The Garment Jungle

This is a over looked little gem here. The cast is excellent from top to bottom, even the weak link here Kerwin Mathews is better than most of his other roles in films. Lee J. Cobb tackles his role with gusto and scores a home run as the tough hardheaded father/boss.The always excellent Richard Boone shines as the ruthless mob enforcer. Lots of Broadway stage talent on display here. Robert Loggia makes the most of his role in his film debut, Joseph Wiseman's character reminds one of his role as Charley Gennini in Detective Story. Valerie French who did as many Broadway plays as movies is effective in her minor role. The always reliable Harold J. Stone as the shop foreman (Harold grew up in Yiddish theatre and made his Broadway debut in 1939). Even the smaller roles have nice surprises. The wonderful character actor Willis Bouchey (a stable of John Ford in his films, best remembered for his president of the court-martial in Sergeant Rutledge )as a union president. Celia Lovsky (the ex wife of Peter Lorre, and character actress in over 200 TV shows, 40 films),is wasted as the Grandmother. Don't blink or you will miss Joanna Barnes (only one year away from playing the memorable WASP Gloria Upson in Auntie Mame) in her film debut. She only has two lines,but she is so close she is almost kissing the camera. And some very familiar acting thugs doing their nasty business with flair.... And last but not least we come to Gia Scala as the feisty Italian Theresa Renata (Gia was half Sicilian from her father and 1/2 Irish , who left Italy for New york City to eventually study with Stella Adler and the Actors Studio) Gia shows so much promise here. Everyone knows her for Anna in The Guns of Navarone, and she was very good in a handful of other roles in the 50s. Sadly Gia took to the bottle after her The Guns of Navarone role and her career nosedived quickly. ( Well after all she was half Irish) One only has to see how badly her looks and talent had eroded in her 3rd to last acting role in the TV show "Tarzan" with Ron Ely. Toward the end of the show,she has scenes where she is not even looking toward the camera,perhaps having to do a voice over,(unable to remember her lines) and the ending is strange ,like she did not even show up for filming and they had to patch together a ending to the show, with no Gia on the set. (Gia died of a overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills suicide in 1972 after unsuccessful attempts in 1958, when her Mother died, and 1971 ,after learning her ex husband married Barbara Anderson less than a year after their divorce ) A sad end to a very promising career. Speaking of Tarzan, that's Eve Brent as the Receptionist, the future Jane in two Gordon Scott "Tarzan" films.

The Garment Jungle is rare film , but well worth the effort to track it down.

In New York City's garment district, women's dress manufacturer Lee J. Cobb (as Walter Mitchell) argues against allowing employees to join a union. His longtime business partner supports the union and is rewarded with an unfortunate accident. Garment workers who join unions are threatened with a shortened life expediency. This is why Mr. Cobb tells his handsome young son Kerwin Mathews (as Alan Mitchell), back in the US after several years overseas, to look at other employment opportunities. Formerly estranged, Mr. Mathews insists on joining the family business. Mathews soon discovers "Roxton Fashions" is tied up in deadly "protection" from mobster terrorist Richard Boone (as Artie Ravidge) and his goons...

Writer-producer Harry Kleiner reportedly changed directors, from Robert Aldrich, to Vincent Sherman, which may be why this interesting drama doesn't live up to its potential. He does get great black-and-white photography (by Joseph Biroc) and a fine cast. Cobb starts out strong, but confusingly becomes a supporting player. In his best moments, Cobb channels his "On the Waterfront" (1954) role. His character otherwise wavers between indistinct and naive. Consequently, girlfriend Valerie French (as Lee Hackett) gets very little to do. Leading man Matthews receives lackluster introductory scenes, upstaged by Cobb and women who are stripped to their underwear. Mathews gets stronger, but seems left to his own devices...

The real female lead is Gia Scala (as Theresa), as the wife of union organizer Robert Loggia (as Tulio Renata). While also good, she loses spontaneity. One of Mathews and Scala's most memorable scenes is a good example. On a pivotal evening, Matthews, Ms. Scala and her baby stop at a bar. She unbuttons her shirt to breast-feed the baby, but moves to another booth for privacy. After however many rehearsals and retakes, you still have to move around the booths like it's the first time. It's a fine scene, but could have been better. There are also jagged moments; a man enters a room too suddenly, for example, and a banister shakes like it's a prop. While the flaws stand out, much of "The Garment Jungle" fits nicely.

****** The Garment Jungle (1957-04-25) Vincent Sherman ~ Kerwin Mathews, Lee J. Cobb, Gia Scala, Richard Boone

Vincent Sherman was always a good director of melodramas, particularly if he had a strong leading lady. He made "The Garment Jungle" in 1957 after the original director, Robert Aldrich, was taken off the picture. You could hardly call it a problem picture but it did deal with the issue of Trade Unions and, in its way, it did find Sherman out of his comfort zone, (Aldrich was much better suited to the material). Nevertheless, it's a good example of its kind with a strong cast headed by Lee J. Cobb and featuring the likes of Robert Loggia, Richard Boone, Wesley Addy and Joseph Wiseman in supporting roles. However it's let down somewhat by its handsome, wooden lead, Kerwin Mathews, who always looked better shirtless, in baggy pants and with a scimitar in his hand. It was also lacking in a strong female lead; Gia Scala and Valerie French are as good as we get here and while both are very pretty neither was ever likely to be Oscar-bait. No "On the Waterfront" then but still worth seeing.

Writer/producer Harry Kleiner (Bullitt '68) obviously wanted to expose the shocking criminal involvement within the Garment trade but was trying to achieve it on a budget that was lacking. Columbia at the time had several new stars under contract and wanted to give them exposure in this picture - some were definitely up to the task; Gia Scala who went on to star in 'The Guns of Navarone' in '61, Sadly, a few years later would be found dead at age 38 under suspicious circumstances. Award-winner Robert Loggia ('Big' 88), went on to grace many movies with solid performances. Both were well cast emotionally convincing performer's. Maybe the weakest link was pretty boy, Kerwin Mathews -playing Lee.J.cobb's son. He would make a handful of movies then gradually fade out. Cinematographer Joseph Biroc ('Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte' 64) supplies the moody B/W photography.

This picture attempts to equal 'On the Waterfront' in its revelations about Unions and Protection rackets, this time within the clothing business but directors Vincent Sherman/Robert Aldrich were no match for Elia Kazan - and the budget needed to be larger. In spite of these limitations, the story is strong and well-intended and carries interest to the finale, that is, up to a pat, tacked-on ending that tries to wrap it all up in seconds. Good as a B - but could have been a fine A.

The new Bluray disc has been taken from a clean negative and sound is good but image is a bit darkish, if a good DVD can be located might be better.

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