Force of Evil Overview:

Force of Evil (1948) was a Film Noir - Crime Film directed by Abraham Polonsky and produced by Bob Roberts.

SYNOPSIS

A lawyer gets caught in a three-way squeeze between his racketeer boss, his racketeer brother, and the anti-crime tactics of a new prosecutor who would like to jail the entire lot. Based on the novel Tucker's People by Ira Wolfert. Directional debut for the blacklisted Polonsky.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Force of Evil was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994.

BlogHub Articles:

John Garfield stars in "Force of Evil"

By Stephen Reginald on Jun 28, 2022 From Classic Movie Man

John Garfield stars in "Force of Evil" Force of Evil (1948) is an American film noir directed by Abraham Polonsky and starring John Garfield. The film is based on the novel Tucker's People, which was adapted by Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from a novel by Wolfert. The music is by David Raskin (Laur... Read full article


Force of Evil (1948)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 3, 2015 From 4 Star Films

“This is Wall Street… and today was important because tomorrow – July Fourth – I intended to make my first million dollars. An exciting day in any man’s life. Temporarily, the enterprise was slightly illegal. You see I was the lawyer for the numbers racket” ?~ Joe... Read full article


Force of Evil (1948)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 3, 2015 From 4 Star Films

“This is Wall Street… and today was important because tomorrow – July Fourth – I intended to make my first million dollars. An exciting day in any man’s life. Temporarily, the enterprise was slightly illegal. You see I was the lawyer for the numbers racket” ?~ Joe... Read full article


Force of Evil (1948)

By Beatrice on Jun 21, 2013 From Flickers in Time

Force of Evil Directed by Abraham Polonsky 1948/USA Enterprise Productions/Roberts Pictures, Inc. First viewing #204 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This dynamite noir was the only film directed by screenwriter Abraham Polonsky before he was blacklisted by the Hollywood studios when he ... Read full article


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Quotes from

Sylvia Morse: [referring to Joe] Don't have anything to do with him, Leo. You're a businessman.
Leo Morse: Yes. I've been a businessman all my life. And honest - I don't know what a business is.
Sylvia Morse: Well, you had a garage... you had a real estate business.
Leo Morse: A lot you know. Real estate business... living from mortgage to mortgage... stealing credit like a thief. And the garage - that was a business! Three cents overcharge on every gallon of gas: two cents for the chauffeur and a penny for me. Penny for one thief, two cents for the other. Well, Joe's here now - I won't have to steal pennies anymore. I'll have big crooks to steal dollars for me!


Leo Morse: [to Joe] All that Cain did to Abel was murder him.


Joe Morse: If you need a broken man to love, break your husband. I'm not a nickel, I don't spend my life in a telephone! If that's what you want for love, you can't use me.
Edna Tucker: You're not strong or weak enough.


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Facts about

In order to show cinematographer George Barnes how he wanted the film to look, Abraham Polonsky gave him a book of Edward Hopper's Third Avenue paintings.
This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1994.
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National Film Registry

Force of Evil

Released 1948
Inducted 1994
(Sound)




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Also directed by Abraham Polonsky



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Also produced by Bob Roberts



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Also released in 1948




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