FILM · 1948
Force of Evil
25 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
25 Interesting Facts About Force of Evil
Interesting Facts (13)
- #001
Force of Evil had a major influence on Martin Scorsese, as it was the first film he remembers seeing.
- #002
The lighthouse shown at the end is the Little Red Lighthouse, located beside the Hudson River beneath the George Washington Bridge.
- #003
His small role as the elevator operator is believed to be sound expert Paul Frees's first on-screen appearance.
- #004
It was screenwriter Abraham Polonsky's directorial debut. He was soon blacklisted as part of the "red scare" of the early 1950s and was not credited with directing another film until Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969).
- #005
The film was produced by Enterprise Productions, also known as The Enterprise Studios, which John Garfield co-founded in 1946 with producers David L. Loew and Charles Einfeld. The company was formed right after Garfield's contract with Warner Bros. ended, because he wanted more creative control over his films. This was one of two films he made for his own company; the other was Body and Soul (1947). The company closed in 1949 after this film's poor box-office performance and the problems Garfield and others connected to the firm had with the House Un-American Activities Committee.
- #006
When Joe and Leo argue in Leo's office, Joe accurately recites to Leo the actual New York State law on numbers or "policy" rackets.
- #007
Critic Thom Andersen described it as an example of "film gris," a proposed subcategory of film noir that carries a left-wing narrative.
- #008
The numbers shown in the newspaper correctly add up to the "Two & Two" figure: 784,342.
- #009
The dialogue was written in blank verse to give the film a more stylized tone.
- #010
It was Beatrice Pearson's first and penultimate feature film.
- #011
At about the 31st minute, Leo's apartment number, seen as his brother leaves, is 665 — one digit from each digit of the crooked winning lottery number 776.
- #012
Edgecombe Avenue runs from West 141st Street in Harlem to 171st Street in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, but the building numbers there do not reach the fictional number 1721 given here.
- #013
In the decades since its release, Force of Evil has been regarded by film critics and historians such as William S. Pechter and Andrew Dickos as the high point of the film noir genre, with some considering it powerful for its poetic imagery and language. Its influence has been repeatedly acknowledged by Martin Scorsese in the making of his crime dramas.
Production Story (4)
- #014
One of 30 feature films shot between 1946 and 1948, the production was one of Enterprise Productions' nine films. The company's financial failure and its inability to repay loans led Bank of America to take over ownership. In 1954, the films were sold to Mundus Television for a total of 45 million dollars for television broadcast.
- #015
The film was produced by Enterprise Productions, founded in 1946 by John Garfield and producers David L. Loew and Charles Einfeld. Established after Garfield's contract with Warner Bros. ended, with the aim of having more creative control over his films, the company was behind one of two films he made for his own company; the other was Body and Soul (1947). The company closed in 1949 due to this film's box-office failure and the troubles Garfield and his team had with the House Un-American Activities Committee.
- #016
The film virtually foresees the transformation of illegal numbers gambling into a state-run lottery; indeed, the first state lottery began in New Hampshire in 1964, and New York's in 1967.
- #017
At about 1 hour 8 minutes, the headline 'Newspaper Worker Shot for a Squirrel' can be read at the bottom of the newspaper; although this fictitious headline was used as filler in many film newspapers, a chillingly similar real event occurred in Pennsylvania in November 2024, when an 'Amish Boy Shot While Hunting Squirrels' was reported.
Behind the Scenes (1)
- #018
To establish the film's visual atmosphere, Abraham Polonsky gave cinematographer George Barnes a book of Edward Hopper's Third Avenue paintings.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #019
John Garfield (1.70 m) stood on an apple crate to close the height gap when appearing alongside Marie Windsor, who was 5 cm taller than him. This small trick was one of the practical solutions on set.
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #020
The story's time period can be determined from the magazines displayed at the newsstand, among them the May 31, 1948 issue of Life with "Television Ingenue Kyle MacDonnell" on the cover.
Deeper Meaning (5)
- #021
In 1994, it was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance, thus immortalized.
- #022
The film almost foresees the transformation of illegal numbers games into state-run lotteries; indeed, the first state lottery began in New Hampshire in 1964, and New York's in 1967.
- #023
In the argument scene in Leo's office, Joe demonstrates his character's legal knowledge by quoting verbatim the relevant article of New York state law on numbers games.
- #024
At about 1 hour 8 minutes, the headline 'Newspaper Employee Shot After Being Mistaken for a Squirrel' is visible at the bottom of the newspaper; although this fictional headline was used as filler in many film newspapers, in November 2024 in Pennsylvania a real event eerily similar occurred, titled 'Amish Boy Shot While Hunting Squirrels'.
- #025
It has a 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 critic reviews.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work