The Human Jungle

"The Human Jungle" (1954), directed by Joseph M. Newman, who would go on to make the classic science fiction film "This Island Earth" (1955) is film noir starring Gary Merrill, Jan Sterling and Regis Toomey.

The screenplay is nothing out of the ordinary: a cop turned lawyer (Gary Merrill) is offered to become chief of police in a hard inner city neighbourhood and he attempts to crack down on a large mobster (Florenz Ames).

After achieving stardom in films like "All About Eve" (1950), Gary Merrill's film career seemed to slowly die during the middle of the fifties in movies like this. Having seen him quality productions, one blames the script rather than he for the arrogant, bull-headed and plain unlikable persona he has here. In fact, by the end of it, you want him to die. The limp direction does the motion picture no favours and only Jan Sterling, Florenz Ames and Paula Raymond come out of the acting department with much dignity. It's a shame really that Ellis W. Carter, the cinematographer, and Hans J. Salter's music are found too far below what their talents deserve and manage to make this banal and film noir just about watchable.

Gary Merrill plays Captain Danforth, the new head of the police department in a corrupt little town where law and order have disintegrated. He just earned his law degree but agrees to take the job IF he's allowed to run the department the way he likes. This means that crimes, even petty ones, will be prosecuted and his plan is to put the fear of the police in the criminal element. Much of this element, it seems, frequent a sleezy roadhouse and the Captain is sure that if he puts the pressure on the crooks there, someone will spill their guts.

This film stars a lot of character actors and no real big names. Now you might think this would be a detriment, but the actors really did well and the material they were given is excellent noir...tough, uncompromising and exciting. Overall, a nice little hidden gem. If you like film noir, you really have to see this one.

The Human Jungle is a fairly mediocre crime thriller that combines police procedural with noir to limited effect. Clearly made on the cheap (by Allied Artists, the 'high-budget' arm of the – by-then defunct – Poverty Row studio, Monogram) the film is populated with a number of actors who were either never more than second-string or were still in the early stages of their careers. Gary Merrill was as famous for being the toy-boy squeeze of Bette Davis as he was for his acting skills, and in this one he wears a permanent scowl and is nearly always angry – presumably to show the righteousness of his crusade; Lamont Johnson as the police department's hot-head never really cut it as an actor and would find more success as a director. He's OK here, and certainly had the looks to go further, but his character seems to have been inserted for no reason other than to flesh out a short running time. Claude Akins and Chuck Connors, both in the early years of their careers, also appear as a pair of tough guys. Highlight of the film, though, is Jan Sterling as a brassy bottle-blonde, callously used by the cops as bait to catch the villains. In fact, the cast is by far the most interesting thing about this ordinary b-movie.

A great noir-crime thriller. Such a great cast of character actors. Regis Toomey (Guys & Dolls), Emile Meyer (countless westerns), James Westerfield (on the Waterfront, Hang 'em High), Chubby Johnson, Chuck Conners (The Rifleman), Claude Akins. But it doesn't take a genius to recognize Merrill's role is almost a mirror image of his wonderful performance in 12 O'Clock High where he got kicked out of his job, replaced by Gregory Peck. In Human Jungle he replaces Westerfield. Leading up to Merrill's promotion and in the immediate aftermath dialogue is almost identical to 12 O'Clock High. The film could be a case study in personality types and leadership styles.

Gary Merrill is Danforth, a cop turned attorney who is roped into running a tough precinct in "The Human Jungle" from 1954, directed by Joseph M. Newman, also starring Jan Sterling and Chuck Conners.

The precinct known as The Heights is in bad shape: juvenile delinquency, petty crimes, graft, the unsolved murder of a strip-tease dancer, and no effort to clear cold cases.

The department has become lazy. Danforth is asked to take over rather than accepting a job in a law firm. He makes changes that are not popular, putting cops back on beats so they're more visible, and taking a tougher stance with criminals.

In order to solve the murder of Lillian Dean, a prostitute, he questions one of her gentleman callers, Swados (Connors) who works for a petty mobster.

He is alibied by Mary Abbot (Sterling) who works at a crime-ridden club, The Hut. Danforth doesn't believe the alibi. He puts Mary in danger by intimating to Swados that she talked. Can he keep her alive?

Meanwhile, some teens picked up for minor theft claim police brutality- they were actually beat up by the big boss so they could make the claim. And an officer actually shoots an innocent citizen. If Danforth can't get Swados or Mary to talk about what's going on, he's in trouble.

Good B movie, with Jan Sterling giving an excellent performance as a hardboiled stripper. Merrill is an effective tough guy.

Fairly routine, but the performances liven it up. The end takes place in a Pabst Blue Ribbon factory as Mary runs from Swados. It's great.