Based on the real case that broke the corruption that hung over the New York docks, the killing of Andy Hintz in 1947. The longshoremen, primarily Irish, had to pay kick-backs to the hiring bosses and loan sharks, who themselves were paying out to mobsters who ran all the West Street docks. Because of a strict D&D ('Deaf and dumb') code it was almost impossible to bring any prosecutions, but assistant DA William Keating (played in the film by Richard Egan) was finally able to secure convictions in this case. (Information derived from John Strausbaugh's excellent book 'The Village'.)
Mickey Shaughnessy is the victim, and initially neither he nor his wife Jan Sterling will name the attackers, but as it seems unlikely he will survive, they finally do so. Then, it's a question of the court case in which Egan has to fight it out with Defence lawyer Dan Duryea.
The mob boss in charge of the pier, Walter Matthau on good form, is also connected higher up, but ultimately the longshoreman have had enough and strike, leading to a pitched battle the police finally shut down.
It's a tough and worthy film, also featuring Julie Adams, Charles MacGraw, Sam Levene, Harry Bellaver, Nick Dennis ('midget'). Written by Lawrence Roman from the non-fiction book Keating co-wrote. Interesting music from Richard Rogers, who wrote it for the ballet 'Slaughter on Tenth Avenue', arranged by Herschel Burke Gilbert under Joseph Gershenson's supervision.
Another interesting Albert Zugsmith production, for Universal. Photographed by Fred Jackman Jr.
And 'garlic on the slugs' is not some French recipe, but the practice of some Italian mobsters that thought if the bullet didn't kill you, the infection from the garlic would.
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