SCARFACE (1932)

Type Scarface into Google Images and you have to go through four pages of various Al Pacino images before coming across a single picture from the 1932 Howard Hawks directed classic which stars Paul Muni in the title role - such is the sucess of Brain De'palma's 1983 remake and iconic status of Pacino's Tony Montana that the original film has been largely forgotten. And this despite the fact that many people, myself included, actually prefer the original and find Paul Muni's understated performance much more stimulating than Pacino's OTT portrayal.

Scarface, the 1932 original of course, is one of the best of the early period gangster films, and along with Public Enemy did a lot to cement the image of the screen gangster. An image that every film since, including the 1983 Scarface owe a massive debt to. Paul Muni plays Tony Camonte (Montana in the Pacino version), an immigrant out to make something fo himself. He has a scar on his left cheek with gives him a hard look and he is the right hand man of mob leader, Johnny Lovo (played by Osgood Perkins the father of Anthony).

George Raft plays Tony's sidekick, Guino and the actor dominates every scene he's in simply by just being there. With his calm, menacing appearance he draws the viewers eyes towards him.

Real life mobster, Al Capone loved the movie - he even bought a print for himself and after the film came out he sent an invite to director, Howard Hawks for a meeting. Hawks agreed to the meeting and the men had tea together and Hawks later said that, Capone was likable enough in his own way.

Scarface (1932) is available on DVD from Universal Pictures - the region 2 DVD features an alternative ending as well as a Scarface game trailer and the Scarface the special edition DVD release. The Special edition is of course the Pacino movie.

Both versions of the movie are worth owning but whilst the Pacino version comes to rely on spectacle and a wonderfully psychotic performance from Pacino, the original depends more on creating story and tension and is not so in love with its tainted characters.