The Racket

Ben Mankiewicz introduces The Racket, 1928.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces The Racket, 1928.

Capone-based gangster Scarsi (Louis Wolheim) is throwing a birthday party for his innocent college man little brother Joe (George E. Stone), so there's trouble when showgirl Helen (Marie Prevost) starts taking liberties, in director Lewis Milestone's The Racket, 1928.

Director Lewis Milestone staging what turns out to be a good-sized Chicago gang shoot-out, Thomas Meighan as cop McQuill getting ready, Henry Sedley is gangster "Spike" who's ignored a warning, Lucian Prival is "Chick," whose boss Scarsi (not seen) issued it, in The Racket, 1928.

Early events, Chicago bootlegger Scarsi (Louis Wolheim) surveys his operation and issues a warning for crusading cop McQuigg (Thomas Meighan), in Lewis Milestone's definitive silent gangster drama The Racket, 1928, produced by Howard Hughes.