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Wolheim is Nick Scarci, the bootlegging king of an [[CityWithNoName unnamed]] city that [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed looks a lot like Chicago]]. Meighan is Captain James [=McQuigg=], the cop who is determined to bring down Scarci's crime organization. Unfortunately for [=McQuigg=], the city is deeply corrupt and Scarci is best buddies with the mayor. Whenever [=McQuigg=] busts Scarci for something, Scarci's friends in City Hall get him sprung and nothing ever comes of it. One day, [=McQuigg=] gets a vital break when Scarci's younger brother Joe gets arrested for a hit-and-run accident. [=McQuigg=] then decides to seize on this chance to destroy Scarci's organization.

to:

Wolheim is Nick Scarci, the bootlegging king of an [[CityWithNoName unnamed]] city that [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed looks a lot like Chicago]]. Meighan is Captain James [=McQuigg=], the cop who is determined to bring down Scarci's crime organization. Unfortunately for [=McQuigg=], the city is deeply corrupt and Scarci is best buddies with the mayor. Whenever [=McQuigg=] busts Scarci for something, Scarci's friends in City Hall get him sprung and nothing ever comes of from it. One day, [=McQuigg=] gets a vital break when Scarci's younger brother Joe gets arrested for a hit-and-run accident. [=McQuigg=] then decides to seize on this chance to destroy Scarci's organization.

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Wolheim is Nick Scarci, the bootlegging king of an unnamed city that looks a lot like Chicago. Meighan is Captain [=McQuigg=], the cop that's determined to take down Scarci's crime organization. Unfortunately for [=McQuigg=], the city is deeply corrupt and Scarci is best buddies with the mayor. Whenever [=McQuigg=] busts Scarci for something, Scarci's friends in City Hall get him sprung and nothing ever comes of it. One day, [=McQuigg=] gets a vital break when Scarci's younger brother Joe gets arrested for a hit-and-run accident. [=McQuigg=] then decides to seize on this chance to destroy Scarci's organization.

to:

Wolheim is Nick Scarci, the bootlegging king of an unnamed [[CityWithNoName unnamed]] city that [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed looks a lot like Chicago. Chicago]]. Meighan is Captain James [=McQuigg=], the cop that's who is determined to take bring down Scarci's crime organization. Unfortunately for [=McQuigg=], the city is deeply corrupt and Scarci is best buddies with the mayor. Whenever [=McQuigg=] busts Scarci for something, Scarci's friends in City Hall get him sprung and nothing ever comes of it. One day, [=McQuigg=] gets a vital break when Scarci's younger brother Joe gets arrested for a hit-and-run accident. [=McQuigg=] then decides to seize on this chance to destroy Scarci's organization.



* TitleDrop: Bootlegging is described as "the racket". Nick is determined that Joe will not enter the racket.

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* TitleDrop: Bootlegging is described as "the racket". Nick is determined that Joe will not enter the racket.racket.

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''The Racket'' is one of the {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings|1927}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951, with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan starring as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.

to:

''The Racket'' is one of the {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the Production – the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at Picture – at the first Oscar UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings|1927}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951, with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan starring as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.
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''The Racket'' is one of the {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings|1927}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.

to:

''The Racket'' is one of the {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings|1927}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 1951, with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan starring as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.
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''The Racket'' is a 1928 silent film directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Thomas Meighan and Louis Wolheim, and produced by Creator/HowardHughes.

to:

''The Racket'' is a 1928 silent crime drama film produced by Creator/HowardHughes, directed by Lewis Milestone, and starring Thomas Meighan and Louis Wolheim, and produced by Creator/HowardHughes.
Wolheim.
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''The Racket'' is one of the {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.

to:

''The Racket'' is one of the {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''.''Film/{{Wings|1927}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.
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''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.

to:

''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] {{Trope Maker}}s for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' ''Film/ThePublicEnemy1931'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/RobertRyan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.
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* FourthDateMarriage: Joe and Helen get engaged in an extremely short amount of time. RealityEnsues when they break up in prison after Joe leaves her high and dry locked up with the other women.

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* FourthDateMarriage: Joe and Helen get engaged in an extremely short amount of time. RealityEnsues when The predictable happens as they break up in prison after Joe leaves her high and dry locked up with the other women.

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* ArtisticLicenseLaw: While a few things can be waved away as a product of the time like roughing suspects up, [=McQuigg=] tearing up a writ freeing Nick likely would have gotten him freed very quickly.



* ButHeSoundsHandsome: Scarci is discussing himself with a cop who is unaware of his identity and makes mention of how that Scarci guy has some great qualities.



* CardboardPrison: Discussed between Nick and [=McQuigg=] how the local prison seems to have a "revolving door".



* DidNotGetTheGirl: Despite some flirtation, Dave the cub reporter doesn't end up with Helen.
* EvilParentsWantGoodKids: Nick is Joe's older brother (though the twenty-three age difference between them is great enough that he ''could'' be Joe's father), but otherwise the trope fits. He wants Joe to be a "good college kid" and not go into the gangster business.



* FourthDateMarriage: Joe and Helen get engaged in an extremely short amount of time. RealityEnsues when they break up in prison after Joe leaves her high and dry locked up with the other women.
* FriendlyEnemy: Despite being determined to capture him, [=McQuigg=] and Nick are on rather good speaking terms at the beginning of the movie. Nick even invites the cop to the nightclub he owns to have a drink at the party for Joe's birthday.



* HeKnowsTooMuch: The reason that the DA has Nick shot when he realizes that Nick will bring the whole corrupt politician circuit down rather then be imprisoned.



* InTheBack: After the cop who arrested Joe refuses Nick's bribe, Nick shoots him in the back. In the police station.

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* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Dave is so sweet, earnest, and wide-eyed that everyone around him can't help but try to be nice to him. This also helps when he bravely identifies Nick as the one who shot a policeman since he's unable to be intimidated by him.
* InTheBack: After the cop who arrested Joe refuses Nick's bribe, Nick shoots him in the back. In back in the police station.station.
* LastNameBasis: No one calls [=McQuigg=] James, not even Scarci.


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* RefugeInAudacity: Nick pulls off several crimes that should otherwise get him arrested, including killing Spike in a nightclub surrounded by cops and other eyewitnesses.
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''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Robert Ryan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.

to:

''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Robert Ryan Creator/RobertRyan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.
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''The Racket'' is a 1928 silent film directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Thomas Meighan and Louis Wolheim, and produced by Howard Hughes.

to:

''The Racket'' is a 1928 silent film directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Thomas Meighan and Louis Wolheim, and produced by Howard Hughes.
Creator/HowardHughes.
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Added DiffLines:

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theracket1.jpg]]
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* HesDeadJim: The cop who gets shot receives about five seconds of medical treatment. Hilariously, no one even bothers to check on Scarci after he gets shot.
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* BittersweetEnding: Another slimy operator from the Old Man's syndicate manipulates Scarci into a shootout that ends with Scarci's death, mainly because said slimy operator removed the bullets from Scarci's gun and then left it out for Scarci to conveniently grab. At the end, [=McQuigg=] nearly collapses from stress and fatigue. A cop asks him "What now?" to which he replies:

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* BittersweetEnding: Another slimy operator from DA Welch's henchman shoots Scarci when he tries to get away. A horrified [=McQuigg=] realizes that Welch, who is just another tool in the Old Man's syndicate manipulates Scarci into a shootout that ends with Scarci's death, mainly because said slimy operator removed the bullets from Scarci's gun and then left it out for Scarci to conveniently grab.machine, will probably get elected Mayor. At the end, [=McQuigg=] nearly collapses from stress and fatigue. A cop asks him "What now?" to which he replies:
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Added DiffLines:

* SittingSexyOnAPiano: Helen perches herself atop a piano before singing to the Scarci party at the speakeasy.
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''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''.

to:

''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''.
''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''. Howard Hughes produced a remake of ''The Racket'' in 1951 with Creator/RobertMitchum and Robert Ryan as, respectively, the cop and the gangster.
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Added DiffLines:

* MobWar: The rivalry between Nick's gang and Spike's gang culminates in a shootout in the street and, soon after, Nick murdering Spike.
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Added DiffLines:

''The Racket'' is a 1928 silent film directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Thomas Meighan and Louis Wolheim, and produced by Howard Hughes.

Wolheim is Nick Scarci, the bootlegging king of an unnamed city that looks a lot like Chicago. Meighan is Captain [=McQuigg=], the cop that's determined to take down Scarci's crime organization. Unfortunately for [=McQuigg=], the city is deeply corrupt and Scarci is best buddies with the mayor. Whenever [=McQuigg=] busts Scarci for something, Scarci's friends in City Hall get him sprung and nothing ever comes of it. One day, [=McQuigg=] gets a vital break when Scarci's younger brother Joe gets arrested for a hit-and-run accident. [=McQuigg=] then decides to seize on this chance to destroy Scarci's organization.

''The Racket'' is one of the [[TropeMaker Trope Makers]] for the gangster film genre, predating later, better remembered gangster films like ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' and ''Film/LittleCaesar''. It was believed lost for decades, until one copy was found in Hughes's vaults after his death. It was nominated for Outstanding Production--the award later retroactively determined to be Best Picture--at the first Oscar ceremony, losing to ''Film/{{Wings}}''. Wolheim and Milestone later teamed up again for the all-time classic ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront''.

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!!Tropes:

* ActionPrologue: A man, later revealed to be [=McQuigg=], is walking along a dark city street at night. Another man has a rifle trained on him from a window above. The sniper pulls the trigger--which shatters a window well ahead of [=McQuigg=], causing him to duck into a doorway. Scarci then appears in the doorway warning [=McQuigg=] to lay off his organization.
* BattleInTheRain: Spike, a rival gangster, attempts to ship some liquor into Scarci's territory. It ends with a bloody shootout in the streets in the middle of a rain storm.
* BetweenMyLegs: An interesting variation on this trope. Spike the rival bootlegger has entered the speakeasy where Nick and company are dining. He and Nick exchange hostile stares. Then a camera shot frames Spike from between the legs of the table, from below, with the legs of Nick and his henchmen on either side. Nick is then shown reaching for his gun.
* BittersweetEnding: Another slimy operator from the Old Man's syndicate manipulates Scarci into a shootout that ends with Scarci's death, mainly because said slimy operator removed the bullets from Scarci's gun and then left it out for Scarci to conveniently grab. At the end, [=McQuigg=] nearly collapses from stress and fatigue. A cop asks him "What now?" to which he replies:
--> '''[=McQuigg=]''': Well, I’d like to get some sleep, but after I get through with the Coroner and the other public servants… it’ll be time to go to Mass.
* TheChanteuse: Helen the gold-digging nightclub singer is this. She sings and dances at the speakeasy that the Scarcis patronize.
* CorruptPolitician: The "Old Man" who runs the local political syndicate that is in bed with Scarci and his crime gang.
* TheFaceless / NoNameGiven: The "Old Man", who is boss of the corrupt city government, is not named and is shown only from behind. It's not even clear whether he's the mayor or some other political officeholder or a political boss.
* GoldDigger: Joe is sweet on Helen, a nightclub singer. Nick believes her to be a gold digger and in fact baldly accuses her. Helen responds by saying “He called me a gold digger. Well, I’ll dig. I’ll dig deep.”
* HeelFaceTurn: After Nick gets Joe out of jail but leaves Helen in lockup, she decides to testify against him. She winds up being the key to bringing down his whole organization.
* HeManWomanHater: Nick hates women and will have nothing to do with them, calling them "poison" to him. He gets very angry when Joe is flirting with Helen.
* HomoeroticSubtext: Nick's hatred for women and obvious fondness for [=McQuigg=] hints at this.
* HypocriticalHumor:
** A plaque on the wall reveals that Scarci the bootlegging kingpin belongs to the Anti-Liquor League.
** When attending the funeral of a man he killed, Nick gets irritated at some rowdy people outside and says they should have more respect for the dead.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Nick plugs Spike with one fatal shot, from across a dance floor, with a gun that he's hiding under a table.
* InTheBack: After the cop who arrested Joe refuses Nick's bribe, Nick shoots him in the back. In the police station.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: After hassling Nick one too many times, [=McQuigg=] is sent to the 28th precinct off in the boonies. This backfires on the Scarcis when Joe Scarci runs down a pedestrian in [=McQuigg=]'s precinct.
* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: The policeman who arrested Joe for running down a pedestrian in his car rejects a bribe offer from Nick.
* ThoseTwoGuys: The two newspaper reporters, the DeadpanSnarker and his drunken sidekick, who are covering the Scarci story and are enlisted by [=McQuigg=] to provoke Scarci into a mistake.
* TitleDrop: Bootlegging is described as "the racket". Nick is determined that Joe will not enter the racket.

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