User Reviews

(possible spoilers):

James Cagney really struts his stuff in this one, and all his classic "caricature" type movements and traits are on vivid display here. I loved the interplay between Cagney and Humphrey Bogart (in a supporting role); also intriguing was the relationship between the now-grown Rocky Sullivan (that's Cagney's character) and the straight-laced Jerry (played by Pat O'Brien), who was the childhood friend of Rocky and partner in mischief who wound up spending his adulthood as a priest while his companion never was able to go completely straight.

The Dead End Kids tended to get on my nerves at times, but I guess that's partly what they're supposed to do, as street punks who idolize the legendary Sullivan and want to follow in his infamous footsteps.

Just want to mention that I thought the ending - with Cagney's change of demeanor in the electric chair and the resulting disappointment of the kids who worshipped him - was a great cinematic moment by director Michael Curtiz. People have debated whether or not Cagney is supposed to be genuinely afraid at the end or just putting on a show for the kids to learn something from. I'm of the opinion that he was acting cowardly, and that he did it primarily as a favor to his longtime friend, Father Pat O'Brien. In the process he was able to help the young gang of thugs re-think their futures as well.

For me, it's hard to separate James Cagney from the character he created as Rocky Sullivan, the street wise punk who becomes a master criminal in "Angels With Dirty Faces". It's one of his quintessential roles, and one that sears itself into memory from the classic heyday of Warner Brothers crime and gangster dramas. Watching it just once leaves you thinking "Whaddya hear, whaddya say?" for days following; would that a current film could leave such an impact.

The story follows the exploits of young hood Rocky after he takes the rap for a stockyard train car break in, while buddy Jerry (Pat O'Brien) high tails it on a quicker pair of legs. A montage of scenes depicts his graduation into a life of crime, making a name for himself while the jail sentences get longer and longer. Finding himself back in the old Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, Rocky takes up with a local gang, the familiar wise cracking Dead End Kids. They come to idolize the man who makes a mockery of the law, even as he knocks a few of their heads under the watchful eye of Father Connelly, the young Jerry grown up as the local parish priest.

With Cagney and O'Brien heading the cast, it's easy to forget that another Warner heavyweight is part of the action. Humphrey Bogart usually took a back seat to fellow actors Cagney and Edward G. Robinson in the films they appeared in together. Bogie worked with Cagney three times, also supporting him in "The Oklahoma Kid", and sharing equal footing in another crime film, "The Roaring Twenties". Here, Bogie's character is Jim Frazier, a former Sullivan ally and now a top shelf lawyer for crime boss Mac Keefer (George Bancroft). Both run afoul of Rocky's temper and allegiance to friend Father Jerry, even as the priest threatens to expose the whole lot of them for the corrupt criminals they are.

Also turning in a fine but very brief performance is the lovely Ann Sheridan; her best bit comes early when she gets her revenge on Rocky for a childhood torment. She comes to grow fond of Rocky, but their relationship is not enough to keep him out of trouble.

I get a kick out of studying the different styles of gun play in both Western and gangster films. Cowboy Wild Bill Elliott usually "threw" his six shooter in the direction he was firing, while characters like the Lone Ranger usually just aimed and fired. Cagney has perhaps the most manic style in film, with a wild pumping motion as he lets the opposition have it.

As usually found in the Warner Brother movies of the era, civic and moral dilemmas are generally solved with right winning out in the end. As Rocky prepares to walk the last mile with Father Jerry by his side, he's challenged to find "the kind of courage born in heaven". The camera work and lighting is exemplary in those final minutes, as Jerry implores Rocky to take a final courageous stand. As Rocky's face sneeringly appears dead on into the camera for one last time, it's followed shortly after by his anguished cries for pardon and escape from death. Rocky dies a "yellow rat", his execution leaving a question mark for the viewer to provide your own interpretation. If you can suppress a tear for the condemned Rocky Sullivan at this point, the film hasn't worked it's magic on you.

"Angels With Dirty Faces" is one of my all time favorites, and a must see for Cagney and Dead End Kids fans. The young toughs usually found themselves in some fairly sappy adventures, and the films in which they starred generally fail to satisfy. Here however, they're great in a support role, and get their comeuppance more than once at the hands of a master. That's why they're more than willing in the end to accompany Father Jerry when he says - "OK fellas, let's go and say a prayer for a boy who couldn't run as fast as I could."

If you ever take a film class about gangster films you'll soon learn that it's a genre " Catholic " in outlook in much the same way as the western is " Protestant " . Once you analysis the gangster genre you'll find that there's almost a formulaic lay out of themes of a fatherless outsider trying to become part of the American dream via illegal means . ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES is slightly different in that the characters are Amercan born and it's the street gang of juvenile delinquents who are in need of the father figure and the film rests on whether Father Jerry Connolly or Rocky Sullivan becomes that father figure

I'm feeling slightly ashamed of myself for saying this but I liked this movie a lot , and the reasons I liked it is down to the reasons that I shouldn't . There's hardly a single scene that rings of any type of realism . Cagney was a Hollywood star but he was never an actor . There is something compelling about his performances however and he dominates every scene he is in . I can certainly understand why some people don't like his acting style but it's a style that suits the film perfectly that lacks any type of verisimilitude . None of it rings true but there's something that keeps you watching even though there's a voice inside your head saying " What a load of melodramatic Hollywood tosh "

Your opinion of the film lies with what you thought about the golden age of Hollywood . This was a period of American film making where producers were under heavy censure via The Hays Code where any type of immorality must be seen to be punished on screen and this suits a film like ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES wonderfully . Rocky is a bad man but a hero to the teenage street gang , he must not be allowed to be a hero to criminal youth and so must face death as a coward . On paper this appears to be the cheesiest ending ever seen in a movie but as it plays out on screen it's one the most beautiful and memorable endings Hollywood has ever produced . Michael Curtiz directs this scene via suggestion and is all the better for it

If you're a fan of Old Hollywood then you'll enjoy this . Even a self confessed cynic like myself found this movie compelling . You have to be slightly forgiving for some of the more melodramatic aspects but in some ways that's part of the movie's appeal

Angels with dirty face is a 1930's Warner Bros gangster film that stars James Cagney as Rocky Sullivan and Pat O'Brien as Jerry Connelly. As the film's opens, young teenager Rocky and Jerry are trouble makers—it wasn't until young Rocky is catch by the police that we see the two characters change. Rocky is sent to reform school. In a montage of images, Rocky graduates to prison as he pursues a life of crime including bootlegging, manslaughter, gambling, and violent gang rivalry. Mobster Rocky is sent to prison to serve another three years for a crime he has committed with crooked attorney James Frazier (Humphrey Bogart). He is promised by Frazier that when he is discharged after taking the rap, he will be paid $100,000 from the crooked heist the two had pulled. As adults, Rocky embraces a life of crime, whereas Jerry, who had witnessed Rocky's fate, becomes a priest assigned to his old home parish. When discharged, Rocky returns to his former neighborhood, and visits the church where Father Jerry serves as parish priest and where they had been altar boys together twenty years earlier. Jerry faces the challenges of teaching and working with tough, gutter-bred neighborhood boys call the "Dead End" kids, trying to make them decent citizens. Dead End Kids are based and a continue sage of the 1935 play and the film Dead End (1937)). It's become hard for Jerry, because of his criminal exploits, the boys idolize him and regard him with almost fanatical hero worship when he shares his criminal exploits and experiences. The priest is unsuccessful in retrieving the neighborhood kids from emulating their gangster hero. Jerry wants Rocky to behave in a way so that the neighborhood kids will not admire him and revere him as a role model or martyr, following in his misguided footsteps. Jerry asks that Rocky make a really heroic action and show a special kind of courage. George Bancroft (Mac Keefer) also comes in the story, playing an influential politician and rackets boss that Rocky works under his new job. In the course of the movie, we are left to ask if Rocky is willing to reform or continue with his criminal past life… this come in light with his relationship with the kids. Jerry and an old flame play by Ann Sheridan. In one of the most tautly directed, unforgettable, harrowing sequences of any film in the 1930s, Rocky is force to make a choice. The scene is bathed in dark suggestive, oppressive shadows, and the musical score (by Max Steiner) resembles a plodding, relentless march to what his life really means. It is unclear whether or not his true nature or motives are revealed - is he pretending or not. It's up to you as the viewer to decision. Cagney is great as the swaggering, pugnacious career criminal Rocky. Cagney is brilliant. The facial expression of James Cagney. His face is intense and penetrating! Pat O'Brien plays best as a mild-mannered, forceful, sincere and compassionate priest. This is perfect in every way, very finely executed. What a classic film this is!

The most asked query is whether or not the lead character, gangster Rocky Sullivan (James Cagney) turns 'yellow' when he is sent to the electric chair. Of course, anyone knowing anything of gangsters, and watching the prior parts of the 97 minute film (not 78, as wrongly noted on the DVD cover), can find no evidence to support such a claim. But, that's precisely why so many ask such a superfluous question- that's what people tend to do when something is so obvious.

The film was directed by Michael Curtiz, who later directed Casablanca and Mildred Pierce. He does the usual serviceable job here, but there's no spectacular camera work by cinematographer Sol Polito, nor any memorable scoring by Max Steiner. The screenplay rises above the usual melodrama, even though it has some simplistic moments, and moves very quickly (almost too quickly, at times), setting up the bulk of the film's characters' motivations in less than nine minutes. It was written by Rowland Brown, John Wexley, Warren Duff, Ben Hecht, and Charles MacArthur. But, the obvious weak links are with the characters of Laury and the Kids. Like most love tales, this one is wedged oddly into this tale, and is quite underdeveloped. And the scenes with the Kids seem forced and unreal, for they are never developed as characters, and exist merely as symbols. The film veers towards being a cheap comedy in those moments. Had both of those angles been dropped, and more development of the Rocky-Jerry relationship been pursued the film would have been better. Of course, the film works mainly because of Cagney's bravura performance. It's as good as in other films, and contrasts with O'Brien's portrayal of the priest. Cagney got a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance- the first of his career (he would win a few years later with Yankee Doodle Dandy), and it was well deserved, and even won the New York Film Critics Award for best actor.

Now, let me end where I began, on the debate over Rocky's being yellow or not. Regardless of how one views it, this is a fine film- not great cinema, and maybe not even near great, but entertaining, moving, and well made. Oddly, it's a much finer film than either of Curtiz's two more lauded films, mentioned above, even if it's not nearly as well recalled by fans and regarded by critics. It's clear that Rocky is faking his breakdown in the end. First, the film could not be what it is without such. Rocky needs to be redeemed, and having him truly be a coward make shim all the more reprehensible. Recall, the Hays Board wanted uplift, and the last scene of the film, where Jerry lies to the boys and they rise up cellar stairs in almost heavenly fingers of light, mirrors the scene, moments earlier, where Rocky ascends beyond prison bars in light. Rocky is clearly headed for salvation. But, aside from the diegetic necessity of the moment, Rocky clearly has only one weak spot- his care for others. It's why he, not Jerry, is caught and sent to reform school; it's why Jerry is alive, and Rocky on Death Row for killing a cop; and it's why he saves the life of Laury when he's first ambushed by Keefer's men. Rocky is neither a psychotic nor a psychopath. He has a clear set of ethics- right or wrong, and lives and dies by them, for he is willing to do so. And he clearly shows no fear in the face of death. In fact, it is Jerry who, in many ways, comes off as the more ethically alarming figure, for he follows no consistent ethic. He originally lets Rocky take the fall for the train robbery, then smugly declaims his virtue throughout the film, even as it's clear he has no real understanding of the younger generation. He also seems to miss many of the key motivations of human beings that Rocky instantly is aware of. Yet, through all of this, the man seems to have no real sense of loyalty to the man who saved his ass several times, takes no responsibility for his own actions, up to and including the lie to the Kids, who, if this film were truly a bit of social realism, not melodrama, would have easily called bullshit on the priest. Finally, he seems to have no real regard for Rocky, save as a means to his own end, whereas Rocky even tells Jerry, when caught by the train bulls, that his getting nabbed was just the breaks. Rocky is a criminal and killer, but he's a mature, responsible one. Jerry is an immature, irresponsible coward. One even wonders if, when Rocky caterwauls, Jerry is praying for Rocky's soul or thanking God for once again manipulating his friend for his own means, whose ends are justified because Jerry says so (lying- even for an ostensibly good cause- is still considered a sin, no?) Finally, there are only two choices re: the ending: Rocky is truly a sniveling coward (belied by his saving of Jerry's life at least twice) or Rocky is redeemed. Reality (diegetically or not) point conclusively to the latter choice.

A memorable, amazing gangster film with a social message featuring a blistering performance by the one and only James Cagney. JC plays notorious gangster Rocky Sullivan who comes back to his old neighborhood and a reunion with his old pal Jerry Connelly. Time has a strange way of changing things, you see, Sullivan and Connelly were boyhood pals from the wrong side of the tracks. Sullivan spent time in a reformatory only to emerge the hardened criminal that he is. Connelly, spared time in the reformatory because he could run faster then Rocky and got away, is now a priest trying to keep the youth from his neighborhood out of trouble. Father Connelly is working hard on a group of youngsters, the Dead End Kids, who are already headed in the wrong direction. Things become complicated when Rocky arrives as the youngsters idolize the gangster and begin to really show signs of an impending criminal life. Rocky's own problems mount, including being ripped off by his lawyer James Frazier played by Humphrey Bogart. Rocky tries to remedy his situation but his cohorts are planning to rub out Father Connelly who's one man crusade to wipe out the criminal element is going too far. Rocky will have no part of it and resorts to murder to prevent his friend from being killed. Unfortunately, Rocky is caught and is sentenced to die in the electric chair setting up one of the most memorable conclusions in film history.

This is a completely absorbing, emotional film with standout performances from everyone. Besides Cagney, Pat O'Brien as Father Connelly gives what is perhaps his finest performance. The support from Bogart, the Dead End Kids and Ann Sheridan are all top notch. Many unforgettable scenes abound, namely Cagney's unorthodox "refereeing" at a basketball game and the aforementioned conclusion which still haunts me to this day. Director Michael Curtiz does an amazing job. His camera is almost in constant movement with fluid passes and turns and his brilliant use of light, darkness and shadow is amazing to watch. I just can't say enough about this film, one of the finest gangster epics to ever grace the big screen. It's very easy to see why Cagney was nominated for an Academy Award in this one.