for the list: Sterling Hayden in Kubrick's first (real) film, "The Killing" (1956). Great hard boiled film noir dialog! Also, Orson Welles' "Touch Of Evil" (1959)....Welles, Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston.....and a shocking cameo from Marlene Dietrich! Both of those will definitely get views, I can assure you! Thanks Mia, thanks Zak!
The guy in the middle during the police line up is Strother Martin, who became a quite famous character actor...particularly the prison warden in Cool Hand Luke [1967]. James Whitmore was another great character actor [Gus] who eventually became well respected actor in TV and movies...He did a one man show about Will Rodgers, played President Harry S.Truman in Give 'em Hell Harry, was in the Shawshank Redemption, many many TV shows, the original Planet of the Apes [as a leading ape lol]1968 many movies
The lineup: Henry Corden (lots of "ethnic types" - Ten Commandments, and a boatload of TV, and cartoon voice work - a working actor for almost 60 years) Strother Martin (one of the best character actors ever. Featured rolls in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and his semi star turn in Cool Hand Luke)
A Fence is a guy who knows how to sell off stolen goods without getting caught, Usually jewelry, an other art objects that are unique and would stand out at the local pawn shop.
@@MoviesWithMia One important note about a fence, especially regarding jewel heist movies, is the fence almost always offers as small a percentage on the dollar as possible for the jewels, claiming that they are too hot to make a very large return on.
"The Killing" is another great movie with Sterling Hayden. It's about a robbery directed by Stanley Kubrick. Hayden also played McCluskey, the corrupt cop that broke Micheal's nose in "the godfather". He was fabulous as the crazy colonel in "dr strangelove"
9:34 It's interesting that you mention chiaroscuro lighting. I always think of Caravaggio the Baroque painter. I believe he is credited with maybe not inventing the technique, but of popularizing it. Love Baroque paintings. Caravaggio painted "Narcissus at the Source." Once you mentioned chiaroscuro it brought me back to me youth.
I think Marilyn knew how good she was, especially by the last few years and after her work with the actors studio/paula strausberg. she was furious at olivier for saying all she had to do was look pretty, and she was trying hard to get better roles. the tragedy is that no one else acknowledged that that "effortless" feeling was the product of so much effort and sincere hard work, until after the fact. Anyway, if you liked this you should watch Rififi! Very similar, made by a blacklisted director after he moved to France to keep working, and equally amazing but with different strengths, there's this incredible long silent sequence where they break in you gotta see
I've always thought that this movie showed Marilyn had real potential as an actor. It's a shame she never developed any confidence. I've seen this movie a half a dozen times, but I just realized that the great character actor Strother Martin is in the line-up near the beginning.
Nice movie, nice reaction. Thanks, Tiffany. The criminals in this film seem like very reasonable people. I mean when they're double-crossed, they still speak to that person in a reasonable manner. Albeit people still end up getting shot. Let alone how I feel about her acting I respect how Monroe respected this film. The actor playing Dicks seemed like one of those examples you sometimes hear about where they use a big Hollywood name to adapt an unassuming book character. I felt like with him we were getting the book character rather than a big Hollywood actor in the sense that his actor status didn't outshine his character.
It's a strange thing about all heist/caper movies: you always always find yourself rooting for them to succeed, to get away with it. I think it's something about the form itself. You're inevitably put in the position of identifying with the criminals.
That's because narrative is compelling when someone is trying to acheive something against obstacles. The striving and fighting is the comeplling part. There's a US Army training video you can find on RU-vid on how to resiste giving information to the enemy in WWII. It's presented as a flight crew downed and captured and the Germans are trying to discover the secrets that they have. Just like with heists it's so easy to start rooting for the Germans because they have an objective and an obstacle.
Speaking of James Whitmore, someday maybe check out a (T.V.) movie he did called "Black Like Me". a movie shown on tv in the 60's or early 70's about a white journalist wanting to do a story about what it was like to be black before the civil rights movement, i think it takes place in the 50's, i haven't seen the movie since it's first two original runs on t.v, If you can overlook the now taboo idea of a white man portraying a black man, it was a very well done movie. I think it would be interesting to get your perspective on the movie and to hear your opinion on whether this movie would be now considered offensive. P.S. Love this video by the way. great job as always.
There actually was such a journalist. He gave a lecture at my high school when I was a kid. And you may be able to find his book in a local library - interesting stuff.
Much under-rated at the time, this is a terrific little film. In it's own way, almost as subversive as "Citizen Kane", but because it was a 'B' movie, it could pass the censors more easily. It was very 'uncode' to tell the story from the perspective of the criminals! And the intelligent script and the pacing helped create empathy and audience identification with the protagonists, even the less-than kind ones. And what a great line-up of actors! Many would go on either to stellar careers themselves, like Marilyn Monroe, of course, or to a lesser extent, the wonderful Jean Hagen, (who would in a few years play Lina Lamont in "Singing in the Rain") or become well-respected character actors in movies and on television. And Louis Calhern was a fabulous actor, who could basically play any role to perfection.
A smallish Sterling Hayden film to check out is Suddenly! Co-starring Frank Sinatra in a rare villain role. Fun fact: In the colorized version, Sinatra’s eyes were made brown. Ironic, given one of his professional nicknames was Ol’ Blue Eyes.
This is one of your best reactions yet, Mia! And of course it’s a great film, just eminently rewatchable. Fun fact: In the Coen Brothers’ 2001 film THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Shalhoub plays Freddy Riedenschneider, the lawyer for the main character. As the film is in black and white and is an homage to both film noir and 50s sci-fi films, it’s a rather obvious nod to this film’s character played by Sam Jaffe.
Yay! I finally caught up to a new episode. I just discovered you and I've been watching all your old videos. I'm a big fan of classic movies and I really like your commentary.
Love you reactions! Especially when you cover noir films. My name is Mia too 😂 Im glad i found another gen z like me who loves and appreciates older films. Also, I love your earrings, where did you get them?
Jean Hagan who went on to earn more than Calvin Coolidge, put together! Singin in the rain James Whitmore, locked-up in Shawshank prison in 1905 Brad Dexter, one of The Magnificent Seven
Was she really not sure who to root for as late as when they show to this Lon character's house and there's the shady PI there? He was creepy from start to finish, while Dix and the Doc and them are basically regular joes who just happen to do crime for a living.
How about Jean Hagen as Doll? What a gifted actress that could go from that to Lina Lamont in "Singin in the Rain"? Hard to tell it's the same actress. She later went on to say that there were really only two major roles for girls in the film and unfortunately for her, the other girl got all the attention!
Thanks for being the FIRST to do a reaction to this great film noir. You are at the top of the heap with your informative and entertaining reactions to classic movies. Would love your reaction to The Bad and The Beautiful 1952.
Fence is a middle-man between the stolen goods and what they can get in dollars. A thief doesn't care about goods, they want cash, so they go to someone who can sell the goods for cash.
Loving all your reactions! Have you thought about Rudolph Valentino's The Son of the Sheik? Great silent film! Great pacing, wonderful characters with very naturalistic acting. A much better film than The Sheik, and stands on it's own completely despite being a sequel. Some great versions on RU-vid!
I'd love you to watch Elia Kazan/Budd Schulberg's "A Face in the Crowd". This is a timely tale of a bum transforned into a media darling & his subsequent fall from grace. Andy Griffith & Patricia Neal star. (WB, 1957)
I once read a strange thing about Marilyn Monroe. Garson Kanin, I think, said that when she was just hanging around the set, she was an ordinary young woman, but look at her through a camera lens and her raw mannerisms popped off the screen.
Jeez, This is widely regarded as the best 'heist' film ever, so much so that 3 other films were made about this film in different settings, a western with Ernest Borgnine in 1958, called "Badlanders", in 1963 "Cairo" was made set in Egypt, & then in 1972, a blaxploitaion film, (where the whole cast is black), called "Cool breeze" was made, all 3 of these films have exactly the same story, but in different settings, & they are ALL good films,. but NOT as good as Ashphalt.
I LOVE JOHN HUSTON MOVIES. YOU CAN FEEL THE INTELLIGENCE DRIP FROM THE SCREEN. LIKE POLANSKI. EITHER DIRECTOR MAKES YOU FEEL YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS, NO MATTER THE ENDING. BUT... BUT... THERE IS ANOTHER EQUALLY BRAINY & PLAYFUL DIRECTOR WHOSE MOVIES CAN BE ID'ED WITHIN TWO MINUTES OF FILM, EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THE MOVIE BEFORE. JUST TWO MINUTES. HOWARD HAWKS. I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER DIRECTOR WITH WHOM THAT IS POSSIBLE. NOT ALL THE SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTIONS OF HITCHCOCK CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT. BUT HAWKS? TWO MINUTES IN AND YOU CAN SAY THAT'S A HAWKS FILM. EVEN HIS "HANGOUT WITH THESE PEOPLE" MOVIES ARE EASILY SPOTTED. I WISH HUSTON AND POLANSKI WERE LIKE THAT. HUSTON SHARES HAWKS' LOVE OF LITERATURE AND STORYTELLING, AS WELL AS HIS LACK OF CHEAP. SENTIMENT. AND POLANSKI IS CERTAINLY AS CONCEPTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED. AS FOR LITERATURE WHAT DIRECTOR KEPT A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER ON,RETAINER AS A SCRIPT DOCTOR AND WHO WAS HE? Its a damn shame there has never been a decent movie of just one of his novels lr stories.
Love This Movie, Have Watched Several Times Over The Years. I Had To Stop Watch, Way To Much Talking And Trying To Explain This And That About What Is Going On.. Leave All Of It To The A?amagination And Go From There. !ext Time I Come Across A Movie From These People I Will Just Keep Going.
