| | | The Original Gangster Masterpiece.
Features: DVD, English, French, Dolby, Digital Audio
Generally regarded to be the best of the classic gangster films, Scarface tells the exciting story of organized crime's brutal control over Chicago during the Prohibition era. Oscar winner Paul Muni gives an electrifying performance as Tony Carmonte, an ambitious criminal with a ruthless drive to be the city's top crime boss. Produced and directed by the legendary Howard Hawks, Scarface was a groundbreaking film which established both Paul Muni and George Raft as major Hollywood stars, while influencing all gangland films to follow.
"...an authentic story of gangdom...good entertainment with a superb cast." Box Office Magazine
"A brilliantly wild narrative...serves as a model for today's still popular gangster films." Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Editor's Note
Loosely based on the life of Al Capone, Howard Hawks's SCARFACE is one of the most shocking and powerful gangster films ever made, setting the standard for Hollywood screen violence for years to come. Tony "Scarface" Camonte (Paul Muni) is an enforcer for Johnny Lovo, an ambitious gangster who wants to combine all the liquor rackets in Prohibition-era Chicago into one crime empire. To achieve this goal Tony embarks on a reign of terror, threatening citizens and clawing his way to power until he is the number one mobster in town. Muni's fierce performance established the model for the Hollywood mobster, a violent yet charismatic figure. Censorship battles over the film delayed its release for two years, and resulted in additional moralizing scenes and an alternate ending. Visually dynamic and provocative, SCARFACE, produced by Howard Hughes, is one of the best films of the 1930s and the forerunner of the modern gangster film.
Plot Summary
The powerful, original gangster film that is based on the story of Al Capone's rise to power in Chicago during prohibition, in the form of mobster Tony "Scarface" Camonte (Paul Muni), who fights his way to the top of the heap to become the top dog--but not without consequences. The well-made, controversial SCARFACE is the model for Hollywood's gangster film genre.
| Features | Alternate Ending | | Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono | | Exclusive Introduction By Turner Classic Movies Host & Film Historian Robert Osborne | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Universal |
| Release Date: 5/22/2007 |
| Running Time: 94 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1932 | | Catalog ID: 61100545 | | UPC: 00025195004473 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, French | | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Total Film
"...This is the mobster flick that defined many of the genre's cliches....SCARFACE still packs considerable punch..." 03/01/2001 p.106FilmsGraded.com 8 of 10
Along with Little Caesar (1930) and Public Enemy (1931), Scarface was instrumental in making mobster crime dramas one of the biggest movie genres of the 1930s...Scarface is possibly the most violent film from a major American studio made during the 1930s. (Although at least it lacks the chainsaw used in the ultra-violent 1983 Brian De Palma remake.) There are some two dozen murders depicted, usually accompanied by heavy symbolism of the letter 'X'. Car crashes and tommy guns abound, and Scarface's use of violence is repeatedly rewarded until the finale...Hawks went on to become one of the best American directors, with the frenetic pace of Scarface serving as good training for later classic screwball comedies such as Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday. - Brian Koller
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