Sun 1 Dec 2024
A Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: THE ENFORCER (1951).
Posted by Steve under Crime Films , Reviews[3] Comments
THE ENFORCER. Warner Bros., 1951. Humphrey Bogart, Zero Mostel, Ted De Corsia, Everett Sloane. Directors: Bretaigne Windust, Raoul Walsh (the latter uncredited).
I initially didn’t know exactly what to make of The Enforcer. It’s structured in such a way that a viewer could get lost in the proceedings. Not only are there flashbacks, but there are flashbacks within flashbacks and, if I am being honest, I found myself somewhat disappointed with the film by the halfway mark. But I am really glad I continued watching, because by the time this Humphrey Bogart movie wraps up, you realize that the intricate narrative structure does the story justice and then some.
Directed by Bretaigne Windust (with the action sequences helmed by an uncredited Raoul Walsh), this picture stars Bogart as Ferguson, a crusading district attorney tasked with prosecuting Mendoza (Everett Sloane), the boss of a murder-for-hire syndicate. When his star witness, Rico (Ted De Corsia) falls to his death, he is forced to find another witness who could put Mendoza in the chair, and that’s where the aforementioned flashbacks come in.
Ferguson begins to revisit the case and hopes to find some forgotten detail that could help him as the clock ticks down to the next day’s courtroom proceedings. As it turns out, there is one witness who can positively identify Mendoza for committing a years ago murder at an all night diner. Whether Ferguson can find and save her before the killers get to her provides the necessary suspense to keep the viewer engaged.
One thing that irked me a little about the movie is how some of the toughest criminals in the murder-for-hire racket go completely soft as the first sign of trouble. Rico, the tough as nails ringleader of the outfit, becomes implausibly scared of Mendoza when he decides to testify against him.
The same goes for Zero Mostel’s character, Big Babe Lazick, who whimpers in police custody, and for hired killer Duke Malloy (Michael Tolan) whose teary confession to the cops is pivotal to how the investigation plays out.
I get what the filmmakers were going for – namely, that Mendoza is such a ruthless man that even the hired killers who work for him are terrified of him – but it really doesn’t work to the film’s benefit.
That said, I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. The Enforcer reminded me somewhat of The Killers (1946). It’s not quite at that level. But it’s solid movie-making and benefits immensely from Bogart’s presence. I’m not quite sure that anyone else would have been as good in the role. Final note: a lot of crime movies from this era are erroneously called film noir. For what it’s worth, this one I think fits that category well. Thumbs up.

December 1st, 2024 at 11:33 pm
Well enough done semi Docu Noir style crime expose based on the then contemporary Murder Inc. revelations. What I recall most vividly is the opening with Bob Steele only because it’s a reminder Steele was the killer Canino opposite Bogie in THE BIG SLEEP.
December 2nd, 2024 at 12:53 am
Steele, a former B-western hero, has a small but significant part. I should have included him in the credits.
December 2nd, 2024 at 12:58 am
Steve,
Casting Bob Steele was Bogart’s idea. Feiner Films authorized me to sell The Enforcer here in Canada nearly twenty-five years ago. For a variety of reasons, no dice.
.