Bo Buchanan I watched this movie in search of the best Mafia movies of all time. For some reason, this film is in many of those lists and it doesn't belong there. There is nothing mafia, mobster or gangster about this movie. Except taht it's about a bunch of criminals. As an old school black and white action movie - this movie stands heads and shoulders above most. Sometimes the pace of these older movies is hard to take by newer generations when they are used to a much faster storytelling pace. Throughout the pic, I'm on the edge of my seat wondering what happens next and it never really slows down. When Virginia Mayo is in the scene, I am in awe of her beauty. I wonder how stunning she must have been in person. James Cagney plays an excellent deranged killer and I believe it the whole way through. A feature that doesn't get much attention in other reviews is the way this film highlights technology. Coming off the glut of military movies after World War II, this movie brings in some of the technology from WWII. The directional radio beacons in the police cars and the phone handsets must have been awe inspiring to audiences back in 1959. This part of the storyline in addition to the raw action and film noir qualities, make it a Sunday Afternoon must see. It's worth whatever you have to pay for it.

calvinnme White Heat" shows the influence of film noir that was so popular in the 40's an 50's. Here, Cagney's gangster persona has come full circle back to the viciousness of Tom Powers in "Public Enemy". The big difference is that in this film Cagney's mother is no cream puff. She is, in fact, probably a bigger criminal in thought if not in deed than Cagney's Cody Jarrett.This late entry into Cagney's gangster filmology shows technology and thus the law gaining on the criminal, with electronic gadgets and undercover lawmen with college degrees in psychology replacing the determined hard-boiled detectives and beat cops of the past. It very much looks forward to the Dragnet series that is to emerge in the 50's.Virginia Mayo plays Verna, the fur coat loving unfaithful wife to Cagney's psychopathic criminal character Cody Jarrett. She has the hots for a member of Cody's gang, Big Ed (Steve Cochran). Even with his dark menacing presence, Cochran acts like a scared rabbit at the idea of dealing with Cody's wrath - Cagney has that much screen presence here. Edmund O'Brien is great as the undercover cop who has to stay on his toes to keep Cody believing he is on his side and win his confidence. Anything less than a convincing performance would be deadly. O'Brien always impressed me as someone who, like Cagney, could play either a guy with a white or black hat, depending on what the role called for.Best scene without giving away the ending. Cody chewing on a chicken leg asking a guy in the trunk of the car how he's doing. When he complains it is stuffy Cody pumps the trunk full of lead. He now has the air he needs, not that he is in any condition to breathe anymore.

Prismark10 Raoul Walsh's film is bold with Freudian undertones with a staggering over the top performance from an ageing James Cagney as a ruthless and unhinged mama's boyWatching this film again it is noticeable that Cagney is too old for the role. He was almost 50 years old. He plays Cody Jarrett mean, nasty and nutty. We see him and his gang rob a train and cold blooded kill the driver and his mate because they heard his name being called out. When one of the gang members is injured in the heist he is happy to have him whacked.His beautiful blonde wife is treacherous and afraid of him. Its more than hinted he beats her up regularly. His right hand man wants him out of the way and wants his wife too. The only person he cares for his his mother. played by Margaret Wycherly. We never find out too much for the course of this close bond between mother and son. Jarret has one other problem, bouts of shooting pain in his head leading to blinding headaches.Edmond O'Brien plays the undercover cop who befriends Jarrett in prison and becomes a member of his gang in order to catch him in the act and find other more secretive gangsters.The film has a mix of noirish crime thriller with a documentary style of shooting and a deep cover genre film as O'Brien bonds with Jarrett in order to be trusted by him and then later betray him.The film is a classic, I think the film suffers because so many aspects are left unexplored because of censorship laws of the time.

grantss Great gangster-drama - an absolute classic. Solid, tight plot. Good direction by Raoul Walsh. Though there are many twists and turns, it never feels contrived or overstays its welcome.Undoubtedly the highlight of the movie, and what makes it a classic, is the performance of James Cagney. Starring as the psychotic head- gangster, Cody Jarrett, Cagney delivers an acting tour de force: powerful, searing, intense, layered, believable, brilliant.Good support from Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Steve Cochran, Margaret Wycherly and John ArcherSurely a movie which inspired generations of film-makers to come. A must-see.