''The George Raft Story'' is a 1961 American
biographical film
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...
of Hollywood film star
George Raft
George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...
.
Ray Danton
Ray Danton (born Raymond Caplan; September 19, 1931 – February 11, 1992) was a radio, film, stage, and television actor, director, and producer whose most famous roles were in the screen biographies ''The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' (1960 ...
portrays Raft and the film was directed by
Joseph M. Newman
Joseph M. Newman (August 17, 1909 – January 23, 2006) was an American film director most famous for his 1955 film ''This Island Earth''. His credits include episodes of ''The Twilight Zone'' and ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour''.
He was nomin ...
. The picture was retitled ''Spin of a Coin'' for release in the United Kingdom, a reference to Raft's character's nickel-flipping trick in ''
Scarface'' (1932), the film that launched Raft's career as an actor known for portraying gangsters.
The film is a largely fictionalized version of Raft's turbulent life and career.
Neville Brand appears briefly as
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
, recreating his role from the 1959 television series ''
The Untouchables''. Although other characters were fictional, Moxie was based on Raft's long-time friend and associate
Mack Gray.
Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel is a major character. No mention is made in the film of Raft's long-estranged wife Grayce (Mulrooney) or early mob benefactor
Owney Madden.
George Raft and Mack Gray had played themselves almost two decades earlier in a markedly different but equally fictionalized biographical movie about Raft's early days as a dancer reluctantly involved with gangsters entitled ''
Broadway'' (1942).
Plot
George Raft works in New York as a dancer at the Dreamland Casino. He associates with gangsters and goes into working at mob-controlled night clubs. One night he protects a cigarette girl, Ruth Harris, from being sexually harassed by a gangster. This causes his life to be in danger so he moves to Hollywood.
He breaks into filmmaking as an extra, then is cast as a gangster in ''Scarface''. Al Capone asks to meet Raft and the actor fears for his life, but Capone reveals he likes the movie. At a party, Raft punches out a manager and they become friends.
Raft becomes a big star. He broadens his image making a dancing movie, ''Bolero''. That is a hit but then Raft starts demanding rewrites and turning down gangster roles. He leaves his girlfriend for a Hollywood star he has an affair with.
Raft has financial trouble with the IRS and his friend Benny "Bugsy" Siegel is killed. He has to sell his Hollywood mansion and move into a small apartment. He gets a job working at a casino in Havana, but this ends when Castro comes to power.
Back in Hollywood he is offered to fix a fight by promoter Johnny Fuller but refuses. He gets a job in a
Billy Wilder film ''Some Like It Hot''.
Cast
*
Ray Danton
Ray Danton (born Raymond Caplan; September 19, 1931 – February 11, 1992) was a radio, film, stage, and television actor, director, and producer whose most famous roles were in the screen biographies ''The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' (1960 ...
as
George Raft
George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...
*
Jayne Mansfield as Lisa Lang
*
Julie London
Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums ...
as Sheila Patton
*
Barrie Chase
Barrie Chase (born October 20, 1933) is an American actress and dancer.
Early life
Born in Kings Point, New York, Chase began formal dance lessons at age three, studying with the New York City Opera's ballet mistress. She studied ballet, first ...
as June Tyler
*
Frank Gorshin
Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen''.
As an actor, he played the Riddler on the ...
as Moxie Cusack
*
Barbara Nichols as
Texas Guinan
*
Brad Dexter
Brad Dexter (born Boris Michel Soso; April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002) was an American actor and film producer. He is known for tough-guy and western roles, including the 1960 film ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), and producing several fil ...
as
Benny 'Bugsy' Siegel
*
Robert Strauss as Frenchie
*
Herschel Bernardi as Sam
*
Margo Moore as Ruth
*
Neville Brand as
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
*
Joe De Santis as Frankie Donatella
*
Jack Lambert as Jerry Fitzpatrick
*
Jack Albertson as Milton
*
John Bleifer as Mr. Raft
Production
Allied Artists announced the film in 1959 as part of a slate of projects including ''Streets of Montamarte'' with
Lana Turner as
Suzanne Valadon, ''
The Purple Gang'' with
Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to:
*Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor
*Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia
*Barry Sullivan (lawyer), Chicago lawyer and ...
, ''Teacher was a Sexpot'' with
Mamie Van Doren, ''
Confessions of an English Opium Eater'', ''
Pay or Die'' with
Ernest Borgnine as
Joseph Petrosino and ''
The Big Bankroll'' about
Arnold Rothstein. It was announced again in 1960 with Ben Schwalb to be producer.
Schwalb said that filming would start October 7, 1960. Filming wounded up being delayed several more months. Ray Danton signed to play Raft, Brad Dexter was Bugsy Siegel and Jayne Mansfield played an unnamed star. Joseph Newman agreed to direct.
The Las Vegas comedy team Pepper Davis and Tony Reece was signed to play a support role.
Frank Gorshin
Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen''.
As an actor, he played the Riddler on the ...
was also cast.
Danton, borrowed from Warner Bros, was cast on the strength of his performance in ''
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond''. Danton said he decided not to "do an impersonation of Raft... That solved most of my problems right there. I watched a lot of his old films and noticed a sort of strong suppressed hostility."
Danton says he only met Raft once and the actor told him ""We have to make careful they
he filmmakersdon't make this guy
aft
"Aft", in nautical terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning towards the stern (rear) of the ship, aircraft or spacecraft, when the frame of reference is within the ship, headed at the fore. For example, "Able Seaman Smith; lie aft!" or "Wh ...
into a heavy." Danton later said "I thought it was a strange, obtuse thing to say."
Dean Jennings wrote ''The George Raft Story'' in five instalments for the ''Saturday Evening Post''. He was entitled to 20% of what Raft made from a picture based on his story. In June 1961 Jennings said he had no received anything and was suing.
Jayne Mansfield's character is based on
Betty Grable.
Director Joseph Newman had directed Raft in ''
I'll Get You for This'' (1951).
Filming started in July 1961.
Release
The film was known in the UK as ''Spin of a Coin''.
Reception
According to ''Filmink'' the movie was "much mocked for its many fictitious aspects but a bit of truth sneaks in (such as Raft's difficulty to separate the roles he played from himself)."
References
External links
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The George Raft Storyat BFI
The George Raft Storyat Letterbox DVD
{{DEFAULTSORT:George Raft Story
1961 films
1960s biographical drama films
Allied Artists films
American biographical drama films
Biographical films about actors
American black-and-white films
Cultural depictions of actors
Cultural depictions of Al Capone
Films directed by Joseph M. Newman
1961 drama films
1960s English-language films
1960s American films