Falk's performance and David J. Stewart's "reptilian" Lepke, and wrote "the film belongs to Stewart and Falk; as with Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York, it is mostly when they are on the screen that this minor but engaging docudrama about the mob's ugly but profitable murder-for-hire business really cooks." The stylistic score by Frank De Vol was well received. It is included in the soundtrack album of the film, released by Canadian-American Records in the same year as the film release. Accolades Falk was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Reles. It was the film's only Academy Award nomination. Falk unsuccessfully campaigned for the award. In a 1997 interview with writer Arthur Marx, Falk said that the idea of campaigning for the award was suggested by Sal Mineo, but that he did not take the idea seriously until it was suggested by Abe Lastfogel, head of the William Morris Agency. He hired a press agent "and what do you know – I got nominated." Falk described what happened at the award ceremonies as follows: "Now we're in our seats; the press agent, Judd Bernard, is seated on my right. It's my category and I heard a voice say 'And the winner is Peter...I'm rising out of my seat... Ustinov.' I'm heading back down. When I hit the seat, I turn to the press agent: 'You're fired.' I didn't want him charging me for another day." See also List of American films of 1960 References External links 1960 films 1960 crime drama films 20th Century Fox films American crime drama films American black-and-white films 1960s English-language films Films scored by Frank De Vol Films about capital punishment Films about Italian-American organized crime Films about Jewish-American organized crime Films directed by Stuart Rosenberg Films set in New York City Films set in Brooklyn Films set in the 1930s Films shot in New York City American police detective films Murder, Inc. Cultural depictions of Louis Buchalter Cultural depictions of Albert Anastasia American gangster films 1960 directorial debut films Films directed by Burt Balaban 1960s American films