Dead End

Released Aug 24, 1937

1h 33m

Crime

Drama

List

83%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

77%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Mobster "Baby Face" Martin (Humphrey Bogart) returns home to visit to the New York neighborhood where he grew up, dropping in on his mother (Marjorie Main), who rejects him because of his gangster lifestyle, and his old girlfriend, Francey (Claire Trevor), now a syphilitic prostitute. Martin also crosses paths with Dave (Joel McCrea), a childhood friend struggling to make it as an architect, and the Dead End Kids, a gang of young boys roaming the streets of the city's East Side slums.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 4/5

Oct 4, 2003

Full Review

James Baldwin

The Devil Finds Work

The severity of the social situation which Dead End so romanticizes (somewhat like its direct descendant, West Side Story) utterly precludes the innocence of its heroine.

Jan 17, 2024

Full Review

Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy)

Esquire Magazine

The cast is perfect; Allen Jenkins surprisingly strong as Humphrey Bogart's shadow.

Apr 17, 2020

Full Review

Ann Ross

Maclean's Magazine

Highly recommended, but not for children.

Oct 7, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Couldn't be more outdated.

Rated: C

Mar 18, 2015

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

William Wyler's screen version of this juvenile delinquency drama features the Dead End Kids and boasts excellent performances from Bogart as a criminal before he became star and Joel McCrea as the decent guy.

Rated: B-

Mar 6, 2008

Full Review

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nick s

Fantastic shot framing throughout the film. Wyler manages to get great performances out of the actors. Just a quality production.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/05/23

Full Review

Josh G

Incredible use of lighting every scene is a masterpiece, ever line of dialogue is perfect and and filled monologues and devastation of life on the street in 1920's. It blew me away. Humphrey Bogart steals every scene in his limited role. This is a wonderful example of film noir and should be taught in film school over Maltese falcon and Casablanca.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/17/23

Full Review

JFM

A surprising movie that touches on issues that would surprise many. Abject poverty, child abuse, elitism, alcoholism, parental rejection and chronic illness are just a few of the themes. Quite obviously Claire Trevor is a sex worker and when she says she is sick and spurns Bogart's advances ( even though still obviously in love with him ) we can only assume she has an STD. The never ending issues that poverty creates are showcased cleverly here and this film resonates as much today as it must have in its hay day. Well worth a look.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

merick h

Fantastic film. A pet peeve of mine is when people call classic films like this "dated". I can't think of a more idiotic statement. Obviously; it was made in 1937. If you have a specific criticism, make it. Otherwise, that comment is just lazy and annoying. It's a great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

steven a

The contracted stage-like waterfront setting is symbolic of the social issues addressed, however cinema censorship blunted some of the more shocking elements of the original play. Moodily photographed with great use of shadow by Toland, the film still generates a brooding atmosphere, helped by expert performances from Bogart and McCrae. Also of note is Francis as Bogart's old flame who has descended into prostitution and Sidney as the concerned sister of one of the youth gang members. The Dead End Kids may seem a little too mannered today but they were memorable enough to spawn a dedicated series of B-pictures.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

merick h

What's not to love? Great movie with interesting social dynamics at play.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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William Wyler

Director

Sylvia Sidney

Drina Gordon

Humphrey Bogart

Hugh "Baby Face"

Joel McCrea

Dave Connell

Wendy Barrie

Kay Burton

Claire Trevor

Francey

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Synopsis

Mobster "Baby Face" Martin (Humphrey Bogart) returns home to visit to the New York neighborhood where he grew up, dropping in on his mother (Marjorie Main), who rejects him because of his gangster lifestyle, and his old girlfriend, Francey (Claire Trevor), now a syphilitic prostitute. Martin also crosses paths with Dave (Joel McCrea), a childhood friend struggling to make it as an architect, and the Dead End Kids, a gang of young boys roaming the streets of the city's East Side slums.

Director: William Wyler
Screenwriter: Sidney Kingsley, Lillian Hellman
Distributor: Embassy Pictures, Film Classics Inc.
Production Co: Samuel Goldwyn Company
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 24, 1937, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 31, 2020
Runtime: 1h 33m

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