A priest tries to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids.
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Title: Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| James Cagney | ... | Rocky Sullivan | |
| Pat O'Brien | ... | Jerry Connolly | |
| Humphrey Bogart | ... | James Frazier | |
| Ann Sheridan | ... | Laury Martin | |
| George Bancroft | ... | Mac Keefer | |
 |
The Dead End Kids | ... | (as The 'Dead End' Kids) |
| 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 |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Two boyhood friends, Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connolly have taken different paths in life. After Rocky is arrested he is sent to a juvenile facility and becomes a lifelong tough guy and criminal. Jerry on the other hand goes straight and becomes a Catholic priest ministering to people in the same neighborhood when he and Rocky grew up. When Rocky is released from prison he resumes his criminal lifestyle and becomes much admired by many of the local kids. Worried that the kids will follow Rocky into the criminal world, Jerry works hard to keep them on the straight and narrow. When Rocky is convicted and sentenced to the electric chair, Jerry asks him for one last favor. Written by garykmcd
Plot Keywords:
juvenile delinquent | priest | tough guy | catholic priest | electric chair |Taglines:
A Big Time Cast in a Big City Drama Destined to be the Biggest Hit in Years! See more »Parents Guide:
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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.
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(uncredited)
Written by Fabian Andre, Wayne King and Nat Conney
Played from when Bim sinks the 3-ball in the corner to the end of the pool room scene
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The film takes place in 1920 and 1938. See more »Goofs
When the man pretending to be Peterson is shot inside the phone booth, one bullet hole is already visible right before the shooting actually starts. See more »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.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The version that opened in Chicago cut Cagney and O'Brien's scene before the execution, so that audiences were left with the impression that Rocky had turned yellow at his execution. The version shown in Australia and New Zealand went even further, cutting the breakdown scene and the Dead End kid's reaction to it. See more »Soundtracks
From Me to You(uncredited)
Written by Fabian Andre, Wayne King and Nat Conney
Played from when Bim sinks the 3-ball in the corner to the end of the pool room scene
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
26 November 1938 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Angels with Dirty Faces See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
This film certainly has an attractive cast with three Hall-Of-Fame actors and the very pretty Ann Sheridan.
James Cagney, my favorite actor of classic films, once again steals most of the scenes. He just dominates the screen and gets you very involved with his character, especially at the end. Pat O'Brien plays his normal somewhat-liberal and likable priest role and Humphrey Bogart is convincing as the crooked lawyer. Bogart was the bad guy in most films until he became a big star a couple years after this film.
The "Dead End Kids" are a pretty tough bunch. Seeing them play basketball is quite a sight - more like rugby. It must be one of the highlights of this entertaining film because I remember it so well....it was so different from any other basketball game I've ever seen!
The shootout-and-chase scene near the end was well-done with some great film-noir photography and the ending of the movie is quite memorable. Frankly, the first time I saw this I thought it was overrated but after the second viewing - and then seeing a nice transfer on DVD - I changed my mind. It is anything but overrated.