One
of the defining Hollywood gangster movies of the 1930s is the magnificent Angels
with Dirty Faces, directed by the versatile Michael Curtiz, and starring
the inimitable James Cagney in a signature role. For years afterwards,
impressionists would perform Cagney’s twitching mannerisms along with the
oft-repeated line in the film, “Whaddaya hear? Whaddaya say?†Cagney would
never live it down.
Interestingly,
Cagney nearly didn’t make the film. He had been afraid that he would be
typecast forever in “tough guy†roles, when at heart he was really a song and
dance man. He had already revealed his diversity to the world after his big
breakthrough in 1931 (The Public Enemy) by appearing in some musicals
like Footlight Parade (1933). However, even pictures like G-Men
(1935), in which Cagney played a law enforcement officer, was still a tough guy
outing for the actor. After some contract and studio conflicts, walking away
from Warner Brothers, further haggling, and the actor’s eventual return, Cagney
finally accepted the part of Rocky Sullivan.
In
the story’s ending, Sullivan is to be executed in the electric chair, and his Catholic
priest best friend, Father Jerry Connolly (Pat O’Brien) convinces him to “act
like a coward†so that his influence on younger hoodlums (played by the “Dead
End Kidsâ€) would be broken and they would no longer emulate him. At first Cagney
didn’t think that was a good idea for his tough guy image on screen, even
though he really wanted to get away from it. Then he came to his senses and
realized this was an opportunity to stretch his acting chops and show the
audiences yet another side of James Cagney—emotion and tears. As a result, the
actor received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Angels
with Dirty Faces.
Rocky
and Jerry are juvenile delinquents in the early 1920s (uncannily cast by
younger lookalike actors Frankie Burke and William Tracy, respectively). Rocky
gets sent to reform school and then later is arrested for armed robbery. His
co-conspirator in that job was lawyer/gangster Jim Frazier (Humphrey Bogart, in
one of his pre-star gangster roles) who convinces Rocky to take the rap.
Frazier promises to give him $100,000 of the stolen money upon Rocky’s release.
Now, years later in the 30s, Rocky is free and he wants his money. Jerry has
become a priest who oversees the parish where the Dead End Kids (Billy Halop,
Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Gabriel Dell, Huntz Hall, and Bernard Punsly) are
teenagers on their way to become professional gangsters. Rocky becomes a mentor
to them, much to Jerry’s chagrin. Also in the mix is Laury (Ann Sheridan),
Rocky’s love interest who has known him since they were kids and is now his
landlady. When Rocky goes to Frazier to get his money, trouble ensues, for
Frazier has become more corrupt. Rather than give Rocky the money that he was
promised, Frazier would rather bump off the guy. Rocky, despite pleas from
Jerry and Laury, declares war on Frazier and his underground syndicate.
Angels
with Dirty Faces is
successful on all counts, from the casting and acting, the direction, and the
writing (by John Wexley and Warren Duff, from a story by Rowland Brown). As
mentioned, Cagney received a Best Actor Oscar nomination. Curtiz received a
Best Director nomination and had to compete with himself, for he was also
nominated for Four Daughters the same year! These were Curtiz’s first
official nominations—he had been a “write-in†candidate in 1935 for Captain
Blood. Rowland Brown also received a nomination for Best Story (a category
that no longer exists). For this reviewer’s money, the movie itself should have
been a Best Picture nominee.
A
word about the Dead End Kids… These talented young actors got their start in
Sidney Kingsley’s 1935 Broadway play, Dead End, which was made into a
film in 1937 by United Artists. Because the actors were troublemakers on the
set, their contract was sold to Warner Brothers, where the boys made six
features in two years, including Angels with Dirty Faces. In 1939,
Warners kicked them out because of more destructive antics on the sets. This
didn’t end their careers, though. Other studios picked them up in various configurations
and names—the Little Tough Guys, the East Side Kids, and the Bowery Boys. In
total they made 89 feature films!
The
new Warner Archive Blu-ray is a direct port-over from the studio’s previous DVD
edition, except that the feature film is in high definition and looks marvelous
in glorious black and white. It comes with a commentary by film historian Dana
Polan. The supplements are one of Warner’s Leonard Maltin-hosted “Night at the
Movies†compilation that mimics what audiences might have seen in 1938 when
going to the theater. It begins with a newsreel, followed by a musical short
(“Out Where the Stars Beginâ€), a cartoon (“Porky and Daffyâ€), a theatrical
trailer, and finally the feature film. There is also a featurette about the
movie, and an audio-only radio production with the film’s two stars.
Angels
with Dirty Faces is
grand entertainment, a representation of the Golden Age of Hollywood at its
best, with a magnificent James Cagney performance, and exciting, riveting
gangster flick action. Don’t miss it.
