As time goes by, people realize more and more how unique of an actor Humphrey Bogart was. While his roles in Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon are obviously cultural touchstones, he has plenty of performances which are equally great yet somewhat underappreciated. Such is the case with 1951’s The Enforcer. Also known as Murder Inc., this Warner Brothers release brought in $2,000,000 at the box office — an incredible feat for its time.
The flashback-heavy feature stars Bogart as Martin Ferguson, an Assistant District Attorney who is out to bring the ruthless ringleader of a murder-for-hire scheme to justice. Before you can say “noirish nightmare,” things go wrong for our hero. His star witness is killed and now Ferguson must put his own life on the line in order to track down the evidence needed to put crime lord Albert Mendoza (a scene-chewing performance from Everett Sloane) away for good.
The twists and turns offered in the film separate it from other crime pictures of the era, as does its non-traditional narrative style. But for Bogart at his underrated best? You’re going to want to call in The Enforcer!