This photo is from an undated French postcard of George. Many years earlier he bought the tiger’s eye ring to celebrate his birthday when none of his friends acknowledged the occasion. He wore it in most of his films contributing to his classic and stylish look.
George Raft and Alison Skipworth appeared in four films together, the first of which was the crime comedy Madame Racketeer, released on July 23, 1932. Madame Racketeer, in part based on the life of a real woman, George and Alison play charming con artists who form a tenuous alliance. Will they “play” each other or …
George Raft and Alison Skipworth in Madame Racketeer (1932) Read More »
Released on 6/22/1948, Race Street is a crime/drama/film noir that starred George Raft and the versatile William Bendix. As a bookie avenging a death and a cop bent on saving his friend from disaster, the two actors were well matched in intensity as well as at playing strong characters. This film is about loyalty and …
The Glass Key starring George Raft, Edward Arnold, Claire Dodd and Ray Milland was released on June 15, 1935, and was one of Paramount’s highest grossing movies of the year. Adapted from the novel by Dashiell Hammett, The Glass Key is a crime drama that borders on film noir. It benefited from a clever script, …
Johnny Allegro was released on May 26, 1949, and starred George Raft, Nina Foch, and George Macready. This well-written crime thriller/film noir was a hit for Columbia that featured good pacing and an intriguing plot. The relationship and tension between the hero and villain as well as the romance between Johnny and Glenda (Nina) were …
George Raft Falls for Nina Foch in Johnny Allegro (1949) Read More »
The Lady’s from Kentucky starring George Raft and Ellen Drew was released on April 28, 1939. This drama/romance featured a character with whom George was very familiar, an easy-going if down on his luck gambler who wins half interest in a racehorse co-owned by a beautiful woman. To be sure there are some twists and …
In Stolen Harmony, released on April 20, 1935, George plays a charming ex-con who blows a mean sax. He was perfectly suited to the role and was a good match for his co-star Grace Bradley. The film is notable for the debut of Lloyd Nolan who became a prolific character actor. He played the villain …
Scarface was released April 9,1932 but filmed in 1931 during pre-code days and consequently experienced some significant difficulties in getting shown. Despite that, it received rave reviews from critics and broke box office records. Audiences fell for George. It has been said that had there been a supporting actor category for 1932, George would have …
Some films seldom show up on YouTube and It Had to Happen (1936) is one of those films. But for now, it is available through the Movies link on the homepage of this site. Watch it while you can!
A comment by pixierita (Thank you!) brought this to my attention and I thought you might be interested, too. These are good movies and not always easy to find, so grab some popcorn, a soda and watch them while you can. Night After Night was Mae West’s film debut so it truly is a classic. …