Gangster Movies: (ca. 1912) This film heavily influenced Martin Scorsese in the making of his own gangster films. It was also chosen by Scorsese for his 2005 tribute at the Beaubourg Centre d’Art et de Culture in Paris, France.

This silent era masterpiece is the first “Gangster Movie” of all time and was made with the intent of portraying the evils of the gangster life. The story takes place in a part of New York City called “Pig Alley”: A poor musician is engaged to be married to a young woman, but he has to leave town for a work opportunity which will vastly improve his economic condition.

While he is away, his fiancee is forced to work at sewing to support her invalid mother and herself. Later on, in going to deliver some of her seamstress work, she meets the “Snapper Kid” who is the chief of one faction of the gangsters of Pig Alley in the slum quarters.

About this time the little girl’s mother dies and she finds herself alone, but soon the musician returns with replenished purse to become the protector of his young bride to be. He meets the “Musketeers” in Pig Alley and the “Snapper Kid” relieves him of his wallet. Returning to his future bride he vows to her that he will recover his stolen money at all hazard and consequently  leaves to search the slums in the hope of apprehending the thief.

In this new sorrow, a friend stops in to see how the young bride to be is doing, and induces her to go with her to the ball, hoping thereby to cheer her a little. At the ball, the girl meets one of the gang, and he being a decent looking chap, she dances with him and accepts his invitation for a drink. The scoundrel then tries to slip a sort of “roofie” into the drink, and would have succeeded, if not for the “Snapper Kid” who sees this act from a distance and intervenes.

This sets off a gang war in Pig Alley, and we watch several scenes of each gang hoping to take the other by surprise. Finally a gun fight ensues and in the struggle the “Snapper Kid” rushes through one of the hallways in his endeavor to escape the police, and is met by the musician, who, before the kid realizes what he has done, recovers his wallet, making his way hurriedly back to the girl.

The kid has no chance to recover his equilibrium, for the police are on his heels, and he rushes through the dark hallways until he finally comes to the apartment of the girl, just after the musician has reached there. The police trail him to this point, but as he had saved the girl from disaster the night of the ball, she, reasoning that one good turn deserves another, enables him to give an alibi to the officer which frees him.