Grade: D+
Synopsis: A police captain (Robert Mitchum) takes on a gangster (Robert Ryan) on the eve of an election.
The Racket is an otherwise forgettable 50’s ganster picture buoyed greatly by the presences of Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan. Mitchum, giving his usual low-key performance, seems to take the material with the right amount of salt, while Ryan growls and glares through a role that gives him little else to do.
And that’s the real problem with the movie. The by-the-numbers script is predictable and heavy-handed (love that opening exposition!), and the dialog is stilted. A little edge would have gone a long way towards making this movie a lot more memorable, especially given the performers involved.
Bottom Line: Forgettable in almost every aspect.
