Movie Review – Scarface (1932)

The 1920s and early 1930s saw a rise in organized crime throughout the United States.

One of the reasons for the increase in crime was from the ratification of the 18th Amendment.  On January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment went into effect and alcoholic beverages were prohibited in the United States of America.  Of course, the masses didn’t stop drinking, they merely found ways to develop, transport, and drink their favorite beverages in discrete methods and locations.  The prices of alcoholic drinks skyrocketed and this helped fuel the rise of organized crime.

By the early 1930s, organized crime was rampant throughout many cities, especially large cities with access to international shipping such as New York City and Chicago.  As gangsters seemed to run rampant, daring law enforcement to stop them, the public began to grow impatient with the lack of response.  That’s where 1932′s Scarface makes an impact.

Produced by Howard Hughes and directed by Howard Hawk, Scarface is an early 1930s gangster film that showcases the violent lifestyle of the gangsters from that very time period.  Scarface is loosely based on the life of Al Capone, and the movie even includes a scene very similar to the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre committed by Capone’s gang back in 1929.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Scarface tells the story of the rise an fall of Tony Camonte (played by Paul Muni).  The movie begins with the murder of Big Louis Costillo, the leading crime boss of the South Side.  The police bring Tony Camonte downtown for questioning his role in the murder, but Tony denies everything.  The cops don’t have any evidence and are forced to let Tony go free.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Johnny Lovo (played by Osgood Perkins) assumes control of the South Side and makes Tony his lieutenant in the organization.  He gives Tony a bonus for his clean killing of Big Louis Costillo.  Lovo wants to muscle his way into rival gangs’ businesses in the South Side of town and establish an empire.  Tony wants to take on O’Hara and the Irish gangs on the North Side, but Lovo forbids him from messing with them.  While meeting with Lovo, Tony is introduced to Lovo’s girlfriend, Poppy (played by Karen Morley).

After his meeting with Lovo, Tony returns home to his mother and sister, Cesca (played by Ann Dvorak).  He catches Cesca kissing another guy and chases him out of the house.  When Cesca tells him that she’s looking for fun, Tony gives her some of the bonus money he received from Lovo, and tells her to find fun some other way.  Naturally, their mom believes that Tony’s money is “dirty” and is upset when Cesca approves of whatever illegal activities that Tony does in his spare time.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Johnny Lovo and Tony conduct a meeting with several South Side gangsters.  There, Lovo makes a speech to the men and unites them in the illegal activities of brewing and distributing alcohol to bars and clubs.  He states that by uniting as one and taking over the area, they can all become rich.  The men agree to Lovo’s statements and they begin taking over territory that belonged to rival gangs.  In no time they establish control of the South Side.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

The South Side of town isn’t enough for Tony.  He takes the war to the North Side and begins killing Irish gang members.  When one of the Irish gang members survives a shooting, Tony’s men go into the hospital and finish him off.  Johnny Lovo is increasingly concerned about Tony’s blatant violation of attacking one of O’Hara’s businesses on the North Side.  This tension is increased when the North Side delivers the dead body of one of Lovo’s men with a stern warning attached to it.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

In his apartment, Tony has a meeting with his close friend, the coin flipping Guino Rinaldo (played by George Raft).  It turns out that Tony sent Guino north to kill O’Hara in his florist shop.  Guino informs Tony that O’Hara was alone in the shop and it was an easy kill.  After meeting with Guino, Tony makes his moves on Poppy and draws closer to Johnny Lovo’s girlfriend.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

The Irish gangs on the North Side know that Tony Camonte was involved with O’Hara’s death and want to teach him a lesson.  While Tony is meeting with Poppy and his associates, the Irish gang lines up in a massive convoy and proceeds to attack the restaurant in one long drive-by attack with machine guns.  Instead of being terrified of the incredibly display of firepower, Tony is instead fascinated with the guns.  He’s able to shoot and kill one of the Irishmen and picks up the man’s Tommy gun.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Tony takes his new firepower and wages war on the North Side, eliminating most of the Irish gang members.  One of the killing scenes involves Tony’s men disguising themselves as police officers and massacring the Irishmen in a warehouse, just like Al Capone’s men did in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.  The new leader of the North Side, Gaffney (played by Boris Karloff), is also massacred along with his men while they’re in a bowling alley.  Johnny Lovo is furious with Tony’s attacks on the northern rivals and his repeated disobedience to stay away from that side of town.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

One night at a high end restaurant, Tony spies his sister, Cesca, dancing with another man.  Tony is furious at her “slutty” ways and takes her home.  He gives her a beating for her behavior and then leaves his mom’s house.  While driving back to his apartment, Tony is attacked and almost killed.  He drives aggressively and sends his car and the pursuers off a small cliff, killing the assassins.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Tony Camonte is highly suspicious of Johnny Lovo being behind the assassination attempt.  Tony and Guino meet with Lovo and confront him about the matter.  Lovo panics and tries to tell Tony that he wasn’t involved, but Tony doesn’t believe his boss.  Lovo pleads for Tony to listen to him as Guino shoots and kills Lovo.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Tony is now head of the South Side (and most of the city now that the North Side gangsters are dead), and the police are slowly closing in on him.  They just need something concrete to throw him in jail.  One day Tony visits his mom and wants to see Cesca.  She tells him that Cesca moved away and is secretly living with another man.  Tony goes out to his sister’s apartment and is shocked to discover his close friend, Guino Rinaldo, as the man living with Cesca.  In a fit of rage, Tony shoots and kills Guino.  Cesca is horrified and tries telling Tony that she married Guino, and they were going to surprise him with the good news.  Tony is shocked and leaves the apartment, taking Cesca with him back to his place.

Scarface (1932) – (c) United Artists & Universal Studios Home Entertainment

The police have him now and go after Tony for the murder of Guino Rinaldo.  Tony and Cesca are in his fortified apartment when the police arrive on scene and surround his home.  He shuts the heavy door and blocks most of the windows before using his Tommy gun and firing at the cops.  Cesca is mortally wounded by a stray bullet from one of the cops and dies in Tony’s arms.  Horrified at being alone without his sister, Tony offers himself to the police officers.  As they try to arrest him, Tony runs outside only to be shot and killed in a hail of gunfire, dying right there in the street.

So is the movie any good?

Scarface is a fantastic movie that takes a look at organized crime at that time period in the late 1920s and early 1930s.  This was a shocker movie when it was released and required being heavily edited and censored because of the film’s heavy amount of violence.  There were also concerns that Scarface glorified life as a gangster.  Once you see the movie, you’ll see that most of the gangsters are actually stupid people who get killed fairly easily.

Don’t be fooled by Scarface‘s release date all the way back in 1932.  The movie is still brutal and violent enough for today’s audience.  The only things separating 1932′s Scarface with mafia movies today are harsher language and blood.  Otherwise, the bad guys (Tony Camonte and friends) are cold blooded killers, and the movie itself has a high body count.

Scarface (1932) – movie trailer

Scarface is a top-quality film worthy enough to compete with many of today’s films.  Fans of crime and mafia films definitely need to find a copy of the original film versus the 1983 remake starring Al Pacino.

Along with 1931′s Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, Scarface helped launch the gangster genre in Hollywood.  Now if only those classic gangster films were actually shown on TV these days . . .

Tony Camonte – “There’s only one thing that gets orders and gives orders.”
[points to Tommy Gun]
Tony Camonte – “And this is it. That’s how I got the South Side for you, and that’s how I’m gonna get the North Side for you. It’s a typewriter. I’m gonna write my name all over this town with it, in big letters!”
John ‘Johnny’ Lovo – “Hey, stop him somebody!”
Tony Camonte – “Get out of my way Johnny, I’m gonna spit!”
[starts firing]