1927-28 (1st) Academy Awards Outstanding Picture Nominee
Though The Racket
was a hit at the time, I think that this film stands out among all the nominees
as being least worthy of a nomination – in either of the “best picture” categories.
Straight away the movie has a conventional look and feel that lacks the
artistic flair of the Unique and Artistic nominees, or even the other two
Outstanding Picture nominees. There is one interesting visual effect in a scene
set at a gangster’s funeral: as Scarsi looks at all of the other gangsters
holding hats on their laps, the hats dissolve away to reveal that the men are
all holding guns under their hats, ready to shoot. Aside from that moment, and
a quick shot using silhouettes of police officers in the station, the
cinematography is not noteworthy. In a film as dialogue and plot-heavy as this
one, a degree of visual style is essential for keeping the viewer engaged.
The film begins with Captain McQuigg and Scarsi not-so-casually
meeting after McQuigg has been involved in a shooting. The two have obviously
met before and they refer to each other by their nicknames: Mac (for McQuigg)
and Nick (for Nicholas Scarsi). Scarsi makes a few gestures to try to charm
McQuigg. He tells the policeman to stay clear of a street corner where Scarsi’s
men plan to rob a rival gang and also invites McQuigg to his kid brother’s
birthday party. We then see each man go to his office where it is clear each
one is the boss of his respective racket. Scarsi’s office is in a brewery with
bootleg barrels of alcohol. McQuigg’s office is, naturally, the police station.
McQuigg later shows up to the street corner he was warned about where there is
a shootout and he arrests one of Scarsi’s men. McQuigg eventually arrests
Scarsi, but the gangster uses his political connections to get himself and his
men freed from jail and to get McQuigg transferred.
As soon as there are reports of a shootout, the press arrive
and they offer good comic relief. There is a humorous scene of reporters from
rival newspapers sizing each other up, all of them trying to get the scoop on
McQuigg’s sudden transfer. The reporters are all hoping for something to spark
another fight between Scarsi and McQuigg, even if they have to start it
themselves.
The Racket is a
top-heavy film; the scenes on the streets and in night clubs, as well as the
shootouts and car chases are all in the first half of the film. Once the
arrests are made, McQuigg hatches a plan to put Scarsi away once and for all
before his transfer, but the action and pace of the film go into low gear. The
film begins to resemble a stage play with the plot advancing through dialogue,
rather than action, and the characters are confined to a couple of different
rooms making the film visually uninteresting. Throughout, the film uses mostly
medium and wide shots, which sometimes makes it difficult to tell which
characters are speaking, especially since the policemen all wear uniforms and the
reporters and gangsters are dressed in similar-looking suits and hats. Since
there are few to no close ups, it is difficult to distinguish the faces of
minor characters. This is all very unfortunate since the story in the last half
of the film depends so heavily upon the dialogue.
It was very difficult to find a copy of The Racket. For many years it was considered a lost film, but after
Howard Hughes’s death the only existing print was found in his film collection
along with another film he produced, Two Arabian Nights (also directed by Milestone in a more interesting style). It
was restored by the film department of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and
occasionally airs on TCM. The only copy I could track down is part of a DVD
collection of early Best Picture nominees called Academy Collection: The Envelope Please Vol. 1. I could find no other legitimate sources for watching The
Racket, aside from catching it on TCM whenever it happens to air. The
picture quality is not very clean, but it is acceptable; however, there is a
DVD distributor watermark in the lower left hand corner of the film, which,
while unobtrusive, is still annoying.
I wonder what about this film struck a chord with audiences
and critics of the time? Perhaps it was The
Racket’s portrayal of the ubiquitous crime and corruption caused by Prohibition,
which was then in effect. Because the story was inspired by news and events of
the day, it probably felt unfortunately true-to-life and had an immediate
resonance. It shows an honest man’s struggle against seemingly insurmountable
corruption and how trying to change just one part of the system means taking on
the whole machine. But it’s all in a day’s work for good policemen like
McQuigg.
Nominee: The Caddo Company, Paramount Famous-Lasky
Producer: Howard Hughes
Director: Lewis Milestone
Screenplay: Bartlett Cormack, based on his stage play;
scenario by Del Andrews
Cast: Thomas Meighan, Louis Wolheim, Marie Prevost
Release Date: November 1st, 1928
Total Nominations: 1, including Outstanding Picture
