Angels with Dirty Faces

Whaddya know, whaddya say?

As didactic as the film gets near the end, James Cagney performs inimitably and O'Brien brings a quiet brilliance. Curtiz had a genius eye for composition and silhouette.

Rocky Sullivan is such an awesome character that is elevated by a great performance by James Cagney. Confident, cool, talks like a machine gun, really good stuff. It's even got a good message. It's weird seeing Humphrey Bogart playing a huge pussy but if you can get past that this is a really solid, entertaining and enjoyable movie from beginning to end, except for that stupid basketball scene. I also love the title of this film.

Cagney is cagney and i bet hed seem one note watching his films back to back but taking them in moderation he's awesome and fresh and moves a movie right along. The kids aren't great actors but having the call to arms against cagney being motivated by breaking their hero worship of a crook is good, has oomph! Obrien is passionate and i love his characters awareness of how close he was to being a crook (killer last line about it). Has an ahead of its time energy in the shootout scene

Not a traditional crime movie. Angels with Dirty Faces rather reminds a tragic play. It is bouncing between evil and good, as recklessly as a child would play with a weapon. Its script is an amazing piece of art, as well, as directing. The end of the movie brings its viewers a catharsis with a turning to the light for the guys from Hell's Kitchen.

A typical Cagney-style gangster flick that gains more depth with that whole 'youngsters influenced by the older generation' angle. The kids are somewhat annoying, but Cagney, O'Brien and Bogart compensate nicely. The ending is excellent.

I really liked the friendship aspect of this film, and Pat O'Brien's character of Father Connolly was a nice contrast to Rocky's tough criminal guise. I dunno, I just thought their mutual respect for one another was pretty cool. As an aside, I really enjoyed watching Cagney slap around a bunch of punk kids.

The pacing makes for an entertaining watch and the ending is great. My favorite Cagney crime classic.

enjoyed seeing the implications of the gangster in society; many movies have a tendency to tell the gangster's societal ramifications without showing. but the film grossly underused bogart, and skipping through most of the priest's campaign to bring down cagney's character was a questionable decision. still a solid work, especially the ending.

A terribly underrated classic. Cagney delivers one of his best performances, and Bogart is equally on form. A great plot, with fairly solid direction and editting, a lovely, classic score and an absolutely astonishing ending make this one of my favourite gangster movies. It has to be said, however, that The Dead End Kids are pretty annoying and bring the film down a notch. Forgive them, and you'll love this.

Corny, but it works--because of great performances and Curtiz' fine direction. Cagney's death scene is incredibly moving.

I guess I'm not a big fan of pre-40's gangster movies. Bad pacing and preaching story persist in each and every of those films. But I watch and enjoy those films anyway. And the main reason why, is great acting. In this case by Cagney. Story flow is bad, but it ends with a few very powerful scenes.

One of Jimmy Cagney's most electrified performances. It also has a good storyline that stands out from Cagney's other gangster movies - except for the ending which I really disliked. However, I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it.

One of the only movies that really turned the "Hays code" to it's advantage. Things like the ending (which had to happen by Hays code), really make the movie the classic it is.

It's got a really good story that's probably the largest saving grace for me. Bogart was quite impressive and, although I'll admit I'm not a big Cagney fan, he was impressive in this. My biggest complaint has to be almost every scene with the "Dead End Kids." They just felt like some slum city Lost Boys who managed to be as annoying as possible.

The end is stunning!

Cagney is growing on me, or perhaps this is just one of his better performances. The story here is utterly predictable, and the "Dead End Kids" are painfully irritating. But there are some pretty good scenes.

This doesn't hold up quite as well as some of Cagney's other classic gangster pictures, but it's a good movie with a fine Cagney performance. The ending is great, as are the dueling crane shots on the same street in different periods. O'Brien and the Dead End Kids are weak points, though with O'Brien it might more be the dialogue he has to read being a bit cheesy and tough to pull off. The basketball game is (maybe unintentionally) hilarious. Pretty good stuff.

Michael Curtiz had a phenomenal 1938, directing both this and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". There's a montage near the beginning of the film that is a truly epic lesson on how to tell story in a fiercely economic fashion.

It has its charms, striking cinematography at times, and Cagney is good. Some scenes are just very awkward (what's with the basketball scene, and who shoots a gun like that?), the kid gang is annoying, and the pacing is pretty bad sometimes. I can see why some say it's a classic, and it's certainly ahead of its time, but I can't recommend it unless you are on a journey through cinema history.

Just as a personal thing I am sad that we didn't get to see more Bogart, but it's still a great movie. Cagney was awesome, and the plot was always interesting and well told, with snappy dialogue and enough turns to keep things intriguing. Thought that the final bit was exceptionally well done; even though I really felt nothing for Rocky, I felt something then. Along with that, the favour that the priest asked added some depth to the death.

89.50

The didacticism is tough to deal with, but Cagney is really quite good here, bringing a sense of pathos to his tough guy character. Curtiz has a nice eye--the pool hall scene being a standout, along with the haze and shadows of the climax.

I wish people still spoke like that, see.

...if you are only going to see 1 classic gangster film, make it this one. It has all the stars and a rock-solid script.

Standard 1930's crime film: neither fascinating nor particularly original and a bit too preachy on top of it but not without its charms. The cast is good, there's a handful of strong scenes and I really liked the ambiguity of the finale.

Star Rating: ★★★★

James Cagney gets his legacy sealed as the gangster king of American cinema! They have Pat O'Brien in one of his most memorable roles portraying the priest in the center of whats right while his childhood pal James Cagney is the cool guy on the wrong side of the law. And it creates a excellent blend of good and bad which carried this film to classic material. Cagney shines when he's being evil! And the story all leads to the climax end which hits the nerve perfectly!

Going by memory.

The censors knew that a lot of young testosterone went to Cagney pictures to have a good time. And so, as a concession to mortal caution, the pictures often employed an ideia of two pals, or brothers even, one who went straight and the other directly to hell. This picture is the epitome of this plan. The inner meaning is so comic and so unabashed that this is one of Hollywood's great lessons about its own power of fantasy - as well as an inadvertent comedy. Curtiz directs with terrific panache.

This is a real "ham and cheese toastie" of a movie ... really hammy "straight from the stage" acting, and seriously cheesy dialogue ... but nevertheless, its a pretty good end product and the story is worthwile. I love movies with twirling newspaper headlines !! As others have said, the kids are really annoying, as is the santimonious pious message of the film, but you have to admire Bogart and Cagney, whose screen presence simply shines out, and turns an "OK" film into something a bit special

This is Michael Curtiz's best film. Did you hear me? HIS BEST FILM.

I actually discovered this while re-watching Home Alone when they spoofed this film by creating their own gangster film "Angels with Filthy Souls"! Funny how things work out. Cagney is brilliant here and makes up for the Dead End Kids, who are all very inconsistent at best.

James Cagey gives another outstanding performance in this classic film. The ending is truly amazing. The supporting cast also does a great job. This is a must see for all Cagney fans!

Cagney's most beautiful death.

James Cagney dominates this film with his on screen presence and his performance is the highlight of this marvelous gangster picture.I really liked that they gave his character some depth by by showing his background and showed how two people raised in the same environment can follow completely different paths in life.It was nice to see Humphrey Bogart play a heel and he does a pretty good job of it.

i enjoyed it very much

Really fun gangster picture with a well integrated message.

The movie can be a bit simple minded, but it's nonetheless an emotional and engrossing look at the gangster life. James Cagney is just so fun to watch, and Michael Curtiz's direction is filled with little touches that strengthen mood and symbolize theme. He really was one of the most versatile directors working in Hollywood.

One of the best classic gangster films out there, and perhaps my favorite Cagney performance.

Nice Movie

Decent movie.

Bogart and Cagney.

Angels with Dirty Faces is certainly underrated. It's noteworthy for the variety Bogart and Cagney put into there performances, and it strings together quite well. However, The Dead End Kids are irritating.

Not bad. The Dead End kids annoy me.

When I really hate a character, I know the movie must have done something quite impressive.

Angels with Dirty Faces is a classic picture that is certainly underated. It is quite different from the usual crime film, but we all know and instantly recognize the story once it begin's to play out. But for 1938, i thought this picture was way ahead of its time. Cagney dominates the screen, this is my first Cagney film and I got a good first impression. Bogie's small role was disappointing, but he handled it with excellence.

I really dislike the ending, but the rest of the film I like!

Especially noteworthy for the final scenes.

The Dead End Kids stop by to visit Cagney on their way to becoming the Bowery Boys. More seriously, this is a very good crime picture, with Cagney dominating the entire movie as usual

Cagney classic.