Editing Angels with Dirty Faces

{{short description|1938 American gangster film}}
{{About|the film}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Angels with Dirty Faces
| image          = AngelswithDirtyFaces.Theatricalposter.png
| caption        = Original theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Michael Curtiz]]
| producer       = [[Samuel Bischoff]]
| writer         = [[John Wexley]] <br />[[Warren Duff]]
| based_on       = ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' by [[Rowland Brown]]
| starring       = {{Plain list |<!--LISTED AS BILLED ON FILM POSTER-->
* [[James Cagney]]
* [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]]
* [[Dead End Kids|The Dead End Kids]]
* [[Humphrey Bogart]]
* [[Ann Sheridan]]
* [[George Bancroft (actor)|George Bancroft]]
}}
| music          = [[Max Steiner]]
| cinematography = [[Sol Polito]]
| editing        = [[Owen Marks]]
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros.]]
| released       = {{Film date|1938|11|26}}
| runtime        = 97 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = <!-- Budget is unknown. DO NOT USE IMDB OR ANY UNRELIABLE SOURCES!-->
| gross          = $1.7 million<ref name="RobertsonP47/48">Robertson, pp. 47–48.</ref>
}}

'''''Angels with Dirty Faces''''' is a 1938 American [[crime film|crime]] [[drama film|drama]] film directed by [[Michael Curtiz]] for [[Warner Brothers]]. It stars [[James Cagney]], [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]], [[The Dead End Kids]], [[Humphrey Bogart]], [[Ann Sheridan]], and [[George Bancroft (actor)|George Bancroft]]. The [[screenplay]] was written by [[John Wexley]] and [[Warren Duff]] based on the story by [[Rowland Brown]]. The film chronicles the relationship of the notorious gangster William "Rocky" Sullivan with his childhood friend and now-priest Father Jerry Connolly. After spending three years in prison for armed robbery, Rocky intends to collect $100,000 from his co-conspirator Jim Frazier, a mob lawyer. All the while, Father Connolly tries to prevent a group of youths from falling under Rocky's influence.

Brown wrote the scenario in August 1937. After pitching the film to a number of studios, he made a deal with [[Grand National Pictures]], who wanted Cagney to star in the lead role. However, the film never came to fruition, owing to Grand National's financial troubles that led to their bankruptcy in 1939. Cagney then returned to Warner the same year, taking Brown's script with him. Warner acquired the story and asked a number of directors to take on the project, eventually settling with Curtiz. Principal photography began in June 1938 at Warner's Burbank studios, and finished a week behind schedule in August, due mostly to the time it took to shoot Rocky's standoff with the police and eventual execution.<ref name="CagP26" />

''Angels with Dirty Faces'' was released on November 28, 1938, to positive reviews. At the [[11th Academy Awards]], the film was nominated in three categories: [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] (Cagney), [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] (Curtiz), and [[Academy Award for Best Story|Best Story]] (Brown). ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' is considered by some to be one of the best films of all time, and is widely regarded as a defining moment in Cagney's career.<ref name=Neibauer173/><ref name=AnastasiaG>Anastasia & Macnow, chapter 46, pp. 1–3.</ref> It was shortlisted by the [[American Film Institute]] in 2008, and was voted 67th in a list of the "100 Best Film Noirs of All Time" by ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' in 2015.

In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."<ref>{{cite web |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |website=Library of Congress |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref>

==Plot==
[[File:1939 - Colonial Theater Ad - 20 Nov MC - Allentownn PA.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Newspaper ad in 1939]]
<!-- Current length: 608 words. Maximum allowed: 700 words. See [[WP:FILMPLOT]] before expanding the plot. -->
In 1920, two [[Irish-American]] youths, Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connolly, attempt to rob a railroad car carrying [[fountain pen]]s. Jerry escapes from the police, while Rocky is caught and sentenced to [[reform school]].

Fifteen years later, an older Rocky is arrested for armed robbery. His lawyer and co-conspirator, Jim Frazier, asks him to take the blame for the robbery and in exchange, Frazier will keep Rocky's share of the robbery, $100,000 (equal to ${{Inflation|US|100000|1938|fmt=c}} today) safe until the day Rocky is released. Rocky agrees and is sentenced to three years in prison.

After serving his sentence, Rocky returns to his old neighborhood and visits Jerry, who is now a Catholic priest. He also rents a room in a [[boarding house]] run by Laury Martin, a girl he bullied as a youth. He then pays a visit to Frazier's casino. Frazier claims to have been unaware of Rocky's release, but he promises to have the $100,000 ready by the end of the week, and he gives Rocky $500 spending money (equal to ${{Inflation|US|500|1938|fmt=c}} today).

After leaving Frazier's casino, Rocky has his [[Pickpocketing|pocket picked]] by a gang of young toughs: Soapy, Swing, Bim, Pasty, Crab, and Hunky. After he tracks them down to his old childhood hideout and proves he is no sucker, the tough kids admit to an admiration of Rocky's reputation and criminal lifestyle. After retrieving his wallet and money, Rocky invites them to dinner. While they are eating, Jerry arrives and asks the gang why they have not been playing basketball.

With Rocky's help, he convinces them to play another team. At the match, the kids are very disorganized and fighting with the other team. Rocky takes the boys to task, and they start to follow the rules. As Jerry and Laury watch, Laury expresses her concern over the potential negative influence Rocky may be having on the gang.

Later, Frazier's [[contract killer|hit squad]] makes an attempt on Rocky's life. Rocky easily spots his tail and outwits the mobsters' attempted hit. In retaliation, he kidnaps Frazier, raiding his house at gunpoint and stealing $2,000 and a [[ledger]]. Rocky then
approaches Frazier's business partner, Mac Keefer, and requests $100,000 in trade for Frazier's release. Mac pays, but as Rocky leaves, he informs on him to the police. Rocky is arrested and sets about mocking the police for their lack of evidence.

Frazier informs Mac that Rocky is in possession of the ledger. This forces Frazier to tell the police it was all a "misunderstanding", and Rocky is released. Jerry learns of the kidnapping and decides to go to the press to expose corruption in New York.

On the radio, Jerry denounces the corruption, as well as Rocky, Frazier, and Keefer. Frazier and Keefer assure Rocky that no harm will come to Jerry, but he discovers that they plan to kill both him and Jerry. To protect his friend, Rocky kills Frazier and Keefer instead and after escaping the casino, makes his way to an abandoned warehouse, where he kills a police officer. A standoff ensues with other police.

Jerry arrives and informs the police that he can reason with Rocky and get him to surrender. The police reluctantly let him go into the warehouse. Jerry sees a trapped Rocky and implores him to surrender peacefully, telling him the building is surrounded, but Rocky takes Jerry [[hostage]]. While trying to escape, Rocky is shot in the leg and caught. After standing trial, he is sentenced to death.

In Rocky's last few hours before execution, Jerry visits. He sees the negative impact Rocky could have on the [[Dead End Kids]] and asks him to beg for mercy on his way to the death house, citing the impact it would have on the gang, ruining their romantic image of the gangster lifestyle. Rocky refuses, telling Jerry that his reputation is all that he has left.

As they enter the execution room, Rocky shakes Jerry's hand and wishes him well before walking to the electric chair. Then out of nowhere Rocky breaks down, begging and screaming for mercy, and seemingly dies a coward's death. Later, Soapy and the gang read in the newspapers of how Rocky "turned yellow" in the face of his execution. The gang no longer knows what to think about Rocky or the criminal lifestyle, and Jerry asks them to accompany him to say a prayer for "a boy who couldn't run as fast as I could".

==Cast==
* [[James Cagney]] as William "Rocky" Sullivan, a notorious gangster, who just got out of prison. He is portrayed by [[Frankie Burke]] during adolescence.
* [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]] as Fr. Jerry Connolly, a Catholic priest, who has been Rocky's friend since childhood. He is portrayed by [[William Tracy]] during adolescence. 
* [[Dead End Kids|The Dead End Kids]] as the neighborhood boys who idolize Rocky. [[Billy Halop]] plays their leader Soapy, [[Bobby Jordan]] appears as Swing, [[Leo Gorcey]] as Bim, [[Gabriel Dell]] as Pasty, [[Huntz Hall]] as Crab and [[Bernard Punsly]] as Hunky.
* [[Humphrey Bogart]] as Jim Frazier, a crooked lawyer associated with organized crime. He owes Rocky $100,000.
* [[Ann Sheridan]] as Laury Martin, Rocky's love interest, who has known him and Father Connolly since childhood. She is portrayed by [[Marilyn Knowlden]] during adolescence.
* [[George Bancroft (actor)|George Bancroft]] as Mac Keefer, a businessman and municipal contractor in league with Frazier.
* [[Adrian Morris (actor)|Adrian Morris]] as Blackie, a gangster who follows and tries to kill Rocky.
* [[Emory Parnell]] as Officer McMann (uncredited)

==Production==
===Development===
[[File:Cagney angels final walk.jpg|thumb|Cagney in the famous final walk]]
[[Rowland Brown]] wrote the scenario for ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' in August, 1937. He was known in Hollywood for writing and directing a number of crime films in the early 1930s, including ''[[The Doorway to Hell]]''{{refn|group=N|Cagney had a supporting role in ''The Doorway to Hell''.<ref name=Cagsupporting>Cagney, chapter 3, p. 3.</ref>}} and ''[[Quick Millions (1931 film)|Quick Millions]]''. He presented the story to [[Mervyn LeRoy]], who was keen to direct a "[[Star vehicle|vehicle]]" starring the Dead End Kids, a group of young actors from New York.<ref name="RobertsonP47/48"/> Brown and LeRoy tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a fee for the scenario.<ref name="RobertsonP47/48"/>

Brown then began pitching the film to other studios, and eventually made a deal with [[Grand National Pictures]], who wanted James Cagney to star in the lead role.<ref name="RobertsonP47/48"/> By the end of 1935, it became apparent to Cagney and his business manager brother, [[William Cagney|William]], that [[Warner Brothers]] were only interested in paying him a "very small percentage of the income dollar derived" from his work. Therefore, Cagney had no choice and walked away until a better arrangement with Warner could be made. After filing a lawsuit to "rectify the inequalities," Cagney started working for [[Grand National Pictures]], a small studio compared to Warner.<ref name=CagneyLawsuit>Cagney, chapter 4, pp. 20–21.</ref>

At the time he was offered the role of Rocky Sullivan, Cagney had already made one film for Grand National, ''[[Great Guy]]'', but fearing he would be typecast in "tough guy" roles, as he had been at Warner, Cagney turned down the role and opted to star in ''[[Something to Sing About (1937 film)|Something to Sing About]]''. The film's budget grew to an astronomical $900 thousand, and, on its release, did not fare well at the box office.<ref name=Nei164>Neibaur, p. 164.</ref> Its underperformance is believed to have been a contributing factor in the 1939 bankruptcy of Grand National.<ref name=Fernett>Fernett, p. 41.</ref>

Following ''Something to Sing About'', Cagney returned to Warner after reaching a better deal with them. At his brother's insistence, he took Brown's story with him and presented it to the studio. Warner acquired the story and then asked a number of directors to take on the project. LeRoy was the first, and although he showed interest, he was unable to commit because he was making films for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]; Warner then asked Brown, who showed no interest at all; and finally, Michael Curtiz, who accepted their offer.<ref name="RobertsonP47/48"/>

===Casting===
[[File:Ann SHERIDAN-James CAGNEY-Angels Dirty Faces-PHOTO2.jpg|upright=1.25|right|thumb|{{center|Sheridan and Cagney, circa. 1938}}]]
Although Cagney had been convinced that he would never agree to play the role of a coward being dragged to his execution, he became enthusiastic about portraying Rocky, seeing it as an opportunity to prove that his acting range extended beyond tough guy roles.<ref name=PCircus>[http://www.parkcircus.com/assets/0008/4568/WarnerBros-at-90-FINAL.pdf Here's a look at Warner Bros.. 90 Years of Great Filmmaking] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208230014/http://www.parkcircus.com/assets/0008/4568/WarnerBros-at-90-FINAL.pdf |date=2015-12-08 }}, ''[[Park Circus (company)|Park Circus]]'', p. 4, published March 28, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2015.</ref><ref name=Neibaur2>Neibaur, pp. 177–184.</ref> To play Rocky, Cagney drew on his memories of growing up in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, New York. His main inspiration was a drug-addicted pimp, who stood on a street corner all day hitching his trousers, twitching his neck, and repeating: "Whadda ya hear! Whadda ya say!".<ref name=Neibaur1/><ref name=Naremore1/>

Those mannerisms came back to haunt Cagney, who later wrote in his autobiography: "I did those gestures maybe six times in the picture. That was over thirty years ago—and the impressionists have been doing me doing him ever since."<ref name=Neibaur1>Neibaur, p. 179.</ref><ref name=Naremore1>Naremore, p. 164.</ref> Cagney's other inspiration was his childhood friend, Peter "Bootah" Hessling, who was convicted of murder and executed by electric chair on July 21, 1927. The night Bootah was executed, Cagney was playing in a Broadway performance, and wept on hearing of his death.<ref name=PHessling>Hughes, chapter 4, p. 3.</ref><ref name=NeibaurChair>Neibaur, p. 2.</ref>

Pat O'Brien was cast as Father Jerry Connolly, Rocky's childhood friend. O'Brien had been a contract player with Warner Bros. since 1933, and eventually left the studio in 1940 following a dispute over the terms of his renewal contract.<ref name="O'Brienbook">O'Brien, pp. 260–61.</ref> He and Cagney first met in 1926 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. O'Brien was a "lonely, young" actor "playing in a stock company". He heard the stage play ''Women Go on Forever'' (by [[Mary Boland]]) was coming to Asbury Park and on its way to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. Wanting to meet the star of the show, he went backstage after a performance and met Cagney for the first time.<ref name=BBCinterview>[[Michael Parkinson|Parkinson, Michael]]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_x1Pu6dq8s "James Cagney and Pat O'Brien on the ''Parkinson'' talk show"], ''[[Parkinson (TV series)|Parkinson]]'' / ''[[BBC One]]'', published January 1, 1981. Retrieved December 10, 2015.</ref> O'Brien and Cagney became great friends and remained so until the former's death in 1983.<ref name=OBriendeath>Zibart, Eve. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1983/10/16/beloved-actor-pat-obrien-dies-of-heart-attack/c4859a05-913d-4abe-88ea-3c81f52c65da/ "Beloved Actor Pat O'Brien Dies of Heart Attack"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211045142/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1983/10/16/beloved-actor-pat-obrien-dies-of-heart-attack/c4859a05-913d-4abe-88ea-3c81f52c65da/ |date=2015-12-11 }}, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', published October 16, 1983. Retrieved December 10, 2015.</ref> Cagney died only three years later.<ref name=Cagneydeath>{{Cite news |last=Flint |first=Peter B. |date=1986-03-31 |title=James Cagney Is Dead at 86; Master of Pugnacious Grace |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/31/obituaries/james-cagney-is-dead-at-86-master-of-pugnacious-grace.html |access-date=2023-08-28 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

By May 1938, the [[Dead End Kids]] had already starred in [[Samuel Goldwyn]]'s ''[[Dead End (1937 film)|Dead End]]''; as well as Warner's ''[[Crime School]]''{{refn|group=N|''Crime School'' was released six months before ''Angels with Dirty Faces''.<ref name=HansonP60/>}} (both with Humphrey Bogart). They had signed a two-year contract with Goldwyn in 1937, but he sold the contract to Warner Bros. the same year because of their behavior on the set of ''Dead End''; in one instance, they "jumped" Bogart and "stole his pants" while in another they crashed a truck into a soundstage.<ref name="HayesWalker56/74">Hayes and Walker, pp. 56–74.</ref> Bogart portrays the crooked lawyer Jim Frazier in ''Angels With Dirty Faces''. German scholar [[Winfried Fluck]] described Bogart's character, Jim Frazier, as an "entirely negative" and "thoroughly bad figure," in "contrast" with Cagney's antihero.<ref name=BogCharacter>Fluck, p. 386.</ref>

===Writing===
Brown's story was revised a number of times by [[John Wexley]] and [[Warren Duff]]. They provided "powerful treatments,"<ref name=Neibauer173/> but as with many of the "catch-as-catch-can" pictures of the time, the screenplay was considered insubstantial. Cagney later recalled: "the actors had to patch up [the script] here and there by improvising right on the set".<ref name=CagP26>Cagney, chapter 4, p. 26.</ref>

===Filming===
[[File:Leo Gorcey and James Cagney in Angels With Dirty Faces trailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|{{center|[[Leo Gorcey|Gorcey]] (left) and Cagney (right) in the basement scene, with [[Billy Halop]] in the background}}]]
Principal photography began in June 1938 at Warner's Burbank studios,<ref name=APollock38>Pollock, Arthur. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/52704946/ "News and Comment of Summer Activities in the Stage and Screen World"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026232705/https://www.newspapers.com/image/52704946/ |date=2016-10-26 }}, ''[[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'', published June 28, 1938. Retrieved December 12, 2015.</ref> and finished a week behind schedule in August, due mostly to the time it took to shoot the scenes of Rocky's gunfight with police and his execution.<ref name="RobertsonP47/48"/>

Cagney's opening scene with the Dead End Kids took place in the basement of a deserted building. By this time, the Dead End Kids "had been throwing their weight around quite a bit with [other] directors and actors". As the scene was being shot, [[Leo Gorcey]] jokingly ad-libbed "he's psychic!, thereby throwing the rhythm of the scene right out the window, souring the whole thing very nicely". So in the next take, just before he said "come here, suckers," Cagney "stiff arm[ed Gorcey] right above the nose. His head went back [and hit] the kid behind him, stunning them both momentarily."<ref name=CagneyonCagney>Cagney, chapter 4, p. 30.</ref> [[Huntz Hall]] saw Gorcey being hit, and later recalled in 1978: "Leo hated [Cagney] for the rest of his life" after the incident.<ref name=Neib>Neibaur, p. 176.</ref>

While filming Rocky's shootout with the police, one scene called for Cagney to be "right at the opening" as machine-gun bullets took out the windows above his head. At this point in his career, Cagney had experience with the unpredictability of using live gunfire and he later recalled that either "common sense or a hunch" made him cautious. He told Curtiz to "[shoot the scene] in [[superimposition|process]]," and as he got out of the way, "Burke, the professional machine gunner, fired the shots". One of the bullets deflected hitting "the steel edge of the window," and going "right through the wall" where Cagney's head had been. This experience convinced Cagney that "flirting this way with real bullets was ridiculous".<ref name=CagP27-28>Cagney, chapter 4, pp. 27–28.</ref>

Rocky's execution was shot at the [[Sing Sing|Sing Sing Correctional Facility]].<ref name=WNYC>Mogul, Fred. [http://www.wnyc.org/story/84825-luring-tourists-up-the-river-to-the-big-house/ "Luring Tourists Up the River to The Big House"], ''[[WNYC]]'', published January 8, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2015.</ref><ref name=ObserverUK>Coscia, Elizabeth. [http://observer.com/2014/06/sing-sing-correctional-facility-plans-dark-museum/ "Sing Sing Correctional Facility Plans Dark Museum"], ''[[observer.com|Observer]]'', published June 23, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2015.</ref> The death house featured in the film was designed by state architect [[Lewis Pilcher]]. It went into service in February 1922.<ref name=Christianson>Christianson, p. 17.</ref> For years, viewers have wondered if Rocky really turns yellow as he is being strapped into the electric chair, or if he is faking it in order to keep his promise to Jerry. Cagney later said: "In looking at the film, it is virtually impossible to say which course Rocky took—which is just the way I wanted it. I played [the role] with deliberate ambiguity so that the spectators can [form their own opinions]. It seems to me it works out fine in either case."<ref name=CagneyonCagney2>Cagney, chapter 4, pp. 32–33.</ref>

==Release==
===Theatrical===
The film premiered on November 26, 1938,<ref name=HansonP60>Hanson, p. 60.</ref> at the Majestic Theater in Reno, Nevada.<ref name=NStateJournal>NSJ Staff. "Angels with Dirty Faces", ''[[Nevada State Journal]]'', p. 2, published November 26, 1938. Retrieved May 19, 2017.</ref> ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' grossed $1.7 million from the worldwide box office, and is said to have been a financial success. Analysts claim that if it were not for ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' and two other films directed by Curtiz that year (''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' and ''[[Four Daughters (1938 film)|Four Daughters]]''), Warner Bros. would have lost a considerable amount of money, resulting in negative turnover for the company's 1938 fiscal year.<ref name="RobertsonP47/48"/>

===Home media===
In 1983, ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[Betamax]] by CBS/Fox Video.<ref name=PDans>Dans, p. 350.</ref> In February 2005, a digitally-remastered version of the film was released on [[DVD]].<ref name=DVD>Kipp, Jeremiah. [https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/angels-with-dirty-faces "Angels with Dirty Faces"], ''[[Slant Magazine]]'', published February 2, 2005. Retrieved August 3, 2017.</ref> The release was part of the "James Cagney Collection",<ref name=Dailytel>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3637983/DVDs-of-the-week-The-James-Cagney-Collection-and-more.html "DVDs of the week: The James Cagney Collection and more"], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', published February 28, 2005. Retrieved August 3, 2017.</ref> in which a number of special bonus features were made available, including: audio commentary by film historian Dana Polan, an "Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?" featurette, a radio production, film trailers, and a short film titled "Warner Night at the Movies" with film critic and historian [[Leonard Maltin]].<ref name=DVD/> In December 2021, [[Warner Archive Collection]] released a [[Blu-ray]] version of film, newly restored in HD using a 4K scan from the original camera negative, accompanied by all the same bonus material from the 2005 DVD release.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Millard |first1=Tim |title="Angels with Dirty Faces" with author Alan K. Rode and George Feltenstein |url=https://www.theextras.tv/podcasts/blog-post-awdf-12821 |website=The Extras |publisher=Otaku Media |access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller III |first1=Randy |title=Angles with Dirty Faces Blu-Ray (Warner Archive Collection) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angels-with-Dirty-Faces-Blu-ray/43678/ |website=Blu-Ray.com |access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref>

===Adaptations in other media===
''Angels with Dirty Faces'' has been adapted into two radio plays. The first was the May 22, 1939, broadcast of ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'', with Cagney and O'Brien reprising their film roles;<ref name=Neibauer173>Neibaur, p. 173.</ref> the second on the September 19, 1941, broadcast of the ''[[Philip Morris Playhouse]]'', starring [[Sylvia Sidney]].<ref name=Harrisburg>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2857524/harrisburg_telegraph/ Paper Clipping from page 17 of the September 19, 1941, edition of the ''Harrisburg Telegraph''], ''[[Newspapers.com|www.newspapers.com]]'', published July 21, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.</ref> In 1995, an Indian version of the film was released, called ''[[Ram Jaane]]''. It starred [[Shah Rukh Khan|Shahrukh Khan]] as Rocky, and carried out the original story from start to finish, albeit Indianized.

==Critical reception==
[[File:James Cagney and Pat O'Brien in Angels With Dirty Faces trailer.jpg|thumb|right|James Cagney and Pat O'Brien]]

===Initial reactions===
''Angels with Dirty Faces'' was met with critical acclaim upon release. [[Frank Nugent]], of ''[[The New York Times]]'', attended the world premiere in Nevada, and called the film a "savage melodrama" offering "Cagney at his best".<ref name=AbramsonReview>Abramson, p. 1551.</ref> The New York-based motion picture journal ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' had similar views. In a review dated November 5, 1938, they called the film a "powerful gangster melodrama," and said it is "one of the most thrilling pictures produced in some time." The "acting, particularly by James Cagney, is brilliant".<ref name=HarrReport>Harrison Staff. "Angels with Dirty Faces", ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'', p. 179, published November 5, 1938. Retrieved December 8, 2015.</ref>

On the other hand, Hobe Morrison of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' was less enthused stating "On the strength of the Cagney–O'Brien combo, ''Angels'' should do fair business, but the picture itself is no bonfire. That 'Dead End' kid story has already been told too many times." and "Although the deathhouse scene itself is a harrowing one, that simulated cowardice angle, seems completely implausible...It's a novel twist to a commonplace story, but it's thoroughly hokey".<ref name=Variety1937>{{cite magazine|author=Hobe.|url=https://variety.com/1937/film/reviews/angels-with-dirty-faces-1200411713/|title=Film Reviews: 'Angels with Dirty Faces'|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 26, 1938|page=13|access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref>

===Accolades===
Cagney won two awards for Best Actor from the [[National Board of Review Awards|National Board of Review]] and the [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle]].<ref name="NofReviewAwards">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160309233926/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/2391/Angels-With-Dirty-Faces/awards "'Angels with Dirty Faces' Accolades"], ''The New York Times'', published January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2015.</ref><ref name="NYCircleAwards">[http://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?cat=2 "New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Actor"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928060456/http://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?cat=2 |date=2015-09-28 }}, ''[[New York Film Critics Circle]]'', first published January 3, 1939. Retrieved December 7, 2015.</ref> ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' was nominated for three [[Academy Awards|awards]] at the [[11th Academy Awards]] ceremony: Best Actor (for Cagney), Best Director (for Curtiz), and Best Writing (for Brown).<ref name="11th Oscars">[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1939/A?qt-honorees=1#block-quicktabs-honorees "11th Academy Award Winners and Nominees"], ''[[Academy Awards]]'', first published February 23, 1939. Retrieved December 7, 2015.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" width="99%"
|- style="background:#ccc; vertical-align:bottom;"
|+ style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | List of awards and nominations
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! scope="col" | Date of ceremony
! scope="col" | Award 
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipient(s) 
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}
|- style="border-top:2px solid gray;"
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[11th Academy Awards|February 23, 1939]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Academy Award]]s
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| [[Michael Curtiz]]
| {{Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3" |<ref name="11th Oscars" />
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[James Cagney]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Writing (Original Story)]]
| [[Rowland Brown]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="1"| [[National Board of Review Awards 1938|December 15, 1938]]
| [[National Board of Review Awards]]
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| James Cagney
| {{Won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="1" |<ref name="NofReviewAwards" />
|-
| rowspan="1"| [[1938 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|January 3, 1939]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| James Cagney
| {{Won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="1" |<ref name="NYCircleAwards" />
|}

===Contemporary consensus===
The [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports 100% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 21 reviews collected retrospectively, with an average rating of 8.05/10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/angels_with_dirty_faces |title=Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]] |access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> In 2005, ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' praised ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' for being Warner's "best gangster movie". Awarding four out of four stars, Jeremiah Kipp said: "Rocky Sullivan embodies all the qualities we love about bad guys." Cagney "offers a real intensity and a sense of playfulness," even as he shoots "fellow gangsters" dead. The final, "climactic" scene of "cowardice is unparalleled in gangster movies, and the more Cagney begs and screams, the more [we are] amazed at how he reduces the hero worship of gangsters to nothing. [The film marks] Cagney's finest hour in a career filled with great performances."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/angels-with-dirty-faces/ |title=DVD Review: Angels with Dirty Faces |last=Kipp |first=Jeremiah |date=February 2, 2005 |website=[[Slant Magazine]] |access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:James Cagney Pat O'Brien Angels with Dirty Faces Still.jpg|thumb|James Cagney and Pat O'Brien in the endlessly debated final walk]]
''Angels with Dirty Faces'' is considered by some to be one of the finest films in Cagney's career, and a "true example of brilliant American cinema."<ref name=Neibauer173/> In 2008, it was shortlisted by the [[American Film Institute]] for selection in its list of the top 100 movies of the last 100 years.<ref name=AFI>[http://www.afi.com/Docs/100years/10top10-ballot.pdf The American Film Institute's "10 top 10: 100 Years... 100 Movies Ballot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729052932/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100years/10top10-ballot.pdf |date=2017-07-29 }}, ''[[American Film Institute]]'', published January 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2017.</ref> In 2013, [[Steven Van Zandt]] named it as one of his "most favorite mob movies" in an article for ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.<ref name=Zandt>[[Steven Van Zandt|Van Zandt, Steven]]. [https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/pictures/steven-van-zandts-favorite-mob-movies-20131202/angels-with-dirty-faces-1938-0158286 "Steven Van Zandt's Favorite Mob Movies"], ''[[Rolling Stone Magazine]]'', published December 2, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2017.</ref> In 2015, ''Slant Magazine'' named it 67th in a list of the "100 Best Film Noirs of All Time".<ref name=SchurrA>Schurr, Amanda. [https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/the-100-best-noirs-of-all-time.html?a=1 "The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812221819/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/the-100-best-noirs-of-all-time.html?a=1 |date=12 August 2015 }}, ''[[Slant Magazine]]'', published August 9, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2017.</ref>

Over the years, the film has inspired a number of parodies. In 1939, Warner Bros. released a [[Thugs with Dirty Mugs|cartoon short]] spoofing their "cycle" of crime films; the cartoon's title, ''Thugs with Dirty Mugs'', is a direct pun on ''Angels with Dirty Faces''.<ref name=WellsP>Wells, chapter 25, pp. 141–43.</ref> In the early 1990s, parodies appeared in the form of [[film within a film|films within a film]] in ''[[Home Alone]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Home Alone 2: Lost in New York]]''. These parodies are called ''Angels with Filthy Souls'' and ''Angels with Even Filthier Souls''.<ref name=AFilthySouls>King, Darryn. [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/12/home-alone-gangster-movie "Inside the Making of ''Home Alone''’s Fake Gangster Movie"], ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', published December 22, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2016.</ref><ref name=AmyWilkinson>Wilkinson, Amy. [https://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/06/home-alone-turns-25-chris-columbus "''Home Alone'' turns 25: A deep dive with director Chris Columbus"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520055253/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/06/home-alone-turns-25-chris-columbus |date=2016-05-20 }}, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', published November 6, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2016.</ref> The former of the two later reappeared in the film [[Detective Pikachu (film)|''Detective Pikachu'']].<ref name="pikachu">{{cite web|url= https://www.newsweek.com/detective-pikachu-home-alone-easter-egg-1421291|title= Did you catch that 'Home Alone' Easter Egg in 'Detective Pikachu'? Here's how it was added into the movie|website= [[Newsweek]]|date= 10 May 2019}}</ref>

In an episode of ''[[Sesame Street]]'', a segment entitled ''Monsters with Dirty Faces'' features "Officer Grover showing a gang leader named Rocky how to effectively wash his face." The film's plot inspired an episode of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' called ''It's Never Too Late''.<ref name=Neibaur181>Neibaur, p. 181.</ref> The British [[sketch comedy]] TV series ''[[Hale and Pace]]'' parodied the film in a sketch titled ''Angels with Big Trousers'', with [[Norman Pace]] playing "James Cagney as Rocky Pantaloon" and [[Gareth Hale]] playing "Somebody O'Brien as the Irishman."

[[Sham 69]], an English punk rock group, had a hit single called "[[Angels with Dirty Faces (Sham 69 song)|Angels with Dirty Faces]]" in 1978. Frontman [[Jimmy Pursey]] was inspired to write the song after watching Cagney in the film one evening with his friend, Chrissie.<ref name=Deal119>Deal, pp. 119–120.</ref> [[The Pillows]] also have a song based on the film titled "I Want to Be Sullivan," and features a sample taken from the film in the song's intro.

A bar in [[New York City]] was called "[[Rocky Sullivan's]] Pub", named after Cagney's character in the film.

Irish-American poet Michael Lally published a collection called ''Rocky Dies Yellow'' (1975), featuring a still from the film on the cover.

==See also==
* [[1938 in film]]
* [[List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes]]

==Notes and references==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=N}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{div col}}
* Abramson, Abraham (1970). ''The New York Times Film Reviews, Vol. 2 1932–1938''. United States: The New York Times/Arno Press. {{ISBN|0824075870}}.
* Anastasia, George & Macnow, Glen (2011). ''The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies : Featuring the 100 Greatest Gangster Films of All Time''. United States: [[Running Press]]. {{ISBN|0762443707}}.
* [[James Cagney|Cagney, James]] (1976). ''Cagney by Cagney''. United States: [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday & Company, Inc.]] {{ISBN|0385045875}}.
* [[Christianson, Scott]] (2001). ''Condemned: Inside the Sing Sing Death House''. United States: [[NYU Press]]. {{ISBN|0814716164}}.
* Dans, Peter E. (2011). ''Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners''. United States: [[Rowman & Littlefield]]. {{ISBN|9780742570313}}.
* Deal, Mick (2015). ''Exploding School to Pieces: Growing Up With Pop Culture In the 1970s''. United Kingdom: [[Lulu (company)|Lulu Press]]. {{ISBN|9781291793741}}.
* Eagan, Daniel (2012). ''America's Film Legacy, 2009–2010''. United Kingdom: [[Bloomsbury Publishing|Continuum]]. {{ISBN|1441158693}}.
* Fernett, Gene (1973). ''Hollywood's Poverty Row 1930–1950''. United States: Coral Reef. {{ISBN|0914042017}}.
* [[Winfried Fluck|Fluck, Winfried]] (2001). "[http://www.jfki.fu-berlin.de/en/v/publications_fluck/2000/fluck_crime_guilt/Fluck_Crime_Guilt.pdf Crime, Guilt, and Subjectivity in Film Noir]." ''Amerikastudien / American Studies'' 46, no. 3, pp.&nbsp;379–408. {{JSTOR|41157665}}.
* Hanson, Patricia King (1993). ''The AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1931–1940''. United States: [[University of California Press|UC Press]]. {{ISBN|0520079086}}.
* Hayes, David and Walker, Brent (1984). ''The Films of the Bowery Boys''. United States: [[Citadel Press]]. {{ISBN|0806509317}}.
* Hughes, Howard (2006). ''Crime Wave: The Filmgoers' Guide to Great Crime Movies''. United Kingdom: [[I.B. Tauris]]. {{ISBN|1845112199}}.
* Kaplan, Mike (1983). ''Variety Film Reviews, Vol. 6 1938–1942''. United States: [[Garland Publishing]]. {{ISBN|0824052056}}.
* Naremore, James (1992). ''Acting in the Cinema''. United States: [[University of California Press|UC Press]]. {{ISBN|0520062280}}.
* Neibaur, James L. (2014). ''James Cagney: Films of the 1930s''. United States: [[Rowman & Littlefield]]. {{ISBN|1442242205}}.
* [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|O'Brien, Pat]] (1964). ''The Wind at My Back: The Life and Times of Pat O'Brien''. United States: [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday & Company, Inc.]] {{ASIN|B0007DKGHC}}
* Robertson, Dr. James C. (1993). ''The Casablanca Man: The Cinema of Michael Curtiz''. United Kingdom: [[Routledge]]. {{ISBN|0415068045}}.
* [[Paul Wells|Wells, Paul]] (1998). ''Understanding Animation''. United Kingdom: [[Routledge]]. {{ISBN|0415115973}}.
{{div col end}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Angels with Dirty Faces (film)}}
* {{IMDb title|0029870}}
* [https://www.warnerbros.com/angels-dirty-faces ''Angels with Dirty Faces''] at [[Warner Brothers]]
* {{TCMDb title|id=585|title=Angels with Dirty Faces}}

{{Dead End Kids}}
{{Michael Curtiz}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1938 crime drama films]]
[[Category:1938 films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Max Steiner]]
[[Category:Films about the Irish Mob]]
[[Category:Films about capital punishment]]
[[Category:Films about Catholicism]]
[[Category:Films about organized crime in the United States]]
[[Category:Films directed by Michael Curtiz]]
[[Category:Films produced by Samuel Bischoff]]
[[Category:American gangster films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ben Hecht]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Charles MacArthur]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Films set in 1920]]
[[Category:Films set in 1935]]
[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
[[Category:1930s American films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]