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''Underworld'' is a classic 1927 SilentMovie directed by Creator/JosefVonSternberg that marks one of the [[UrExample first ever]] gangster movies (the ones that preceded it, like 1913's The Musketeers of Pig Alley, are far more obscure).

Boisterous gangster kingpin Bull Weed rehabilitates a former lawyer from his alcoholic haze, but complications arise when the latter falls for Weed's girlfriend.

Renown screenwriter, Ben Hecht, would receive the first UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Original Screenplay for this film.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused]] with the similarly titled vampire/werewolf film franchise ''Film/Underworld2003''.

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!!This film provides examples of:

* TheAlcoholic: Rolls Royce.
* AllWomenAreLustful: Bull Weed's neighbor gives him a horny look but he is too occupied with the police being after him and turns her down.
* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Feathers towards Rolls Royce when latter reveals his plan to split town for good.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: Mulligan tries to rape Feathers.]]
* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: Feathers, Rolls Royce, and Bull Weed.
* BigDamnHeroes: Bull bursts in just before [[spoiler: Buck rapes Feathers.]]
* BlindAlley: Rolls Royce shakes off the police following him by hiding in a doorway.
* BookcasePassage: There’s a secret hideaway behind the bookcase.
* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Feathers and Rolls Royce never act on their feelings, but Bull becomes suspicious and jealous nonetheless.
* CatScare: Perhaps one of the earliest examples. Bull Weed hears sounds in the hall and thinks it’s the cops, but he looks and it’s just a mangy kitten.
* CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds: See DeathOfTheHypotenuse.
* CloudCuckoolander: Slippy Lewis
* CostumePorn: All of Feathers’s outfits.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Bull Weed. He even gets mad at Rolls Royce just for dancing with his girlfriend at the ball.
* CuteKitten: Bull finds a kitten outside the apartment when he's on the run nosing around the milk and brings it inside, letting it [[PetTheDog drink the milk]] off his fingers. When the gunfight starts, Feathers makes a point of protecting it so it doesn't get hit by gunfire.
* DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster: One of the earliest examples.
* DeathOfTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:Bull's death]] clears the way for Feathers and Rolls Royce to resolve their [[UnresolvedSexualTension UST]] and be happy ever after.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Meg is Mulligan's girl, and stands by why he does a lot of heinous things, but she draws the line at [[spoiler: letting him rape Feathers. She gets away from his goons and rouses Bull to go save her.]]
* ExtraExtraReadAllAboutIt: In 1927, at least they had an excuse.
* TheFlapper: Feathers
* FluffyFashionFeathers: They don’t call her [[MeaningfulName Feathers]] for nothing.
* FrameUp: Bull Weed tries to frame Mulligan for robbing the jewelry store.
* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: The only guard watching Bull Weed decides to play checkers with him. [[spoiler: Surprise, surprise, he knocks him out, steals the keys, and escapes.]]
* HairTriggerTemper: Mulligan.
* HeCleansUpNicely: Once Rolls Royce [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange combs his hair]], shaves, and puts on a nice suit, he is barely even recognizable as the hobo from before.
* HeldGaze: Rolls Royce and Feathers share a couple of these looks.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Bull Weed gives himself up to be hanged so his friends can get away safely.]]
* HypocriticalHumor: Bull Weed berates a boy for stealing an apple, but steals one for himself when no one is looking.
* IJustWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: On both sides of the love triangle. Rolls Royce won't act on his feelings for Feathers, feeling she's better off with Bull to protect her. Bull realizes at the end of the film that Feathers and Rolls Royce honestly love each other.
* ImagineSpot:
** Rolls Royce has one when he glances at the keys in his hand and then pictures how they would open up the [[BookcasePassage secret door]] for Bull.
** Bull has one when spotting the feather in Rolls Royce' cigarette case - [[CrazyJealousGuy fueled with envy]] he imagines Rolls Royce and Feathers kissing passionately.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Mulligan hitting the spittoon with his $10 note.
* InLoveWithTheGangstersGirl: Rolls Royce happens to be.
* InstitutionalApparel: Averted with Bull who keeps to wear his personal clothes in prison.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Bull is a cruel gangster but also shows redeeming qualities like helping out people in need or caring about a CuteKitten.
* JustAFleshWound: Bullets can't stop Rolls Royce. Played with as the bullet wound doesn't get shrugged off like it's a marshmallow that's been shot into its arm. When he finally unlocks the door to the room Feathers and Bull are trapped in, he collapses to the ground, clearly injured.
* LastRequest: For his last meal Bull requests the "juiciest steak in Dreamland."
* LeaveNoWitnesses: Subverted. In the opening scene, Rolls Royce comes to witness Bull's bank robbery. He is taken hostage but instead of killing him, Bull takes Rolls under his wing and both become good friends.
* LoveTriangle: Between Bull, Feather and Rolls Royce.
* MeaningfulName: Feathers.
* NiceToTheWaiter: When Rolls Royce is sweeping up at the speakeasy, Bull Weed defends him from Mulligan when he harasses him.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Pretty much everybody.
* QuickNip: Bull offers his hip flask to Rolls to see how much of drinker he is.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Bull decides to stay behind and face justice after he realizes that he was all wrong about Feathers and Rolls Royce.
* TheRoaringTwenties
* SecondFaceSmoke: 'Slippy' Lewis gets this treatment by some patron at the Dreamland Café.
* ShootOutTheLock: Bull tries this with the secret door but it wouldn't open for him.
* TheSmartGuy: Rolls Royce.
* SmokingIsGlamorous: Rolls Royce celebrates it.
* UndyingLoyalty: ''Nothing'' will stop Rolls Royce from rescuing Bull and Feathers, not even being shot.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Between Feathers and Rolls Royce.
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: The audience knows what ThePlan to break out Bull Weed is, so he breaks out another way.
* UrExample: The first modern gangster picture.
* WhiteFlag: How Bull signals his surrender to the police.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Rolls Royce and Feathers have the chance to run away and be happy, leaving Bull to his fate of being hanged. But they realize how much they owe him and can't go through with it.
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