Phenix City, Alabama: idealistic lawyer John Patterson, who has just
returned from the Korean war, tries to rid the city of growing crime and
corruption after his father Albert, a Democratic senator who was elected
public prosecutor, is murdered at the orders of the boss Reth Tanner.
This noir semi-documentary is very violent by the standards of the time.
The film reconstructs a true murder, mixing fiction and historical
reality: on the one hand it uses situations and atmosphere that are
typical of detective stories, on the other it makes explicit use of news
stories with authentic inserts taken from newsreels and interviews with
real people, creating a background that suggest various key points to
the story.
Biography
film director
Phil Karlson
Phil Karlson (Chicago, 1908, Los Angeles, 1985) began as a prop man, assistant director and editor for Universal Studios and debuted as a director in 1945. He made B movies and various other films until the 1950's, when he made a series of noir films (Scandal Sheet, 1952, Kansas City Confidential, 1952, Phenix City Story, 1955) which were well received by the critics. He then made spy films and westerns, including Walking Tall (1972), which is his most commercially-successful film.
FILMOGRAFIA
>Dark Alibi (Charlie Chan e l'alibi oscuro, 1946), Black Gold (Sangue indiano, 1947), Ladies of the Chorus (Orchidea bionda, 1948), Mask of the Avenger (La maschera del vendicatore, 1951), Scandal Sheet (Ultime della notte, 1952), Kansas City Confidential (Il quarto uomo, 1952), 99 River Street (Non cercate l'assassino, 1953), Tight Spot (Quarto grado, 1955), The Phenix City Story (La città del vizio, 1955), The Brothers Rico (I Fratelli Rico, 1957), The Young Doctors (Giorni senza fine, 1961), Kid Galahad (Pugno proibito, 1962), Rampage (Il grande safari, 1963), The Silencers (Matt Helm il silenziatore, 1966), The Long Ride Home (Assalto finale, 1969), Ben (id. 1972), Walking Tall (Un duro per la legge, 1973), Framed (Senza capo d'accusa, 1975)
Cast
& Credits
Soggetto, sceneggiatura/Story, screenplay: Daniel Mainwaring, Crane Wilbur
Fotografia/Director of photography: Harry Neumann
Scenografia/Set design: Stanley Fleischer
Costumi/Costumes design: Chuck Keehne, Ann Peckv Montaggio/Film editor: George White
Musica/Music: Harry Sukman
Suono/Sound: Robert B. Leev Interpreti e personaggi/Cast and characters: John McIntire (Albert Patterson), Richard Kiley (John Patterson), Kathryn Grant (Ellie Rhodes), Edward Andrews (Rhett Tanner), Lenka Peterson (Mary Jo Patterson), Biff McGuire (Fred Gage)
Produttore/Producer: Samuel Bischoff, David Diamond
Produzione/Production: Allied Artits Pictures Company