GREAT early 60's "film noir" drama with EXCELLENT acting esp by Rod Steiger as Spanish Harlem pawnbroker and Holocaust survivor Sol Nazerman. one of the first movies about the psychological effects of "survivors guilt"
worth watching just for the scenes with Juano Hernandez as Mr. Smith trying to engage Nazerman in philosophical conversation, Thelma Oliver as the young black prostitute (and Ortiz's girlfriend) trying to sell herself to Nazerman as he flashs back to his wife in forced prostitution in the concentration camp and his monolog to his assistant Ortiz (Jaime Sanchez) about "why person are so good at business"
Steiger was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar and many Hollywood insiders think he later won for his part as Police Chief Gillespie in the 1967 "In The Heat Of The Night" as partial apology for NOT winning in 1964. that year the Best Actor Oscar went to Lee Marvin "and a horse" 
it's on FLIX again Tuesday April 26th @ 11:15 am pacific time and Friday April 29th @ 9:15 am. worth recording. I would put it in the category of "must see film noir" with other 1950's, early 60's movies like Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), On the Waterfront (1954) and The Harder They Fall (1956)
Hot Forum Topics
