Directed by Bretaigne Windust, Raoul Walsh (uncredited)
Originally titled Murder, Inc.—after the film's notorious crime syndicate—The Enforcer aimed to introduce American moviegoers to the very idea of hired killing. The terms "contract" and "hit" are presented as arcane underworld terms, initially mystifying even district attorney Humphrey Bogart and his racket-busting colleagues. Inspired by true stories "ripped from the headlines," this classic film noir aspired to maximum authenticity. In his quest for street cred, producer Milton Sperling sought unknown actors for important roles, cast ex-hoodlums in bit parts, and hired experienced prosecutors as technical advisors.
Bogart stars opposite calculating kingpin Everett Sloane in a complicated investigation plot that plays out as a layered series of flashbacks-within-a-flashback. The convoluted story structure is combined with many other noir traits: low-key, laconic acting; a somber, fatalistic mood; and world-weary, cynical characters on both sides of the law. In paradigmatic noir fashion. Bogart eventually resorts to the same ruthlessness as his prey, promising "the chair" to uncooperative witnesses, and even threatening the family of a hit man (the unforgettable Zero Mastel) in one devastating scene.
Conflict apparently ruled on the closed set, as Bogart chafed under yet another stereotypical tough guy role, reminiscent of the characters he played at Warner Bros. in the '40s that he felt kept him from stretching as an actor. Meanwhile director Bretaigne Windust, a second choice after Felix Feist proved unavailable, reportedly clashed with Sperling during the shoot, so the producer brought in genre veteran Raoul Walsh (whose Pursued he'd supervised three years earlier) to complete the film.
–Ed Carter
United States Pictures, Inc./Warner Bros. Producer: Milton Sperling Screenwriter: Martin Rackin Cinematographer: Robert Burks Editor: Fred Allen Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Zero Mastel, Ted de Corsia. Everett Sloane
35mm, 87 min.
Preserved in cooperation with Republic Pictures from the 35mm nitrate original picture and soundtrack negatives Laboratory services by YCM Laboratories. Special thanks to: Mickey Murray.
