Angels With Dirty Faces

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Orin D Our father who was an encyclopedia of info on the great Warner Brother's film's of the 30's & 40's taught me to love corny-heart-of-gold gangster flicks like "Angels." Orson Welles said that Cagney was the most talented actor who ever walked in front of a camera. I concur. Enjoy the treasures these talented men & women left us. Orin P. Domenico Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/01/25 Full Review David F A fast-moving, fast-talking gangster film from the classic Warner Bros. gangster film era. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Matthew B Since the inception of the gangster movie in the 1930s there has been a concern about the possible effects that such films have on their audiences, especially on younger members. Does the gangster movie expose criminal activities as being ugly and dangerous, and a bad example to follow? Or does the gangster movie glamorise crime? Angels with Dirty Faces could be seen as an externalisation of that debate presented on screen. It shows two men fighting for the souls of the local youths (literally, one of the men believes). The question lies in whether those juveniles will ultimately be swayed into taking the moral and honest path that Catholic priest, Father Jerry Connolly (Pat O'Brien) wishes them to take, or whether they will be seduced into following the crooked path offered to them by charismatic gangster, William ‘Rocky' Sullivan (James Cagney). Of course it is necessary that Rocky should have enough charm to explain why he offers such a dangerous temptation to the youths in this film, but the story goes out of its way to increase our sympathy for him. He is set in contrast to his accomplice and lawyer, Jim Frazier (Humphrey Bogart). While Rocky has a sense of honour, Frazier has none. Another point that the movie makes in favour of Rocky is to show the unhappy freak of fate that led to him becoming a criminal in the first place. Jerry and Rocky get into trouble when they are discovered stealing fountain pens from a railroad car. Jerry escapes, but Rocky is caught and sent to a juvenile reform school. From here we are treated to a montage of scenes showing how his time in incarceration led Rocky into a life of crime. The arbitrary nature of the two boy's fates is emphasised. For the sake of a few fountain pens, Jerry escaped punishment and grew up to become a priest, while Rocky was arrested and became a mobster. I wrote a full review on my blog if you're interested in hearing more of my views on the film. It does include a discussion of the film's ending though: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2018/10/21/angels-with-dirty-faces-1938/ Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/31/23 Full Review Eric G This is a classic gangster film, one that ends with a really positive message. The acting by the Dead End kids is absolutely hilarious and unforgettable. Wait for this line: "Oh, you don't like the beans?" 😆. So many faces are smacked, it's practically like watching the stooges sometimes. I rarely give 5 starts, especially to older films, but this one is incredible. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/14/23 Full Review Barry G According to a very popular hoax, Michael Curtiz's best film is called "Casablanca". Well, those so-called cinema experts couldn't be more wrong and Curtiz's masterpiece from 1938 "Angels with Dirty Faces" proves that. This early golden era film fixes everything that was wrong in the gangster movies during the pre-code era. It finally has a moral and it's incredibly moving. One of the best films of all time and absolute must see. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/14/23 Full Review Glen M great great film elevates gangster film to Art Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/13/22 Full Review Read all reviews

Angels With Dirty Faces

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