Summary
Respect is a recurring theme for the dons and crooks ingangster movies, and one classic 1932 release deserves more of it. For the better part of a century, Hollywood has obsessed over gangsters - those smooth-talking, free-living criminals rolling in cash, breaking the law, and being nice to their mothers. The romanticization of the gangster has resulted in stone-cold untouchables such asThe Godfather,Goodfellas, andScarface, as well as classics likeAmerican Gangster,The Departed,Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels,Once Upon a Time in Americaand countless others.
In such a crowded genre brimming with legendary titles, it comes as no surprise that black-and-white gangster capers from the 1930s often get unfairly overlooked. Manygreat gangster moviescould rightly claim to deserve more attention, especially in today’s streaming and VOD market where virtually every movie ever produced is just a few taps away. Nevertheless, one gangster tale from 1932 stands out as a special example of a movie that should be celebrated with as much enthusiasm as the big gunsstarring Pacino and De Niro.
Is Tony Montana Real? Scarface True Story & Inspiration Explained
Brian De Palma’s Scarface stars Al Pacino as Tony Montana, a powerful drug lord – but was Tony Montana real? Here’s the story behind Scarface.
The Original 1932 Scarface Movie Remains Overshadowed By The 1980s Remake
Does 1983’s Scarface Really Deserve To Be More Famous Than The Original?
At the first mention ofScarface, the vast majority of movie fans will conjure mental images of an eye-bulging, gun-toting Al Pacino screaming obscenities from the top of a staircase, fresh from his latest hit of powdered icing. Tony Montana’s deadly sugar crash remains a landmark chapter in cinematic history, but the fact that1983’sScarfaceis a remakeof an older movie simply doesn’t get mentioned enough. More to the point,Pacino’sScarfaceis a more faithful remake than a first glance might suggest- once the 1980s glam is scratched from the surface.
While 1983’sScarfaceis based on the 1930s movie, both derive from a book by Armitage Trail.
Howard Hawks' 1930s movie has a sterling reputation, certainly, but for a mainstream audience, Al Pacino simply is Scarface, leaving Paul Muni’s portrayal standing unjustly in Tony Montana’s formidable shadow. In truth, however, the tragedy of 1932’sScarfacebegan years before Mr. and Mrs. Pacino brought their future Oscar-winner into the world.
The Underappreciation Of Scarface Began Long Before The Remake Came Out
Scarface’s Infamous Battles With Censorship Explained
Howard Hawks was infamously plagued by censorship issues when makingScarface, as a variety of edits were pushed upon the movie over fears of glamorizing violence and the gangster lifestyle (viaHughes, Hawks, and Hays: The Monumental Censorship Battle Over Scarface (1932)by Chris Yogerst, 2017). WhileHawks did eventually cutScarfacein a way that satisfied the Hays Office- the body responsible for movie standards and censorship at the time - the director then faced challenges getting his movie shown in individual states across the US, a number of whichbannedScarfacefrom showing.
Many older gangster movies can claim to be overlooked by modern audiences, but none suffered a journey quite as tumultuous and difficult asScarface.
These battles continued untilHawks reportedly chose to removeScarfacefrom the public arena, entering a dark period until Universal obtained the rights in 1979 (viaAmerican Film Institute). Only a few years after the originalScarfaceresurfaced, Al Pacino’s remake was unleashed upon the world, establishing itself as, for many, the definitive version.
Consequently, 1932’sScarfacenever really had its day in the sun. Hawks' movie began with censorship issues and the box office struggles that followed, entered a period of cinematic obscurity, then, after resurfacing once more, quickly found itself overshadowed by a louder, flashier update in a cream suit. Many oldergangster movies can claim to be overlookedby modern audiences, but none suffered a journey quite as tumultuous and difficult asScarface.
Scarface (1932) Deserves Way More Attention As A Gangster Movie
The status quo ofScarfacebeing remembered as a 1980s staple based on a lesser-known movie from 50 years earlier needs to change. If the dynamic between movies was based on merit, the two versions ofScarfacewould be closer toThe GodfatherandThe Godfather PartII- a pair of excellent motion pictures within the same franchise sparking endless debates over which is superior.
There are, without question, elements of the originalScarfacethat have not aged well, both from a filmmaking and cultural perspective, and that’s especially true for the censored cuts. For a movie that is rapidly approaching 100 years old, however,Scarfaceis remarkably well-preserved. Tony Camonte’s arc is every bit as compelling, heartbreaking, thrilling, and challenging as Tony Montana’s in the remake - maybe even more so due to the absence of drugs as a motivating factor for the former’s downfall. The tale of Camonte’s rise to greatness and subsequent collapse, meanwhile, served as an early precursor to the formula later perfected by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.
Because of its era, the noir elements that underpinScarface’s grimy underworld carry an authenticity that’s hard to replicate, and while there is action and gunfire in plentiful supply, the themes and messages leave a great deal of rich subtext to pick over, from the commentary on wealth and capitalism to the delicate line separating violence from innocence. Exciting, but with genuine depth, it is no overstatement whatsoever to suggest that 1932’sScarfaceis every bit as good of agangster movieas the 1980s remake.
Sources:American Film Institute,Hughes, Hawks, and Hays: The Monumental Censorship Battle Over Scarface (1932).
Scarface
Brian De Palma’s iconic crime drama is loosely based on the 1929 novel of the same name and follows Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who begins a life of crime after arriving in Miami. It chronicles his rise from a penniless thug to one of the richest and most ruthless kingpins in the world, amassing a criminal empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
