FILM · 1955 · USA
The Phenix City Story
- Directed by
- Phil Karlson
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Studio
- Allied Artists Pictures, Bischoff-Diamond Corporation
62 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.
62 Interesting Facts About The Phenix City Story
Interesting Facts (16)
- #001
The Phenix City Story is one of Martin Scorsese's personal favorite films.
- #002
The scene in which the young Black boy is killed and thrown into Patterson's yard never happened. It was added for dramatic effect.
- #003
Director Phil Karlson's attention to detail was so great that he had some of his actors wear the actual clothing of their real-life counterparts.
- #004
Discussing the film, film noir historian Eddie Muller noted that in the mid- and late 1950s the genre did not resemble the classic noirs of the 1940s, looking more like documentary presentations, and that it also shared certain elements of the 1930s crime genre.
- #005
In 1958 John Patterson won the Alabama governorship with the support of the Ku Klux Klan. As governor he became one of the staunchest pro-segregation voices in the South. He attacked civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders as communist subversives. Later in life he expressed regret for these positions. With the help of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan, John Patterson became Alabama's 44th governor as a segregationist. He later admitted this and said he was not proud of that strategy.
- #006
Ellie says she earns $200 a week dealing cards at the Poppy Club. That would be equivalent to $2,281 a week in 2024.
- #007
Film critic Bruce Eder: "Shot in Alabama with a documentary-like look, the film captured the ambience and tenor of the Deep South setting better than nearly all of the fact-based films of its era."
- #008
During the fight in the pool room, several posters depicting scantily clad women are visible on the walls. Because this is a film noir and the Poppy Club is presented as a den of vice, with the idea that good will ultimately triumph over evil, the censors probably ignored them.
- #009
TWA had developed an early relationship with the film industry, so it was no surprise that one of its planes was featured. The company had offices at major airports to assist production companies with their work.
- #010
Sidney Poitier turned down the role of Zeke Ward.
- #011
John Patterson's speech in The Phenix City Story (1955) can be found on YouTube.
- #012
The film holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 8 critic reviews.
- #013
As of 2020, the city's first Black mayor, Eddie N. Lowe, was elected by the public. He was a former Canadian Football League player.
- #014
Steam baths are a popular setting for meetings involving collusion both on screen and in real life. The Rat Pack also met in the steam baths of the legendary Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
- #015
The magazines shown in the final title sequence include Time, Life, Look, The Saturday Evening Post and Newsweek.
- #016
These were the debuts of Helen Martin and Jean Carson.
Production Story (23)
- #017
The film was shot so quickly that some of the criminals it portrayed were still on trial while filming was underway. Contrary to what the film implies, most of the key figures in the crime syndicate received light sentences.
- #018
The scene in which the young Black boy is killed and thrown into the Pattersons' yard is entirely fictional and was added for dramatic effect.
- #019
The Phenix City Story (1955) recounts the real 1954 assassination of Albert Patterson, who was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Alabama Attorney General on a promise to clean up Phenix City, which was under the control of organized crime. Patterson was killed in Phenix City, and the ensuing outcry led the state government to declare martial law. Some prints of the film open with a 13-minute newsreel-style prologue featuring journalist Clete Roberts interviewing actual participants in the events.
- #020
Contemporary sources state that screenwriter Crane Wilbur conducted extensive research in Phenix City, where the film was shot, and that many locals appeared as extras. An October 1955 article in the LA Mirror-News added that Phenix City resident Ma Beachie, who played herself in the film, was "the town's number one madam." According to reviews and news reports, the film crew was harassed and threatened in Phenix City by remaining criminals and citizens who did not want the film made, but was supported and protected by the Russell County Improvement Association.
- #021
Director Phil Karlson cared so much about realism that he had some of his actors wear the actual clothes of the people they were portraying. This detail became one of the touches that strengthened the film's documentary feel.
- #022
Film critic Bruce Eder says that the production, shot in Alabama in a documentary-like style, is the work among the era's fact-based films that best captures the Southern atmosphere.
- #023
In the fight at the pool hall, posters of scantily clad women stand out on the walls. Because the production, a film noir, presents the Poppy Club as a den of sin, censors probably tolerated these images, assuming that good would ultimately triumph.
- #024
The 1954 two-door Lincoln Capri hardtop that Tanner drives was produced in roughly 14,000 units. It was one of the first cars to offer air conditioning as an option, and its price at the time was $3,860 (about $44,000 in 2024).
- #025
Thanks to TWA's early relationship with the film industry, it is no surprise that one of its planes appears in the film. The company had offices at major airports that assisted production crews.
- #026
The closing credits include leading magazines of the era such as Time, Life, Look, The Saturday Evening Post and Newsweek. The selection amounts to a small nod to the media world of the period in which the film is set.
- #027
The plane John boards to go to Columbus, Georgia, is a TWA Lockheed L-749A Constellation. Of this model, 119 were built between 1947 and 1951, and the last was retired in 1967. The aircraft seen in the film, named "Star of Zurich," served TWA from 1949 to 1961 before being sold to Falcon Airways in England and scrapped in Austria in 1966.
- #028
It had previously been announced that Glenn Ford, Edward G. Robinson and George Raft would star.
- #029
These were the first films of Helen Martin and Jean Carson.
- #030
The film was shot so quickly that some of the criminals they portrayed were still on trial while filming was underway. Contrary to what the film implies, most of the key figures in the crime syndicate received light sentences.
- #031
The scene in which the little Black boy is killed and thrown into the Pattersons' yard is entirely fictional and was added for dramatic effect.
- #032
The Phenix City Story (1955) recounts the real 1954 assassination of Albert Patterson, who was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Alabama attorney general on a promise to clean up Phenix City, which was under the control of organized crime. Patterson was killed in Phenix City, and the ensuing backlash led the state government to declare martial law. Some copies of the film open with a 13-minute newsreel-style prologue featuring journalist Clete Roberts interviewing actual participants in the events.
- #033
Sources of the period state that screenwriter Crane Wilbur conducted extensive research in Phenix City, where the film was shot, and that many locals appeared as extras. An October 1955 article in the LA Mirror-News added that Phenix City resident Ma Beachie, who plays herself in the film, was "the town's number one madam." According to reviews and news reports, the film crew was harassed and threatened in Phenix City by remaining criminals and by citizens who did not want the film made, but was supported and protected by the Russell County Improvement Association.
- #034
In the film, John Patterson (Richard Kiley) is shown as someone who supports the African-American Zeke Ward (James Edwards) and his family. In reality, however, after serving as Alabama attorney general from 1954 to 1958, he ran an openly racist campaign for governor in 1958 and won. His opponent, George Wallace, told friends after the election, "John Patterson out-niggered me, and I'm never going to be out-niggered again." Four years later, Wallace became governor of Alabama as a staunch segregationist. Patterson was elected governor with the support of the Ku Klux Klan and became one of the harshest segregationist voices in the South, targeting Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders as communist subversives. Later in life, he expressed regret for these positions.
- #035
Film noir historian Eddie Muller, discussing this film, noted that by the mid-to-late 1950s the genre was moving away from classic 1940s noir toward documentary-style exposés and carried some elements of the 1930s crime genre.
- #036
Ellie says she earns $200 a week dealing cards at the Poppy Club. That amount is equivalent to about $2,281 a week in 2024.
- #037
In 2019, The Phenix City Story was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry on the grounds that it is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
- #038
Steam baths were popular places where shady dealings took place both on screen and in real life. The Rat Pack also held its famous meetings in the steam baths of the legendary Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
- #039
It appears in the list "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.
Behind the Scenes (7)
- #040
Director Phil Karlson cared so much about realism that he had some of his actors wear the actual clothes of the people they were portraying. This detail was one of the touches that strengthened the film's documentary feel.
- #041
Film critic Bruce Eder says that the production, shot in Alabama in a documentary-like style, is the work that best captures the Southern atmosphere among the films based on real events of its era.
- #042
In the brawl at the pool hall, posters of scantily clad women stand out on the walls. Since the production, a film noir, presents the Poppy Club as a den of sin, the censors probably turned a blind eye to these images, thinking that good would ultimately triumph.
- #043
The 1954 Lincoln Capri two-door hardtop that Tanner drives had a production run of about 14,000 units. It was one of the first cars to offer air conditioning as an option, and its price at the time was $3,860 (roughly $44,000 in 2024).
- #044
Given TWA's early relationship with the film industry, it is no surprise that one of its planes appears in the film. The company had offices at major airports that assisted production crews.
- #045
The closing credits include leading magazines of the era such as Time, Life, Look, The Saturday Evening Post and Newsweek. This selection amounts to a small nod to the media world of the period in which the film is set.
- #046
The plane John boards to go to Columbus, Georgia, is a TWA Lockheed L-749A Constellation. Of this model, 119 were produced between 1947 and 1951, and the last one was retired in 1967. The aircraft seen in the film, named "Star of Zurich," served with TWA from 1949 to 1961, after which it was sold to Falcon Airways in England and scrapped in Austria in 1966.
Characters & Cast (4)
- #047
The film went into production so quickly that some of the criminals it portrayed were still on trial while shooting was underway. Contrary to the film's claim, many of the crime syndicate's key perpetrators received light sentences.
- #048
Glenn Ford, Edward G. Robinson and George Raft were initially announced to star.
- #049
Glenn Ford, Edward G. Robinson and George Raft had previously been announced to star.
- #050
Helen Martin and Jean Carson's first films.
Deeper Meaning (11)
- #051
In the film, John Patterson (Richard Kiley) is shown as someone who supports African-American Zeke Ward (James Edwards) and his family. In reality, however, after serving as Alabama attorney general from 1954 to 1958, he ran an openly racist campaign for governor in 1958 and won. His opponent, George Wallace, told friends after the election, "John Patterson out-niggered me, and I'll never be out-niggered again." Four years later, Wallace became governor of Alabama as a strict segregationist. Patterson was elected governor with the support of the Ku Klux Klan and became one of the South's harshest segregationist voices; he targeted Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders as communist subversives. Later in life, he expressed regret for these attitudes.
- #052
The film is among Martin Scorsese's personal favorites.
- #053
Film noir historian Eddie Muller, discussing the film, noted that by the mid-to-late 1950s the genre had moved away from classic 1940s noir and come to resemble documentary exposés more, carrying some elements of the 1930s crime genre.
- #054
Ellie says she earns 200 dollars a week dealing cards at the Poppy Club. That amount is equivalent to roughly 2,281 dollars a week in 2024.
- #055
John Patterson's speech in The Phenix City Story can be found on YouTube.
- #056
In 2019, The Phenix City Story was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry on the grounds that it is "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
- #057
It holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 8 critic reviews.
- #058
As of 2020, Eddie N. Lowe, the city's first Black mayor, was elected by the public. He had previously been a player in the Canadian Football League.
- #059
Steam baths were popular places for shady dealings both on screen and in real life. The Rat Pack also held its famous meetings in the steam baths of the legendary Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
- #060
It appears on the list "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.
- #061
Phenix City, Alabama, sits on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, made famous by Alan Jackson's 1992 song. The nearest military base is Fort Benning in Georgia, home to the U.S. Army Airborne School (1st Battalion, 507th Infantry Regiment), where parachute training is conducted.
Career & Awards (1)
- #062
The Phenix City Story (1955) recounts the real-life 1954 assassination of Albert Patterson, who had been nominated as the Democratic candidate for Alabama attorney general on a platform of cleaning up Phenix City, which was controlled by organized crime. Patterson was killed in Phenix City, and the outcry that followed led the state government to declare martial law. Some prints of the film include a 13-minute newsreel-style prologue in which journalist Clete Roberts interviews many of the actual participants.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- 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