Scarface was released on April 9, 1932 and starred Paul Muni, George Raft and Ann Dvorak. It is still considered to be one of the best gangster films of the era as well as one of the most violent. Adding to the authenticity were the real bullets and marksmen who were entrusted with the lives of the actors and crew. It made this scene quite extraordinary.
At its essence, Scarface is the story of a hood fighting his way to the top. What made this film a masterpiece was the director, Howard Hawks, and the immensely able cast. Paul Muni was intense, dangerous, disturbed and frightening in the extreme. No one at the time could have done it better. Ann Dvorak had the best role of her career and made the most of it.
In Scarface, George Raft cemented his place in movie history with his portrayal of the coin-flipping, menacing, yet appealing tough guy, Guino Rinaldo. It has been said that if there had been a Supporting Actor category at the Academy Awards that year, George would have won.
Nevertheless, what he did win was the public’s adoration as evidenced by the bushels of fan mail he immediately began receiving. Along with Scarface, he appeared in eight more films released in 1932 including his first leading role in Night After Night co-starring his friend, Mae West.
My bio has links to many of his movies, hundreds of photos, as well as videos of some of his dance routines. Yes, George was a famous dancer on Broadway before he became a star in Hollywood and a number of his films featured his natural talent.
Have you seen Scarface? What did you think of it?