THE MOB could also be titled ‘The Mugs’ considering the slate of soon-to-be familiar faces in the supporting cast, with the tough puss of burly Broderick Crawford in the starring role. Good no-nonsense tough stuff from 1951, directed by Robert Parrish (Cry Danger, The Purple Plain, The Wonderful Country), its script by William Bowers (The Gunfighter, Support Your Local Sheriff) sparked by a holster load of great sardonic dialogue.

“Next day she headed for Canada with my cuff-links, my car and a mink-dyed hamster coat I bought in Atlantic City.”

“I have to go underground, like gophers and communists.”

Detective ‘Johnny Damico’ (Crawford) is assigned to dive undercover as a longshoreman to find out who did & who ordered the murders of a cop and the chief investigator of rackets centered around the waterfront. Taking a few lumps along the way, Damico, posing as ready-to-rumble ‘Tim Flynn’, works his way up the hood chain and its surly crew of goons, stoolies and guys who answer every question with a smartmouth remark. Would you trust a bartender named ‘Smoothie’?

“You must be part of my hangover.”

Commenting on a cheap hotel—“I’d rather have a sleeping bag in a sewer.” 123rd at the box office that year, hauling in loot counted to $3,000,000.

Loaded for bear with new mugs in town: Richard Kiley (debut), Ernest Borgnine (debut year), Matt Crowley, Neville Brand, John Marley, Jay Adler, Lynn Baggett (in real life a troubled and troublesome starlet with a tragic arc), Frank DeKova, Charles Bronson (his third bit part), Emile Meyer, Harry Lauter, Carleton Young, Lawrence Dobkin, Don Megowan. Robert Foulk and Paul Dubov.