Dead End (1937)

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Lillian Hellman (screenplay)
Sidney Kingsley (play)

Release Date:

27 August 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

THE GREATEST GANGSTER THRILLER THAT EVER EXPLODED FROM THE SCREEN! (1944 reissue print ad - all caps)

Plot:

The Dead End Kids, an unemployed architect, and gangster Baby Face Martin interact with an East Side neighborhood over one day and night.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Architect | Slum | Dead End Kids | Murderer

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Cast

Sylvia Sidney	...	Drina
Joel McCrea	...	Dave
Humphrey Bogart	...	'Baby Face' Martin
Wendy Barrie	...	Kay
Claire Trevor	...	Francey
Allen Jenkins	...	Hunk
Marjorie Main	...	Mrs. Martin
Billy Halop	...	Tommy
Huntz Hall	...	Dippy
Bobby Jordan	...	Angel
Leo Gorcey	...	Spit (as Leo B. Gorcey)
Gabriel Dell	...	T.B.
Bernard Punsly	...	Milty
Charles Peck	...	Philip
Minor Watson	...	Mr. Griswald
James Burke	...	Mulligan
Ward Bond	...	Doorman
Elisabeth Risdon	...	Mrs. Connell
Esther Dale	...	Mrs. Fenner
George Humbert	...	Pascagli
Marcelle Corday	...	Governess
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Earl Askam	...	Griswald's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Dr. Flynn - Intern (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Policeman at Killing (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Policeman in Drina's Apartment (uncredited)
Lucile Browne	...	Well-Dressed Woman (uncredited)
Gilbert Clayton	...	Man with Weak Voice (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Detective at Killing (uncredited)
Jerry Cooper	...	Milty's Brother (uncredited)
Bill Dagwell	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Kay's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Wesley Giraud	...	Tough Boy Looking for Fight (uncredited)
Charles Halton	...	Whitey (uncredited)
Larry Harris	...	Boy (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Policeman on Morning Beat (uncredited)
Esther Howard	...	Neighbor with Coarse Voice (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Police Lieutenant at Killing (uncredited)
Payne B. Johnson	...	Boy on dock (uncredited)
Sidney Kibrick	...	Boy (uncredited)
Maude Lambert	...	Woman with Poodle (uncredited)
Kath Ann Lujan	...	Milty's Sister (uncredited)
Mickey Martin	...	Tough Boy Looking for Fight (uncredited)
Mona Monet	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Norman Salling	...	Boy (uncredited)
Frank Shields	...	Well-Dressed Man (uncredited)
Walter Soderling	...	Coroner at Killing (uncredited)
Charlotte Treadway	...	Woman with Poodle (uncredited)
Gertrude Valerie	...	Old Lady with Old Man (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits
Lillian Hellman		(screenplay)
Sidney Kingsley		(play)

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn	....	producer
Merritt Hulburd	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland		(photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Art Direction by
Richard Day

Set Decoration by
Julia Heron		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Omar Kiam

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edmond F. Bernoudy	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Frank Maher	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
James Basevi	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Eagler	....	process photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Alfred Newman	....	musical director

Other crew
Norman Bel Geddes	....	stage producer
Samuel Goldwyn	....	presenter
Frank P. Goodnow	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Jock Laurence	....	press representative (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Distributors

• United Artists (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Dr. Hauser & Company (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Filmax Entertainment (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Filmax (????) (Spain) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Panarecord (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Reserva Especial (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Silver Screen (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• UA-Pantmedia (????) (Italy) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Dead End: Cradle of Crime (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Germany:12 (2005) | Finland:K-15 (2001) | Finland:K-16 (1966) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 (1938) | Argentina:13 | Finland:(Banned) (1937) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #3596) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Samuel Goldwyn acquired the rights to Sidney Kingsley's play for $165,000 - an exorbitant amount of money at the time. The play had been a huge success on Broadway (which is why it commanded such a big fee) and Goldwyn purchased it with the intention of filming it largely uncut, knowing that he would have many run-ins with the Hays Office over the content.

Quotes:

[the police are looking for Tommy after he has a fight with Philip Griswald and then injures Philip's father]
Dave Connell: Don't worry, Drina. He knows his way around - he can take care of himself.
Drina Gordon: He can take care of himself too well. How can he have done such a thing? Where does he learn about knives and...
Dave Connell: He had an expert teacher.
[refers to Martin]
Dave Connell: Anyway it's not hard to learn in a place like this.
Drina Gordon: But he's not a bad kid - not really bad. He never has been.
Dave Connell: The famous 'Baby Face' Martin used to live on this block. He wasn't such a bad kid either at first. He was smart and brave and decent... at first.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Engefalos me vida... kai valvida!!! (1988) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Prisoner's Song

Well Done --- and a superb cameo

Considering all the talent involved, it was hardly surprising to find this a first rate movie. Didn't you want to slap Bogart around ... well, that is actually what compelled me to make this entry. Among the handful of superlative cameo (say 2 to 8 minutes in length)performances I have seen in my 40 plus years of movie-going, Dead End features one of them.

Marjorie Main, almost as unlikely a film character (think Ma Kettle!) as one could imagine, turned in what I consider a masterpiece. Read that she repeated her stage role, and wow, that slap, that dialog and that role. Bravo!