Film Snail

6.4

The Garment Jungle

NR·1957·88m

Drama

Crime

Drama

Crime

Summary

Alan Mitchell returns to New York to work for his father Walter, the owner of a fashion house that designs and manufactures dresses. To stay non-union, Walter has hired Artie Ravidge, a hood who uses strong-arm tactics to keep the employees in line.

Cast

Lee J. Cobb

Walter Mitchell

Kerwin Mathews

Alan Mitchell

Gia Scala

Theresa Renata

Richard Boone

Artie Ravidge

Valerie French

Lee Hackett

Robert Loggia

Tulio Renata

Joseph Wiseman

George Kovan

Harold J. Stone

Tony

Adam Williams

Wesley Addy

Mr. Paul

Willis Bouchey

Dave Bronson

Robert Ellenstein

Fred Kenner

Celia Lovsky

Tulio's Mother

Suzanne Alexander

Joanne (uncredited)

Alex Ball

Dance Class Patron (uncredited)

Benjie Bancroft

Worker (uncredited)

Joanna Barnes

Model (uncredited)

John Barton

Worker (uncredited)

Harry Baum

Worker (uncredited)

Brandon Beach

Funeral Guest (uncredited)

Arthur Berkeley

Worker (uncredited)

Bonnie Bolding

Model (uncredited)

Eve Brent

Receptionist (uncredited)

Shirley Buchanan

Announcer (uncredited)

Nora Bush

Worker (uncredited)

Anna Lee Carroll

Model (uncredited)

Charles Cirillo

Dance Class Patron (uncredited)

Bud Cokes

Worker (uncredited)

Paul Cristo

Dance Class Patron (uncredited)

Dick Crockett

Miller (uncredited)

Lillian Culver

Buyer (uncredited)

Roy Damron

Hood (uncredited)

Jann Darlyn

Model (uncredited)

Madelyn Darrow

Model (uncredited)

Diane DeLaire

Model (uncredited)

Luis Delgado

Union Member (uncredited)

Millicent Deming

Announcer (uncredited)

George DeNormand

Union Member (uncredited)

James Dime

Worker (uncredited)

Richard Elmore

Worker (uncredited)

Billy Engle

Funeral Guest (uncredited)

Tom Ferrandini

Buyer (uncredited)

George Ford

Union Member (uncredited)

Kenneth Gibson

Buyer (uncredited)

Joe Gilbert

Buyer (uncredited)

Ruth Gillis

Model (uncredited)

Joseph Glick

Worker (uncredited)

James Gonzalez

Union Member (uncredited)

Herschel Graham

Buyer (uncredited)

Joan Granville

Operator (uncredited)

Stuart Hall

Buyer (uncredited)

Marilyn Hanold

Model (uncredited)

Chester Hayes

Worker (uncredited)

Bob Hopkins

Bartender (uncredited)

Shep Houghton

Union Member (uncredited)

Michael Jeffers

Worker (uncredited)

Betsy Jones-Moreland

Secretary (uncredited)

Dorothy Kellogg

Model (uncredited)

Kenner G. Kemp

Buyer (uncredited)

Ellie Kent

Stephanie (uncredited)

Donald Kirke

Salesman (uncredited)

Paul Knight

Salesman (uncredited)

Betty Koch

Buyer (uncredited)

Joe Lanza

Dancer (uncredited)

Perk Lazelle

Buyer (uncredited)

Frank Marlowe

Truck Driver (uncredited)

Kathy Marlowe

Model (uncredited)

William Meader

Worker (uncredited)

Russell Meeker

Funeral Guest (uncredited)

Sid Melton

Worker (uncredited)

Harold Miller

Buyer (uncredited)

Laurie Mitchell

Model (uncredited)

Hans Moebus

Buyer (uncredited)

Mike Morelli

Dance Class Patron (uncredited)

Charles Morton

Worker (uncredited)

Sol Murgi

Dance Class Patron (uncredited)

Peggy O'Connor

Model (uncredited)

Gloria Pall

Model (uncredited)

Charles Perry

Worker (uncredited)

Joe Ploski

Worker (uncredited)

José Portugal

Buyer (uncredited)

Ray Pourchot

Brown (uncredited)

Paul Power

Salesman (uncredited)

Fred Rapport

Funeral Guest (uncredited)

Leoda Richards

Lobby Guest (uncredited)

George Robotham

Truck Driver (uncredited)

Edwin Rochelle

Worker (uncredited)

Victor Romito

Police Officer (uncredited)

Cosmo Sardo

Dance Class Patron (uncredited)

Archie Savage

Elderly Operator (uncredited)

Irene Seidner

Elderly Operator (uncredited)

Jon Shepodd

Alfredi (uncredited)

Charles Sherlock

Pedestrian (uncredited)

Hal Taggart

Salesman (uncredited)

Jud Taylor

Latzo (uncredited)

June Tolley

Model (uncredited)

Danny Truppi

Worker (uncredited)

Dale Van Sickel

Truck Driver's Helper (uncredited)

Paul Weber

Salesman (uncredited)

William Woodson

Announcer (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Vincent Sherman

Screenplay, Story

Harry Kleiner

Reviews

John Chard

February 28, 2016

Unity is powerful.

The Garment Jungle is directed by Robert Aldrich and Vincent Sherman. The screenplay is adapted by Harry Kleiner from "Gangsters in the Dress Business" by Lester Velie. It stars Lee J. Cobb, Kerwin Matthews, Richard Boone, Robert Loggia, Gia Scala and Valerie French. Music is by Leith Stevens and cinematography by Joseph Biroc.

Alan Mitchell (Matthews) returns from the War to help his father Walter (Cobb) run the family fashion designer factory. Unfortunately he finds a business being protected by local hoodlum Artie Ravidge (Boone), who has the backing of Walter, and who is defiant in not letting the Union into the company. Things are about to turn very ugly and Alan is right in the middle of it.

Robert Aldrich is uncredited in a lot of sources, but the film was 98% his work. Cobb had a sulk about where his character was going, it all came to a head and Columbia head Harry Cohn, not needing much of an excuse to fire Aldrich (who was sick as well), brought in Sherman to finish the film. Or at least that's the party line story...

Aldrich's mark is all over the film, the harsher edges involving racketeers and violence are unmistakably his. The characterisations are pungent with varying degrees of menace, betrayal, cowardice and stoicism, with morals and ethics brought into sharp focus. Much of the pic is filmed indoors, which is a shame because when Biroc gets to photograph outside in the New York locales, we can see that we could have had a visual film noir treat. Instead we get a very good pro- Union drama with noir tints, though the softening of a key character, which Aldrich didn't aspire to, leaves you wondering just how much more spicy things could have been. 7/10