The Racket (1928 film)
The Racket is a 1928 American silent crime drama film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Thomas Meighan, Marie Prevost, Louis Wolheim, and George E. Stone. The film was produced by Howard Hughes, written by Bartlett Cormack and Tom Miranda, and was distributed by Paramount Pictures.[1] It was adapted from Cormack's 1927 Broadway play The Racket.[2]
| The Racket | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lewis Milestone |
| Produced by | Howard Hughes |
| Written by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tony Gaudio |
| Edited by | Eddie Adams |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
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Background
Due to the controversial portrayal of a corrupt police force and city government, both the film and the play were banned at the time in Chicago.[3]
Reception
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The Racket is one of the films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture (then called Outstanding Picture) in the 1929 Academy Awards.[4]
Preservation status
Only one copy of the film was known to exist.[5] It was long thought lost before being located in Howard Hughes' film collection after his death.[6] The Racket was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016.[7]
The Howard Hughes-owned RKO studios remade The Racket in 1951 with Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan in the lead roles.
Cast
- Thomas Meighan as Captain James McQuigg
- Louis Wolheim as Nick Scarsi
- Marie Prevost as Helen Hayes
- G. Pat Collins as Patrolman Johnson (credited as Pat Collins)
- Henry Sedley as Spike
- George E. Stone as Joe Scarsi (credited as George Stone)
- Sam De Grasse as District Attorney Welch (credited as Sam DeGrasse)
- Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher as Miller (credited as Skeets Gallagher)
- Lee Moran as Pratt
- John Darrow as Dave Ames - Cub Reporter
See also
References
- The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:The Racket
- The Racket play produced on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre, November 1927-March 1928; IBDb.com
- The Racket at Turner Classic Movies, by Brian Cady
- "The 1st Academy Awards (1929) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- The Racket at silentera.com
- The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:The Racket
- "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.