film was known as The Whip. Reception Critical response The New York Times film critic, Bosley Crowther, panned the film. He wrote, "It is so poorly made, so haphazard and so full of detectable holes that it carries no impact or conviction, regardless of credibility. Mr. Chester and his associates are free to proclaim, if they wish, that newspaper men are no good. We think the same of his film." Film historian and critic Glenn Erickson wrote about the film's theme, "The Underworld Story plays like the work of angry men. The title isn't very appropriate, as the story doesn't center on gangsters. Its main focus is the misuse of the power of the press, with side excursions into racism, class arrogance and the influence of organized crime. As in Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole, raw greed leads to gross injustice. Like Wilder's venal Chuck Tatum, the reporter in The Underworld Story thinks of little beyond the next fast buck. 'Times are tough all over,' says a cynical official. 'Pretty soon a man won't be able to sell his own mother.'" Comic book adaption Avon Periodicals: The Underworld Story (1950) References External links The Underworld Story information site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images) 1950 films 1950 crime drama films American crime drama films American black-and-white films Film noir Films about journalists Films directed by Cy Endfield Films scored by David Rose United Artists films Films adapted into comics Films based on works by Craig Rice 1950s English-language films 1950s American films