Film Snail

6.5

Marked Woman

NR·1937·96m

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Summary

In the underworld of Manhattan, a woman dares to stand up to one of the city's most powerful gangsters.

Cast

Bette Davis

Mary Dwight Strauber

Humphrey Bogart

David Graham

Lola Lane

Dorothy "Gabby" Marvin

Isabel Jewell

Emmy Lou Eagan

Rosalind Marquis

Florrie Liggett

Mayo Methot

Estelle Porter

Jane Bryan

Betty Strauber

Allen Jenkins

Louie

Eduardo Ciannelli

Johnny Vanning

John Litel

Gordon

Ben Welden

Charlie Delaney

Damian O'Flynn

Ralph Krawford

Henry O'Neill

Arthur Sheldon

Raymond Hatton

Vanning's Lawyer

William B. Davidson

Bob Crandall

Kenneth Harlan

Eddie

Robert Strange

George Beler

Archie Robbins

Bell Captain

Arthur Aylesworth

Mr. Truble

John Sheehan

Vincent

Sam Wren

Mac

Edwin Stanley

Ferguson

Guy Usher

Detective Ferguson (uncredited)

Herman Marks

Little Joe Dinero (uncredited)

Milton Kibbee

Smith (uncredited)

Jack Norton

Drunk

Harlan Briggs

Sad Man in Nightclub (uncredited)

Tom Coleman

Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Lew Hicks

Bailiff (uncredited)

Mike Lally

Photographer (uncredited)

Frank McLure

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Carlyle Moore Jr.

Elevator Operator (uncredited)

Wendell Niles

Radio News Commentator (voice) (uncredited)

Paul Panzer

Club Piano-Mover (uncredited)

Scott Seaton

Gambler (uncredited)

Harry Hayden

Man Bringing Coroner's Report (uncredited)

John J. Richardson

Man in Line-Up (uncredited)

Charles Sherlock

Man Next to Little Joe (uncredited)

Dorothy Tree

Woman in Raid (uncredited)

Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)

Robert Morgan

Reporter (uncredited)

Lyle Moraine

Reporter #1 (voice) (uncredited)

Billy Wayne

Reporter #2 (voice) (uncredited)

Max Hoffman Jr.

Reporter #3 (voice) (uncredited)

Al Herman

Betty's $100 Cabbie (uncredited)

John Harron

Cabbie #1 (uncredited)

Frank Faylen

Cabbie #2 (uncredited)

Wilfred Lucas

Jury Foreman #1 (uncredited)

Jack Mower

Jury Foreman #2 (uncredited)

Jeffrey Sayre

Graham's Trial Assistant (uncredited)

James Conaty

Graham's Trial Assistant (uncredited)

Charles K. French

Graham's Trial Assistant (uncredited)

Harry Hollingsworth

Doorman (uncredited)

Alphonse Martell

Club Intimate Doorman (uncredited)

Jack Byron

Croupier (uncredited)

Philip Sleeman

Croupier (uncredited)

Mark Strong

Bartender (uncredited)

Alexander Pollard

Bartender (uncredited)

Leo Sulky

Bartender (uncredited)

Ralph Dunn

Court Clerk #1 (uncredited)

Lew Harvey

Court Clerk #2 (uncredited)

Emmett Vogan

Court Clerk #2 (uncredited)

Miriam Marlin

Party Guest (uncredited)

Larry Steers

Party Guest (uncredited)

Gordon Hart

Judge #1 (uncredited)

Pierre Watkin

Judge #2 (uncredited)

Bob Reeves

Club Patron / Courtroom Cop (uncredited)

Milton Royce

Café Patron (uncredited)

Ronald R. Rondell

Dancing Club Patron (uncredited)

Ethelreda Leopold

Dancing Club Patron (uncredited)

Carlos San Martín

Head Waiter

Leo White

Waiter (uncredited)

Alan Davis

Henchman (uncredited)

Jimmy Aye

Gangster (uncredited)

Allen Mathews

Henchman (uncredited)

Norman Willis

Henchman (uncredited)

Theodore Lorch

Second Juror #2 (uncredited)

Eddie Sturgis

Second Juror #3 (uncredited)

Edwin August

Juror (uncredited)

Harold Miller

Dancing Club Patron (uncredited)

Frank Bruno

Henchman (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Lloyd Bacon

Lyricist

Harry Warren

Lyricist

Al Dubin

Screenplay

Robert Rossen

Screenplay

Abem Finkel

Reviews

John Chard

February 22, 2014

Hostesses Arrested In “Clip-Joint” Murder.

Marked Woman is directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Robert Rossen and Abem Finkel. It stars Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Lola Lane, Isabel Jewell, Mayo Methot and Eduardo Ciannelli. Music is collectively arranged by Bernhard Kaun, Heinz Roemheld and David Raksin, and cinematography by George Barnes.

In spite of the film’s disclaimer put out at the pic’s beginning, Marked Woman is an adaptation of the real life case of Lucky Luciano, who the previous year was found guilty of compulsory prostitution after sterling work by U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Dewey. Ciannelli plays Luciano as Johnny Vanning, Bogart plays Dewey as David Graham and Davis is “madame” Cokey Flo Brown as Mary Dwight Strauber.

Unsurprisingly for the time it was made, Marked Woman is a distinctly sanitised version of events, full of euphemisms and hinted at unlawfulness, with the beatings et al off camera. However, it still packs a punch, both in narrative thrust as the underworld shenanigans are brought to life, and as an acting curio to see the young Davis and Bogart bouncing off each other before their respective stars were about to be ignited with petroleum.

Interesting aspect of the picture is that it is in essence a gangster movie, with a good guy/bad guy scenario at the core, yet it’s the women who rightly dominate the story. The girls are held up as bastions of hardship and heroism, and it gives the production a riveting edge, as well as some much needed glamour in amongst the sordid machinations.

Well acted, well told and well interesting. 7.5/10