description The Asphalt Jungle Overview
The Asphalt Jungle is a 1950 film noir directed by John Huston, adapted from W.R. Burnett’s novel. The narrative centers on a planned heist and its subsequent fallout within a Midwestern urban setting. Sterling Hayden leads a cast including Marilyn Monroe in an early role as the story unfolds following the robbery.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
info The Asphalt Jungle Specifications
| Country | United States |
| Year | 1950 |
help The Asphalt Jungle FAQ
What is the heist in The Asphalt Jungle actually about?
The plot follows a jewelry-store robbery planned by Doc Riedenschneider after he gets out of prison. John Huston's 1950 film is less about the mechanics of the theft than the way greed, bad luck, and betrayal unravel the crew afterward.
How important is Marilyn Monroe's role in The Asphalt Jungle?
Marilyn Monroe has a small but memorable early role as Angela Phinlay, the mistress of lawyer Alonzo Emmerich. The main criminal story is led more by Sterling Hayden as Dix Handley, Sam Jaffe as Doc, and Louis Calhern as Emmerich.
Is The Asphalt Jungle based on a book?
Yes. The film adapts W.R. Burnett's 1949 novel of the same name, and Burnett was also known for crime stories such as Little Caesar and High Sierra.
Why is The Asphalt Jungle considered important in film noir?
It helped establish the ensemble heist film structure: the expert planner, the hired specialists, the compromised financier, and the post-heist collapse. Its influence can be seen in later crime films that focus on procedure and fallout rather than a simple hero-villain chase.
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