Dead End (1937)
If you don’t like the Dead End Kids, you’re not going to like the movie Dead End. The synopsis will have you think the film is about a gangster returning to his hometown, but it’s really about the kids. Most old movies tend to gloss over troubled kids, with the exception of Rebel Without a Cause and subsequent post-Code ’60s drive-in movies. But there were always poor kids who got into trouble and had bad home lives, even in 1937. One of the few movies you’ll see evidence of it is Dead End.
For me, the memorable part of this movie is Humphrey Bogart. You can watch Angels with Dirty Faces for James Cagney, but for Humph, I always turn to Dead End. He’s a big gangster who’s come back to the city, with his faithful crony Allen Jenkins, after extensive plastic surgery so the cops won’t recognize him. He’s built up a reunion with his old girlfriend, Claire Trevor, in his mind. She’ll still be the same innocent, devoted sweetheart she was years ago, he thinks. Obviously, since Claire Trevor plays the girlfriend, you can imagine the rude awakening he has in store. It’s a great scene, complete with some wonderfully written lines. He earned a Hot Toasty Rag nomination for this movie, and those are hard to come by! If you are a Humph fan, check out one of his early pictures where he still played the supporting actor. Joel McCrea and Sylvia Sidney are the leads, as they try to muddle through their love story while living in the slums and never getting ahead.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thank "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Ward Bond movies here!
For me, the memorable part of this movie is Humphrey Bogart. You can watch Angels with Dirty Faces for James Cagney, but for Humph, I always turn to Dead End. He’s a big gangster who’s come back to the city, with his faithful crony Allen Jenkins, after extensive plastic surgery so the cops won’t recognize him. He’s built up a reunion with his old girlfriend, Claire Trevor, in his mind. She’ll still be the same innocent, devoted sweetheart she was years ago, he thinks. Obviously, since Claire Trevor plays the girlfriend, you can imagine the rude awakening he has in store. It’s a great scene, complete with some wonderfully written lines. He earned a Hot Toasty Rag nomination for this movie, and those are hard to come by! If you are a Humph fan, check out one of his early pictures where he still played the supporting actor. Joel McCrea and Sylvia Sidney are the leads, as they try to muddle through their love story while living in the slums and never getting ahead.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thank "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Ward Bond movies here!