White Heat (1949)

Jimmy Cagney was in his fiftieth year when he made this return to the gangster genre, and looks it. But age has neither mellowed him nor slowed him down in this consummate star vehicle with all the trimmings (including a haunting score by Max Steiner - who gets a separate title card all to himself).'White Heat' is inconceivable without Cagney, but he's surrounded by a top supporting cast, most of whom aren't even named in the credits (I particularly liked G.Pat Collins as the old lag with the hearing aid), with Margaret Wycherley unforgettable as the meanest mama since Ma Barker. 'White Heat' begins by showing it means business with an incredibly violent train hold-up; after which Cagney continues to display a wanton lack of respect for human life right up to the end. But being Cagney you can't help rooting for him, and he and Edmond O'Brien (usually unfairly overlooked in discussions of this film) are both such charismatic presences that it's almost heartbreaking to see them bond while knowing all along that O'Brien is simply a police plant. Although we're told well before the end that Cagney is by now hopelessly insane with only brief periods of lucidity, he still seems perfectly functional until the very, very end. (His retelling of the story of the Trojan Horse is particularly cherishable).For a late forties thriller much of the film actually takes place in the Southern California sun; and the use of locations throughout is exemplary, culminating in the oil refinery on 198th Street and Figueroa, near Torrance, which provides Cagney with a suitably imposing backdrop for his big scene at the end.

It's hard to say what the best acting performance (captured on film) by James Cagney was. Initially typecast as a tough little "bad" guy from the streets of New York (e.g. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)) with something to prove, he exhibited terrific range, particularly later in his career, from his Best Actor Oscar winning portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) to another biographical performance as Lon Chaney in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), and even in more sophisticated comedies like Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three (1961).But I believe two of Cagney's best performances were captured in films released after he'd turned 50, even though both were roles in which he returned to that original type, because he showed us something more each time. One was opposite Doris Day's portrayal of Ruth Etting in Love Me or Leave Me (1955), and the other was in this picture.Cagney's portrayal of 'Cody' Jarrett allows him to play a particularly nasty gang leader, utilizing his many physical gifts, whose character is actually a "Momma's boy" who's mentally unbalanced. Given an Oscar nominated story (by Virginia Kellogg, her first of two Academy Award nominations) to work with, the actor gives us a convincing psychopath in his best of four collaborations with action director Raoul Walsh. Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts wrote the screenplay.Margaret Wycherly plays Ma Jarrett while Virginia Mayo plays his beautiful dumb blonde wife. Edmond O'Brien is given the only other meaty role, as a government agent who's put in the same prison as Jarrett, in on a minor charge, to befriend Cody and catch him doing something that would mean "the chair". Once O'Brien's character earns Cody's trust, they're able to escape together.Besides the famous "top of the world" ending, two other memorable scenes occur when Jarrett learns of his mother's death while in prison, and the act (once they've escaped) which gives O'Brien's character what he needs.This movie was added to the National Film Registry in 2003. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" is #18 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movie Quotes list.

James Cagney is my favorite actor and White Heat is his best performance. Cody Jarrett is a cold blooded ruthless gangster but you seem to root for him anyway. Cody Jarrett is always in control of the gang. The scene with the guy in the trunk of the car really explains a lot about his character. Margaret Wycherly is excellent as Ma Jarrett. You can feel the great chemistry between them. Their scenes together are amazing. Edmond O'Brien and Virginia Mayo give excellent performances. The movies keeps you riveted from the first scene to the last. This is one of my favorite movies from all time and I highly recommend it. Excellent.

A cop goes undercover to bring down the mob.Starring James Cagney and Virginia Mayo.Written by Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts and suggested by a story by Virginia Kellogg.Directed by Raoul Walsh.This is the third mob movie I've watched in a row and probably my least favourite.I know it's supposed to be a classic but I don't get it. If I'd have watched it when it first came out I may have appreciated a bit more but for me it was just an okay, fun romp of a movie.It's got practically the same plot as Donnie Brasco but of course came out many years earlier. I'd go as far as to say it's like Donnie Brasco with action scenes added. The action scenes are pretty good and the film kept my interest all the way even though it's quite a long one. But it is very dated and doesn't really stand the test of time that well. Not for me anyway. The acting is dated and so is the whole production.I wasn't too impressed with James Cagney's performance. I found him quite wooden and hammy. The scene where he loses it in the prison dining hall just made me giggle it was so bad. I'm sure I'm on my own here because reading some of the reviews on IMDb it's heralded as the the finest mob movie ever made. But that's just the way I feel. It was an okay movie but nothing special. I'd be interested in watching some of Cagney's over stuff though.And why was it called White Heat? Can anybody tell me?7/10