Scarface (1932)

During prohibition, Chicago gangster Johnny Lovo (played by Osgood Perkins) expands his control over the beer market in his territory with the help of a young criminal, Tony Camonte (played by Paul Muni). After Camonte assassinates Lovo's boss, Lovo promotes him to second-in-command of his gang and gives him a share of the profits. As their success grows, Tony becomes increasingly ambitious and starts to desire Lovo's position and his mistress, Poppy (played by Karen Morley). In the midst of a power struggle with rival gangs over control of the North Side, Camonte uses a machine gun to kill Dorgan and his entire gang, including Gaffney (played by Boris Karloff) who is murdered in a bowling alley. Fearing for his own position, Lovo orders for Tony to be killed, but Tony escapes and orders his right-hand man Rinaldo (played by George Raft) to murder Lovo.

Afterwards, Tony establishes Poppy as his mistress and becomes the dominant figure in the city's criminal underworld. However, Tony becomes jealous when he finds out Rinaldo is in love with his sister Cesca (played by Ann Dvorak) and kills him in a fit of rage. Seeking revenge, Cesca reports the murder to the police and tracks Tony to his hideout to kill him. However, they both end up surrounded by the police and Cesca joins her brother in a final battle. Cesca is killed and Tony becomes panicked, finally being killed by the police gunfire.

Vintage magazines

Photoplay , May 1932

Photoplay , June 1932

Photoplay , July 1932

Photoplay , March 1936

Books with substantial mentioning of Scarface

		John White and Sabine Haenni (eds.) Fifty Key American Films London and New York, 2009

		David Thomson Have you seen?, A personal introduction to 1,000 films New York, 2008

		Lloyd Hughes The Rough Guide to Gangster Movies London, 2005

		Dawn B. Sova Forbidden Films, Censorship Histories of 125 Motion Pictures New York NY, 2001

		Tom Pendergast, Sara Pendergast (eds.) International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, 1. Films Detroit/New York/San Francisco/London/Boston/Woodbridge, CT, 2000

		Jonathan Munby Public Enemies, Public Heroes, Screening the Gangster from Little Caesar to Touch of Evil Chicago and London, 1999

		Gary J. Svehla and Susan Svehla (editors) Boris Karloff Baltimore, 1996

		Danny Peary Alternate Oscars, One Critic's Defiant Choices for Best Picture, Actor, and Actress - From 1927 to the Present New York, 1993

		Neil Sinyard Classic Movies London, 1993

		Stanley Hochman (editor) From Quasimodo to Scarlett O'Hara, A National Board of Review Anthology 1920 - 1940 New York, 1982

		Richard Bojarski and Kenneth Beals The Films of Boris Karloff Secaucus, NJ, 1974