662. Underworld (1927)

*The Warlock opens the door to his lair. He’s wearing a black leather jacket, black t-shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers and Gargoyle shades. He’s holding a Mega Pint of Pepsi*

W: Welcome to my lair….welcome I don’t think so, but enter. Enter my lair if you dare. I’m your host The Warlock.

*Warlock does nothing but just walk inside*

W: As Public Domain Week comes to a close, its time to take a look at the movie I’ve been waiting to see for a year now. The only one on the list that I was looking forward to happened to win Best Writing at the first Oscar’s and that movie is the 1927 crime drama UNDERWORLD.

*Warlock takes his seat in the middle of the couch*

W: George Bancroft is Bull Weed, a ruthless gangster who’s lawyer played by Clive Brook is a lush. He cleans up Brook but then Brook falls for his girlfriend….some friend huh? Anyway just like every movie on this list so far, this is a silent movie so apart from the score, there won’t be any sound. Unlike some of these movies, I know some of the actors in this so at least it might be good. At just over 80 minutes long if it sucks, at least it will be short. So grab your popcorn, grab your drink and grab your woman because its time for Underworld.

Written by Charles Furthman, Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht

Directed by Arthur Rossan and Josef Von Sternberg

Cast:

George Bancroft	…	‘Bull’ Weed
	Evelyn Brent	…	‘Feathers’ McCoy
	Clive Brook	…	Rolls Royce Wensel
	Fred Kohler	…	‘Buck’ Mulligan
	Helen Lynch	…	Meg, Mulligan’s Girl
	Larry Semon	…	‘Slippy’ Lewis
	Jerry Mandy	…	Paloma
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Alfred Allen	…	Judge (uncredited)
	Shep Houghton	…	Street Kid (uncredited)
	Andy MacLennan	…	One of Laughing Faces at the Ball (uncredited)
	Ida May	…	Laughing Woman at the Ball (uncredited)
	Karl Morse	…	‘High Collar’ Sam (uncredited)
	Bob Reeves	…	Detective at Railroad Station (uncredited)
	Julian Rivero	…	One of Buck’s Henchmen (uncredited)

*Warlock reads the tag-line*

W: “Boisterous gangster kingpin Bull Weed rehabilitates his former lawyer from his alcoholic haze, but complications arise when he falls for Weed’s girlfriend.”

W: Of course he does!