Back in 1947, Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan co-starred in the socially-conscious noir Crossfire. The Two Bobs reunited for 1951’s The Racket, albeit absent Crossfire’s Third Bob, Robert Young.

When a national crime syndicate comes to town, this displaces local mobster Nick Scanlon (Ryan) as the top of that particular heap. However, he adapts and acts as the ring’s muscle, though an enforcer with a short temper who resorts to violence at the drop of a hat.

The gangsters bribe most of the police force to let them operate unhindered, but Captain Tom McQuigg (Mitchum) and his junior partner Officer Bob Johnson (William Talman) refuse to follow that path. This puts Scanlon and McQuigg on an inevitable path toward confrontation.

It would seem to have been tough for casting directors to find actors who seemed tough enough to create credible foes for Mitchum’s characters. Pretty much the definition of a “man’s man”, he came across as so strong that most others felt weak by comparison.

That doesn’t turn into a problem here. Sometimes cast as psychologically unstable hotheads, Ryan delivers a fully credible opponent for Mitchum.

Those two give us the strongest aspects of Racket. With these vibrant leads against each other, Ryan and Mitchum create sparks that let the movie prosper.

Racket needs them because its basic plot seems so ordinary. “Honest Cop Fights Corrupt Forces” doesn’t exactly seem novel, so the film requires something to allow it to stand above the crowd.

The pairing of Ryan and Mitchum becomes this force. With lesser actors as antagonists, the film would seem trite.

And it occasionally comes across like that anyway. Racket employs a fairly pedestrian script and director John Cromwell doesn’t find an especially creative way to enliven the proceedings.

Not that Cromwell harms the project, as he depicts the tale in an appropriate fashion. He simply fails to elevate matters.

This means it falls on the shoulders of Ryan and Mitchum to carry the film, and they do so. While I can’t claim The Racket turns into a great crime drama, its stars ensure that we enjoy the ride.

The Racket appears in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not a stellar presentation, the movie largely held up well.

Sharpness became a minor weak link, as interiors – of which we found many – could lean a little soft. Still, the film usually exhibited positive delineation.

Moiré effects and jagged edges remained absent, and I saw no edge haloes or digital noise reduction. Print flaws failed to materialize and the movie boasted a good layer of grain.

Black levels appeared deep and rich, while shadow detail seemed nicely clear and not too heavy. Even with some softness, I felt happy with this transfer.

In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural audio worked fine given its vintage. Dialogue was mildly thin but appeared relatively clear and distinct, with no edginess or concerns related to intelligibility.

Effects were similarly crisp and accurate and they showed little distortion. The music sounded smooth and appropriately bright, so while it lacked much dynamic range, it showed acceptable clarity. For a film from 1951, this seemed like a successful soundtrack.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we get an audio commentary from film historian Eddie Muller. He offers a running, screen-specific look at the source and its adaptation, story/characters, production elements and his take on the flick.

Muller makes this a decent chat but not a great one. Though we get a reasonable overview of the various domains, the track never quite elevates to a higher level.

Only one aspect of The Racket holds it above the crowd: the energy created by its lead actors. This becomes enough to make the movie a winner. The Blu-ray brings largely positive picture and audio along with a commentary. Racket winds up as a star-driven piece that keeps us with it.