The story of the Phoenix is legendary and is likely one of the most well known ancient myths in modern day. However, there are serious and violent incidents and Albert Patterson accepts to run the elections to become the Attorney General of Alabama to clean Phenix City. The Phenix City Story This FAQ is empty. View production, box office, & company info. The city is right across the state border from Ft. Benning, Georgia so soldiers were always crossing the bridge to gamble and find women. The film follows an American captain searching for sunken treasure who becomes entangled with criminals and is arrested by the Dutch police. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. I… "Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume 5." Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Nothing remotely like this episode actually happened. A former boxer turned cab driver has to hide from the police when his badgering wife is murdered by the jewel thief she was having an affair with. Phenix City, Alabama, 1954. Posted on June 8, 2015 by jaycluitt. Many of its customers came from the United States Army training center at Fort Benning, Georgia. Parting company with her on-stage partner Professor Orco partly due to the job being potentially hazardous to her health, streetwise but kind-hearted vaudeville performer Maisie Ravier, in ... See full summary », In wartime 1944 in California,defense plant workers Rosalind "Rosie" Warren and her friend Vera Watson must share, on a rotating schedule, the town's last available rental-room with Charlie... See full summary ». Was this review helpful to you? When a woman he meets is murdered, a soon-to-ship-out sailor has until dawn to find the killer, aided by a weary dance hall girl. Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. Based on a true story, but departing from the truth in some places, The Phenix City Story tells of Phenix City, Alabama, where gambling and organized crime run the city. As many of you know, Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama are essentially the same city. The Phenix City Story (1955) In Phil Karlson's documentary-styled, taut and graphically-violent film noir - a muckracking crime docu-drama, based upon real-life events leading to the National Guard's martial law takeover of an organized crime-ridden Southern town in 1954: To watch this film is to endure a crucible of agony and fury. The legend is famous for the many elements it is said to concern life and death, creation and destruction, even time itself is tied with the tale of the Phoenix. "The Phenix City Story" is a different and violent film-noir based on the true story of the assassination of Albert "Pat" L. Patterson. The Phenix City Story Par Phil Karlson. "[7], Ray Jenkins, one of the two reporters who covered the Phenix City story for the Columbus Ledger, whose coverage won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service, has contended that the film departed significantly from reality. The Phenix City Story Approved | 1h 40min | Crime , Drama , Film-Noir | 14 August 1955 (USA) A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town. However, soon violence breaks out trying to silence the reform-minded citizens committee. Patterson was murdered in Phenix City, and the subsequent outcry resulted in the imposition of martial law by the state government. The most amazing part is that The Phenix City Story is based on a true story. [12], the imposition of martial law by the state government, Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service, A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, "Raw Headlines Box Office Bait, Per 'Phenix, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ray Jenkins dies at 89|Ledger-Enqurier, "See the 25 New Additions to the National Film Registry, From Purple Rain to Clerks", 'Purple Rain', 'Clerks', 'Old Yeller' among National Film Registry's class of 2019 - The Chicago Sun Times, Worshippers at the church of cinema|Film|The Guardian. Richard Kiley stars in this gripping crime drama about a crusading lawyer who takes on the corrupt machine running a Southern town, based on actual ev… When Bill and Connie Fuller are forced to move out of their Manhattan apartment because of their pet dog, Connie persuades Bill to buy a dilapidated old Pennsylvania house that George Washington allegedly slept in. Phenix City, Alabama, sometimes called the Sin City of the South is located just across the river from Fort Benning, Georgia, so there was a large market for the drinking, gambling, and prostitution offer by the Dixie Mafia that ran Phenix City. The syndicate responds with escalating violence: is no one safe? I became so emotional watching this this scene on a plane that a flight attendant asked me if I was ok. 4.5 out of 5 stars 38. [9][10], It was also featured in the 1995 documentary film A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. 300 likes. Reformed parolee Steve Lacey is caught in the middle when a wounded former cellmate seeks him out for shelter. It is a film of monstrous evil, heart-breaking sacrifice, and selfless heroism. When the film was released in 1955, Bosley Crowther, film critic for The New York Times, gave it a positive review, writing, "In a style of dramatic documentation that is as sharp and sure as was that of On the Waterfront--or, for a more appropriate comparison, that of the memorable All the King's Men--scriptwriters Crane Wilbur and Dan Mainwaring and director Phil Karlson expose the raw tissue of corruption and terrorism in an American city that is steeped in vice. THE PHENIX CITY STORY opens with over 10 minutes of on-the-street interviews with the actual people involved in the factual events upon which the film’s story is based. Starring: Kathryn Grant, Richard Kiley, John McIntire. In a corrupt Alabama town near the Army's Fort Benning, the law can do little to stop the criminal activities of Rhett Tanner, particularly in the wide-open "red-light district" area known for prostitution, taverns, and crooked gambling. Genres: Film noir, Crime, Biopic. Production mostly hews to provable incident, with some coloring or rearrangement for dramatic emphasis. "[8], In 2019, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Comedy. In the end, this story proves that one person can make the difference in a story of a country. Rated the #82 best film of 1955, and #9616 in the greatest all-time movies (according to RYM users). John gets caught in the middle when Clem Wilson, a thug who works for Tanner, and others assault innocent citizens. It had an unusual "triple premiere" held on July 19, 1955 in Phenix City, Alabama, Columbus, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois (the AFI incorrectly lists the date as July 9). Subsequent indictments and trials demonstrated beyond doubt that the assassination was politically motivated. Of course, the Dixie Mafia … Written by 2019 | R | CC. The Phenix City Story Vice, Southern style, gets the expose treatment in phenix City Story. This post was originally written as part of my USA Road Trip series over at French Toast Sunday. Title: Watch trailers, read customer and critic reviews, and buy The Phenix City Story directed by Phil Karlson for $5.99. Phil Karlson's docudrama based on the notorious Phenix City -- a city known for its gambling, crime and prostitution rackets. Filmed on location in Alabama with a documentary-like look, the movie captured the ambiance and tenor of its Deep South setting better than almost any other fact-based movie of its era. "[6], Film critic Bruce Eder wrote, "One of the most violent and realistic crime films of the 1950s, The Phenix City Story pulses with the bracing energy of actual life captured on the screen in its establishing shots and key scenes, and punctuates that background with explosively filmed action scenes. The Phenix City Story is not a film for the weak at heart or the fragile of temperament. In this semidocumentary, an Alabama town is run by a crime syndicate that's grown fat on prostitution and crooked gambling, directed at soldiers from Fort Benning across the river. The Phenix City Story is een Amerikaanse film noir uit 1955 onder regie van Phil Karlson. Camille Deadpan A very interesting noir! Local attorney, Albert "Pat" Patterson, initially neutral and complacent, is urged to run for State Attorney General and clean up Phenix City, but he wants no part of a thankless, impossible job. Year : 1955: Slogan : In this semidocumentary, an Alabama town is run by a crime syndicate that's grown fat on prostitution and crooked gambling, directed at soldiers from Fort Benning across the river. There are very few Alabamians left who remember the 1950’s story of Phenix City, Alabama. A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town. Tweet The Phenix City Story. Genre: Documentary Date de sortie: 1955-08-14 Age: NR Durée: 1h 40min Réalisateur: Phil Karlson Société de production: Allied Artists Pictures Pays de production: United States of America Prix iTunes: USD 5.99 iTunes prix récent: USD 1.99 Phenix City lies very near Fort Benning, and over the years a series of bars, bordellos, and … Credits preceded by a "newscast" containing spoilers. 68. The film depicts the real-life 1954 assassination of Albert Patterson, who had just been nominated as the Democratic candidate for Alabama Attorney General on a platform of cleaning up Phenix City, a city controlled by organized crime. DVD Currently unavailable. When the famous lawyer Albert "Pat" L. Patterson (John McIntire) welcomes his son John Patterson (Richard Kiley) that has just returned from Germany with his wife and children, he intends to keep his calm life in a neutral position and work with his son. Category:The Phenix City Story. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. Some prints of the film include a 13-minute newsreel-style preface including newsman Clete Roberts interviewing many of the actual participants. [11], Warner Bros. released the film on DVD on July 13, 2010, in its Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. Rod Crawford , In the 1940s and 1950s in Alabama, the notorious Phenix City is a town ruled by the organized crime and prostitution and gambling are the main economical activities. Use the HTML below. The story told here, however, does lend itself to some histrionics. They catch in slashing, searching glimpses the shrewd chicanery of evil men, the callousness and baseness of their puppets and the dread and silence of local citizens. The beginning with the documentary style is boring, but after the initial credits, the film becomes great. "[...] But I'm stiff in the joints, I got a bum leg. Director. Film Noir comes to Alabama in this ripped-from-the-headlines tale in The Phenix City Story, a film based on notorious real-life 1954 events. The Phenix City Story is a crime film based on the assassination of Alabama politician and attorney Albert Patterson in June 1954 in Phenix City, Russell County. English: The Phenix City Story is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson for Allied Artists, written by Daniel Mainwaring and Crane Wilbur and starring John McIntire, Richard Kiley and Kathryn Grant. The Phenix City Story Release Date: July 19, 1955 . Not Yet Rated 1 hr 40 min Jul 19th, 1955 Crime, Drama. The police department is corrupt and the criminal Rhett Tanner (Edward Andrews) is the big boss. Patterson finally agrees to get involved in reforming the town, but as soon as he is elected nominee, he is killed. (1955). The film has great performances and the violence is impressive for a 1955 Hollywood film. After World War II, a good many of the military soldiers, enlisted men, stayed on for a while. He is content to welcome home his son John from military service. In Silver Lode, Dan Ballard is arrested by 4 Marshals for murder and theft but he denies the charges and searches for the real culprit even as the townsfolk start abandoning him. Directed by: Phil Karlson. Director Phil Karlson showed just how good he was at merging well-told screen drama with vivid verisimilitude and leaving no seams to show where they joined. Film-Noir, Certificate: Passed It’s based on a true story about political corruption in a small town in Alabama, the “Phenix City” of the title. The city, just across the bridge from Georgia’s Fort Benning, has … God, heaven, and several Old Testament stories, including the Creation and Noah's Ark, are described supposedly using the perspective of rural, black Americans. 5. Reviews, interviews and features from the international film magazine. A host of them were stationed at Ft. Benning in Columbus, Georgia. He wins the election but is shot when he is leaving his office and dies. The phenix city story (1955). The Phenix City Story (1955) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The Phoenix, like all other creatures who live in Paradise, was known to live a good life. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Most of the police do not even try, since they are on Tanner's payroll. More information. SlantMagazine.com. Starring: John McIntire , Richard Kiley , Kathryn Grant , et al. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Cidade do Vício" ("City of the Vicious"). The Phenix City Story is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson for Allied Artists, written by Daniel Mainwaring and Crane Wilbur and starring John McIntire, Richard Kiley and Kathryn Grant. Abrams, Simon. Some people want the town cleaned up. Albert Patterson is an attorney trying to clean up his mob-controlled town — Phenix City, aka "Sin City, U.S.A." — and is killed while running for state attorney general. The Phenix City Story (1955) Shot on the actual locations, just a year after the events occurred, and while the murder trials were still going on, The Phenix City Story indeed tells quite a story. Jenkins writes, "For starters, the film was a rush job intended to capture public interest while the story was still unfolding. The Phenix City Story (1955). Preservation of past. The Phenix City Story is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson[3] for Allied Artists, written by Daniel Mainwaring and Crane Wilbur and starring John McIntire, Richard Kiley and Kathryn Grant. The Phenix City Story. THE PHENIX CITY STORY, screen play by Crane Wilbur and Dan Mainwaring; directed by Phil Karlson and produced by Samuel Bischoff and David Diamond for Allied Artists. In 1948, four Israeli soldiers recount the events that led them to take up arms while preparing for a final mission in the hours leading up to a truce. Lawyer John Patterson, back from the army, is triggered by what he sees to join the reformers with a plan: to run his father Albert for state attorney general. The syndicate responds with escalating violence: is no one safe? The Phoenix was known to be a majestic bird-like creature that lived in Paradise. Revisited - Remembering "The Phenix City, Story"., Phenix City, Alabama. Directed by: Phil Karlson Joker. ‘Purple Rain,’ ‘Last Waltz,’ ‘Clerks’ Added to National Film Registry, ‘A New Leaf,’ ‘Purple Rain,’ ‘She’s Gotta Have It,’ and More Added to National Film Registry, National Film Registry Adds ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Clerks’, ‘Gaslight’ & More; ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ One Of Record 7 Pics From Female Helmers, Century of Cinema: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. It is up to John to avenge his father, but his own family ends up at risk. If Tolstoy is correct, then The Phenix City Story is pure art. The Phenix City Story 1955 DVD John McIntire Richard Kiley (film noir) Phil Karlson. In the movie’s most famous shot, an innocent girl is tossed dead from a moving car as a warning to the citizens of the town. And, through a series of excellent performances, topped by that of John McIntyre as the eventually martyred crusader, they show the sinew and the bone of those who strive for decent things. Certificate: Passed Also, the film depicts an inflammatory scene in which the mob kills a young black girl and tosses the body onto the lawn of the Patterson home as a warning. Lawyer John Patterson, back from the army, is triggered by what he sees to join the reformers with a plan: to run his father Albert for state attorney general. As a result, the film leaves the impression that the local mafia that ran the vice industry in Phenix City killed Albert Patterson. Add the first question. 15 of 16 people found this review helpful. The Phenix City Story is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson [3] for Allied Artists, written by Daniel Mainwaring and Crane Wilbur and starring John McIntire, Richard Kiley and Kathryn Grant. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Phenix City was notorious during the 1940s and 1950s for being a haven for organized crime, prostitution, and gambling. The leaders of the crime syndicate in Phenix City … Now John seeks revenge but using the law instead of violence. Tolstoy said that art is the transfer of emotion from one person to another. July 20, 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Phenix_City_Story&oldid=1000174073, United States National Film Registry films, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 January 2021, at 23:26. [4] It had an unusual "triple premiere" held on July 19, 1955[5] in Phenix City, Alabama, Columbus, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois (the AFI incorrectly lists the date as July 9). Phil Karlson's docudrama based on the notorious Phenix City -- a city known for its gambling, crime and prostitution rackets. After being visited by an old friend, a woman recalls her true love, the man she met and lost years ago. A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town. 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