Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

John Wexley (screenplay) and
Warren Duff (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 November 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

The saga of America's dirty faced kids... And the breaks that life won't give them!

Plot:

A priest tries to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Gunfire | Reform School | Gangster | Irish Gangster

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

James Cagney	...	Rocky Sullivan
Pat O'Brien	...	Jerry Connolly
Humphrey Bogart	...	James Frazier
Ann Sheridan	...	Laury Ferguson
George Bancroft	...	Mac Keefer
Billy Halop	...	Soapy
Bobby Jordan	...	Swing
Leo Gorcey	...	Bim
Gabriel Dell	...	Pasty
Huntz Hall	...	Crab
Bernard Punsly	...	Hunky (as Bernard Punsley)
Joe Downing	...	Steve
Edward Pawley	...	Edwards
Adrian Morris	...	Blackie
Frankie Burke	...	Rocky - as a Boy
William Tracy	...	Jerry - as a Boy (as William Tracey)
Marilyn Knowlden	...	Laury - as a Child
The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir	...	Church Choir (as St. Brendan's Church Choir)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harris Berger	...	Basketball Captain (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Convict (uncredited)
Edwin Brian	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Sonny Bupp	...	Boy (uncredited)
Brian Burke	...	Convict (uncredited)
Gary Carthew	...	Church Basketball Team Player (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Guard (uncredited)
Frank Coghlan Jr.	...	Boy in Poolroom (uncredited)
Bill Cohee	...	Church Basketball Team Player (uncredited)
William Crowell	...	Whimpering Convict (uncredited)
Joe Cunningham	...	Managing Editor (uncredited)
Steve Darrell	...	Gangster (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Gangster (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	'Chronicle' Editor (uncredited)
David Durand	...	Boy in Poolroom (uncredited)
Earl Dwire	...	Priest (uncredited)
William Edmunds	...	Italian Storekeeper (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Railroad Yard Watchman (uncredited)
Galan Galt	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Death Row Guard (uncredited)
Jack A. Goodrich	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Patrick McGee (uncredited)
Earl Gunn	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Sharpie (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
John Harron	...	Sharpie (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Pharmacist (uncredited)
Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian	...	Convict (uncredited)
Ben Hendricks Jr.	...	Guard (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	'Press' City Editor (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frank Kowalski	...	Boy (uncredited)
Vera Lewis	...	Soapy's Mother (uncredited)
Al Lloyd	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Alexander Lockwood	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Vince Lombardi	...	Boy (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Le Val Lund Jr.	...	Church Basketball Team Player (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Charles Marsh	...	Reporter (uncredited)
John Marston	...	Well-dressed Man (uncredited)
Bibby Mayer	...	Church Basketball Team Player (uncredited)
Billy McClain	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Roger McGee	...	Boy (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Mrs. Maggione (uncredited)
Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Reporter (uncredited)
George Mori	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Detective (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Inquisitive Youth in Poolroom (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Older Boy (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Railroad Guard (uncredited)
Oscar O'Shea	...	Kennedy - Guard (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Police Officer McMann (uncredited)
William Pawley	...	Bugs (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Death Row Guard (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Detective (uncredited)
Theodore Rand	...	Gunman #3 (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Gangster (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Policeman on Phone at El Toro Club (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jack C. Smith	...	Railroad Guard (uncredited)
George Sorel	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
James Spottswood	...	'Record' Editor (uncredited)
Chuck Stubbs	...	Red (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Ed - Gunman (uncredited)
Elliott Sullivan	...	Cop (uncredited)
A.W. Sweatt	...	Boy (uncredited)
Eddie Syracuse	...	Maggione Boy (uncredited)
George Taylor	...	Convict (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Norton J. White (uncredited)
Norman Wallace	...	Church Basketball Team Player (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Man in Poolroom Slugged by Father Connelly (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Man with Baby (uncredited)
Poppy Wilde	...	Girl at Gaming Table (uncredited)
Lottie Williams	...	Onlooker at Drugstore (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Police Lieutenant Buckley (uncredited)
Claude Wisberg	...	Hanger-on in Poolroom (uncredited)
Dan Wolheim	...	Convict (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	Warden (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
John Wexley		(screenplay) and
Warren Duff		(screenplay)
Rowland Brown		(story)
Ben Hecht		uncredited
Charles MacArthur		uncredited

Produced by
Samuel Bischoff	....	producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Max Steiner		(music by)

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(photography by)

Film Editing by
Owen Marks

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Mattison	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmett Emerson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Sherry Shourds	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Herbert Plews	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Everett A. Brown	....	sound (as E.A. Brown)

Stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Evans	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Flanagan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Al Green	....	second camera (uncredited)
William Harrington	....	best boy (uncredited)
Harold Noyes	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charley Mark	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestral arrangements

Other crew
Jo Graham	....	dialogue director
Father J.J. Devlin	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Frank Kowalski	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Jack Lucas	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (A First National Picture)
• First National Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1938) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (video)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS) (colorized)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Battle of City Hall (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (1939) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:A (1938) (cut) | UK:PG (1986) | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:G (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:(Banned) (1939-1950) | Finland:K-16 (1950) | USA:Approved (PCA #4496) | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Sing Sing Penitentiary - 354 Hunter Street, Ossining, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

An architect by the name of Lewis Pilcher designed the death house - it went into service in the early 1920s. The building is still there at Sing Sing. On Google Earth, zoom in on the prison, and look at the southwest corner by the river. The building with two wings and a diamond-shaped structure in the middle is the infamous structure.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the course of the final shootout, the pattern of broken glass changes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jerry, As a Boy: Bulls eye!
William 'Rocky' Sullivan, as a boy: It's as dead as a door nail around here.
Jerry, As a Boy: Yeah.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A School Story (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Sidewalks of New York

An absolute classic

Michael Curtiz has made some great films, yet the only one that tends to be well received among film fans is his contender for the best movie ever made - obviously Casablanca (and Robin Hood, to a lesser extent). However, the man has a wealth of other influential classics under his belt that don't tend to get the recognition that they deserve, and Angels With Dirty Faces is one of those films. To sum the film up easily, one would say that it is a crime drama. However; like the best crime dramas, this one has multiple themes that elevate it from being merely a film about crime, to being a character study, a portrait of what it is that makes a hero and a condemnation of criminals on the whole. The story follows Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connolly; two young New York thugs, the former of which is caught by the police and sent to a reform school, where, ironically, he learns to be a criminal. The latter escapes punishment and goes on to become a priest. The story follows these two men as they meet up as adults and have an effect on the lives of the kids of their old neighbourhood.

The focus of the film is always centred on the neighbourhood. This allows Curtiz to show us the effects that Rocky's criminal endeavours have on the kids of the neighbourhood more effectively. This sort of narrative would be employed in later films, such as the critically acclaimed 'City of God', and works well here too. The way the film shows how impressionable young kids can be influenced by adults works brilliantly, and Curtiz is able to continue this theme up until the powerful ending. James Cagney would later go on to achieve major fame in the incredible 'White Heat', but here he shows us what the quintessential New York gangster would be like. His performance, in short, is incredible and easily ranks among the best gangster roles of all time. The rest of the cast do well in their roles, with distinct New York accents helping to firmly place the audience in the city that the film is taking place in. Furthermore, the film is economic in the way it's plotted and it's also very exciting, and therefore guaranteed to delight it's audience.

Angels With Dirty Faces is an absolute cinema classic and quite why it isn't more famous is anyone's guess. Although not quite as good as Casablanca, this is a major notch in Michael Curtiz's filmography and I wouldn't have any qualms with recommending this to film fans at all.