Angels with Dirty Faces(1939)
| Director | Michael Curtiz | Runtime: 1hrs 37min ( 97min) |
|---|---|---|
| rocky sullivan | ..... | james cagney |
| jerry connelly | ..... | pat o' brien |
| james frazier | ..... | humphrey bogart |
| laury ferguson | ..... | ann sheridan |
| mac keefer | ..... | george bancroft |
| soapy | ..... | billy halop |
| swing | ..... | bobby jordan |
| bim | ..... | leo gorcey |
| pasty | ..... | gabriel dell |
| crab | ..... | huntz hall |
| hunky | ..... | bernard punsley |
| steve | ..... | joe downing |
| edwards | ..... | edward pawley |
| blackie | ..... | adrian morris |
| young rocky | ..... | frankie burke |
| young jerry | ..... | william tracey |
| young laurie | ..... | marilyn knowlden |
| church choir | ..... | st. brenden's church choir (the robert mitchell boy choir) |
William Sullivan, a.k.a. Rocky (James Cagney) lives a life of crime, starting with petty crimes committed with his childhood pal Jerry Connelly (Pat O'Brien). When he gets put away for a heist involving a million dollars, there's not much his lawyer, Jim Frazier (Humphrey Bogart) can do for him. Rocky says he'll take his own rap again, as he's always done, but makes Frazier promise to hold his cut of the money for him until he gets out of jail.
Rocky gets out and returns to the old neighborhood to seek out Frazier and get his cash. He meets up again with Jerry, now 15 years older, who has turned over a different leaf by becoming a priest. He also finds, by accident, and old girl rival, Laury (Anne Sheridan).
The town, and the old gang, are all run by a syndicate. When it's decided that Rocky needs to be eliminated, Rocky doesn't agree, and things start to get hairy on the crime front.
In the meantime, Rocky meets up with the new rising group of future miscreants (The Dead End Kids), and although he sees himself in them and vice versa, he tries to show them that a life of crime isn't for the weak of heart or mind.
The actor playing Rocky as a kid (Frankie Burke) is a dead ringer for James Cagney. And he plays the part as well as if he really were a young James Cagney.
This movie utilizes the typical 30s movie technique of using newspaper headlines to move the story along. It is a relatively less violent gangster movie. Still don't think it's a merry-go-round film. There's still a fair share of violence and gunplay. You'll certainly get your 30s gangster fix, all dolled up with James Cagney at the wheel. There aren't enough meows available for an accurate rating of this terrific gunflick.
If there is anything negative about this movie, it would be cruel to mention it. It would be nothing but an undeserved cheap shot at a fantastic movie. If you'll notice almost all quotes come from Rocky Sullivan. What did you expect...it's a James Cagney movie!
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:
Waddya hear? Waddya say?
~ Rocky SullivanYa' know, you turned out to be a snappy lookin' dish.
~ Rocky SullivanThere ain't no future in playin' basketball.
~ BimEmpty
~ Cop #1So is your thick skull, copper.
~ Rocky SullivanWell, if you didn't do nothin', don't do it again
~ Rocky SullivanLike sittin' in a barber chair. Gonna ask me, 'Got anything to say?' And I say, 'Sure. A haircut, a shave, and a massage. One of those nice new electric massages.'
~ Rocky SullivanPromise you won't let me hear you pray.
~ Rocky SullivanLet's go say a prayer for a boy who couldn't run as fast as I could.
~ Jerry Connelly
10/10 