The Mob Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Mob Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 30, 2021

Robert Parrish's "The Mob" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage production and promotional materials for the film; two archival programs with Ernest Borgnine; new audio commentary by critic Gina Telarolli; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Put a tail on him. I'm gonna sleep for eighteen hours.

Who was the person that did the casting calls for Robert Parish? If Parish had tasked a single person to assemble the long list of supporting actors that appeared in his film The Mob, then it is impossible not to conclude that he had a true genius at his disposal that could instantly recognize great talent. Indeed, there is just a staggering number of great actors that did minor parts in The Mob, and some of them aren’t even officially credited.

Shortly after purchasing a piece of expensive jewelry for his wife, veteran cop Johnny Damico (Broderick Crawford) witnesses a mob-style execution. He immediately reacts, but the killer tricks him and disappears into the thick shadows of the night. On the following morning, Damico is officially suspended by the chief of police, but offered a chance to redeem himself if he agrees to go on a very dangerous undercover mission to track down the killer -- a notoriously elusive gangster named Blackie Clay.

Damico adopts the identity of a tough guy with a shady past from New Orleans and begins looking for a job at the Waterfront, where supposedly very little, if anything at all, happens without Clay’s approval. However, since only a couple of people know what Clay looks like, Damico finds it difficult to figure out how to initiate his search for the gangster. He gets in a few brawls to earn a reputation and eventually lands a job as a longshoreman, but his attitude sends him on a collision course with another gangster, Joe Castro (Ernest Borgnine), who then tries to frame him as a murderer while taking care of personal business. After clashing with Castro and one of his boneheaded assistants, Damico discovers that he isn’t the only one working undercover on the Waterfront, but refuses help and continues to dig for clues on how to get to Clay. Increasingly feeling frustrated with the lack of progress and his newly adopted and extremely dangerous lifestyle, Damico is finally approached by the bartender who has been serving him drinks in the lousy hotel where he lives, Smoothie (Matt Crowley), and told that Clay wants to meet him and see whether he might be the right man for a very risky job -- killing a very persistent cop.

Parish worked with a screenplay that was delivered to him by William Bowers, who prior to completing it apparently had some contributions to Andre De Toth’s Pitfall and Robert Siodmak’s Criss Cross. The original material came from a novel written by Ferguson Findley.

The Mob moves fast and bets heavily on attitude, which is unquestionably the main reason why it has a distinct pulp finction-esque quality. However, these particular stylistic preferences do not transform it into one of those transparent and ultimately quite underwhelming film noirs that produce a lot of macho talk and gun smoke but very little serious character development. Indeed, Damico’s transformation, for instance, is very carefully constructed and essential for the revelations that emerge after he enters the Waterfront. Why? Because the ways in which he chooses to blend in and engage the people around him gradually define a complex system that feeds off their misery, which forces the viewer to ponder a lot more than the course of his deadly mission.

In the second half, Parish moves The Mob to a place that Fritz Lang’s Spione and Dr. Mabuse films visit. There is action galore and plenty of great misdirection plays here that again point to a bigger picture with new gravitational forces. Damico is still the central character in a classic film noir, but his findings have expanded the playing field so much that the execution in front of the jewel store no longer seems to have any significance.

The Mob was one of the last films Oscar-winning cinematographer Joseph Walker lensed. It does not have any breathtakingly beautiful noir vistas, but everything in it looks very solid.

*A young Charles Bronson plays a completely random guy at the cargo terminals where Damico first goes looking for a job. Jay Adler is a hotel clerk. John Marley is one of Castro’s thugs. Emile Meyer is a gas station attendant. The list goes on and on.

**The music theme from George Duning's soundtrack that is heard during the opening credits was later on used in Lang's classic film noir The Big Heat.

The Mob Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Mob arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The Mob looks as good as 711 Ocean Drive. This release is sourced from an older master as well, but aside from some minor cosmetic imperfections I think that the film looks great, even if projected on a very large screen. What are some of the minor imperfections that you should expect to see? Well, there are a few ares where density levels are somewhat uneven, which means that the visuals could become marginally softer, but these are all source limitations, not anomalies introduced by improper digital work (you can see examples in screencaptures #15 and 20). The hit before the jewel store in the very beginning of the film has some less than convincing delineation coupled with black crush as well, but again everything looks quite good. Additionally, from time to time you may notice a few minor specks and blemishes that could have been removed with digital tools, but there are no distracting cuts, large scratches, warped or torn frames. In terms of source imperfections and limitations, this is it. Depth, sharpness, and even fluidity range from very good to excellent. Grain exposure is fine as well. There are no stability issues. So, what you are getting from the current master is an all-around very satisfying organic presentation of the film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Mob Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While viewing the film, I did not notice any anomalies to report in our review. The dialog was very clear and easy to follow and George Duning sounded great. Actually, I was a bit surprised to hear how intense the music became in a few areas, so I would say that you should expect to hear a decent amount of dynamic movement if you turn up the volume of your system. There were no distracting distortions or other similar imperfections in the upper register, where these types of older films typically show weaknesses.

The Mob Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Ernest Borgnine in Conversation - in this filmed Q&A session, Ernest Borgnine recalls how he decided to become an actor and precisely when and how he entered the film business, some of the strange characters he was asked to play, some of the great actors and directors he played with, his involvement with Marty and Vera Cruz, working with John Sturges on Bad Day at Black Rock, etc. Conducted by Adrian Wooton at BFI Southbank, in London, on April 21, 2009. In English, not subtitled. (49 min).

• The Guardian Interview with Ernest Borgnine - this archival interview covers the actor's entire career and some of the bigger films he made and particular characters he played (Fatso/From Here to Eternity). It was conducted by Clyde Jeavons at the National Film Theater in London on May 21, 2001. In English, not subtitled. (79 min).

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for The Mob. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original production and promotional materials for 711 Ocean Drive.

• Hot Stuff - a short film about the three stooges directed by Jules White in 1956. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (16 min).

• Commentary - new audio commentary by critic Gina Telarolli.

• Book - limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Melanie Williams, Ellen Cheshire, Simon Abrams, Kulraj Phullar, Tara Judah, and David Thompson; extracts from interviews with director Phil Karlson, screenwriter Ben Maddow, and others; an extract from Vincent Sherman's autobiography; archival news articles, interviews, and reviews; new writing on the short films; and full film credits.

The Mob Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The route Robert Parrish's The Mob chooses to impress its audience eventually takes it to the same place Fritz Lang's Spione and Dr. Mabuse films visit. The Mob has a more contemporary and distinctly American personality, but the brilliant misdirection plays and backstabbing are right out of Lang's book of tricks. I really like this new Film Noir series that Indicator/Powerhouse launched and I hope there will be many more box sets to come, including some with films from other major studios. The Mob is included in the label's Columbia Noir #2 six-disc box set, which will be out in February. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.