The Worst Film Ever

Sorry, this movie sucks

Just perfect...

A Masterpiece!

I think everyone in this film was really wonderful. This kind of result is why we had movie stars, and such great films in the 1940s. Cagney is top notch as usual, and I fell in love with this movie on late night TV as a young teenager.I always love Ann Sheridan! Think how many great performances she gave in different roles. Sometimes I didn't even realize it was her because of her variety of roles. I really like this era because as a history buff, you get to see how people lived in a different era, the scenery, and little bits of Americana. Another thing missing from so many films today even in great films, is how the old screenplays and directors allowed you to get to know the characters more and allowed the plot to slowly develop rather than quickly jumping ahead of the plot development. See this movie!!

Dedicated to his craft, Jimmy Cagney underwent a grueling twelve week training regimen to lose weight and get into shape as a prize fighter. At forty two, his weight had gone up to a hefty one hundred eighty pounds, but his enthusiasm for the film motivated him to drop thirty five pounds for the role. Apparently the film recognized his actual weight in fight posters in which he's listed as a hundred forty five pound welterweight."City For Conquest" was one of three pictures teaming Cagney with feisty Ann Sheridan. Both actors are personal favorites of mine, and "Angels With Dirty Faces" earns a spot in my personal Top Ten film list. Like 'Angels' this one will tug at your heartstrings at the finale, although the situations presented are significantly different. Reduced to selling newspapers after a vicious fight in which he loses his eyesight, Danny Kenny (Cagney) is overcome with joy at hearing a symphony his brother (Arthur Kennedy) wrote. Equally moving, Danny is reunited with his childhood sweetheart Peggy (Sheridan).The picture is non stop in terms of action and dialog. From the opening scenes, there's always a sense of hustle and bustle emanating from the streets and neighborhoods of the picture's locale, New York City. In that respect it's vintage Warner Brothers, brought to life by the crisp black and white photography of James Wong Howe and Sol Polito.Backing up the principal actors are veteran Warner contract players Donald Crisp and Frank McHugh along with a couple of casting surprises. Anthony Quinn appears as the suave but seedy dance partner who guides Sheridan's character to stardom, and future director Elia Kazan pops up in a small but significant role as one of Danny's friends who goes the gangster route as time goes by. I have to say, his performance seemed pretty natural to me and had he stayed with it, might have made his mark as an actor with the same success he achieved on the other side of the camera.As good as the film is, and as well as it was received by the public when it was released, this turned out to be a picture Cagney didn't like at all. Part of that stems from his relationship with director Anatole Litvak with whom he argued constantly over the story's interpretation. So much so that he even wrote a letter of apology to Aben Kandel, the writer of the novel on which the film was based. Whether true or not, Cagney swore at the time never to watch another one of his movies. I don't think I would have bet the ranch on that one.Cagney's last professional work occurred in the 1984 TV movie "Terrible Joe Moran", in which he portrays a retired boxer. That picture offers up a number of scenes in which Cagney is shown mixing it up in the ring and for the longest time I couldn't figure out where the footage came from. Now I know that those clips were inserted from the boxing scenes appearing in "City For Conquest".

I've watched this film over the space of 35 years and my admiration changes but never diminishes. It's a powerful story of the immigrant saga, high vs. popular art, soul killing careerism, street America, brotherhood 'hoodism'... this picture has got a lot going on.If you don't like it, I don't like you.Anatole Litvak was an immigrant along with many WB employees. Donald Crisp, Elia Kazan, Sig Ruman are all here. It's an important film for Cagney and WB in The context of their place in history. So many WB films are more highly regarded but for me this is the best representation of the WB aesthetic.

If taken purely on script alone the film only amounts up to the usual fare we have seen a zillion times over the years. The basic formula being that two brothers are taking different paths in career choices and the elder brother is doing all he can to help realise his younger brothers dream of being a composer, yet thankfully here the film has a great deal more to offer outside of the usual standard fare.The elder brother boxes to support his younger brothers dream but he's tragically almost blinded in a gruelling 15 round fight where foul cheat tactics are used against him. The film then follows the love interest slant of the family & girlfriend closest to our stricken boxer, but thankfully the film manages to stay clear of drowning in a bowl of sickly syrup. Playing out with a very deep emotional heart the film only functions well because of its lead actor, James Cagney was 42 when he made this film, yet he looks like a lithe athletic man in his twenties such was his commitment to the role. He imbues such gusto into the role of Danny Kenny that he alone demands you watch this film, but he is also staunchly supported by Ann Sheridan,, Arthur Kennedy, and a very brash turn from Anthony Quinn. It's a film that tugs on your heart strings at times, and yes it has the audience begging for an uplift in the final reel, but it's done well and delivers all that you hoped for at the start of the film.The back story doesn't read so well tho, Cagney & director Anatole Litvak were continually at war during filming, and most of Cagney's input into the film was cut out, Cagney was so annoyed and sad with the final outcome, he wrote to Aben Kandel (the writer of the novel the film is adapted from} and apologised with sincerity, he need not of worried because the final result is very rewarding indeed, 8/10.