| The George Raft Story | |
|---|---|
 Ray Danton in The George Raft Story | |
| Directed by | Joseph M. Newman |
| Screenplay by | Crane Wilbur |
| Produced by | Ben Schwalb |
| Starring | Ray Danton Jayne Mansfield Julie London Barrie Chase |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Edited by | George White |
| Music by | Jeff Alexander |
| Distributed by | Allied Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.2 million |
The George Raft Story is a 1961 American biographical film directed by Joseph M. Newman that stars Ray Danton as Hollywood film star George Raft. The picture was retitled Spin of a Coin for release in the United Kingdom, a reference to Raft's character's nickel-flipping trick in Scarface (1932), the film that launched his career as an actor known for portraying gangsters.
The film is a largely fictionalized version of Raft's turbulent life and career. Neville Brand appears briefly as Al Capone, recreating his role from the 1959 television series The Untouchables. Although other characters are fictional, Moxie is based on Raft's longtime friend and associate Mack Gray. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is a major character. The film does not mention Raft's estranged wife Grace or early mob benefactor Owney Madden.
Raft and Gray had played themselves almost two decades earlier in a markedly different but equally fictionalized biographical film about Raft's early days as a dancer reluctantly involved with gangsters entitled Broadway (1942).
- ^ "'Raft Story' Film to Open". Los Angeles Times. 1964-01-24. p. 9, Part IV.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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