Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 1949
Starring: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O’Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran, John Archer, Wally Cassell, Fred Clark, Fred Coby, G. Pat Collins, Garrett Craig, Paul Guilfoyle, Micky Knox, Perry Ivins, DeForrest Lawrence, Ian MacDonald, Ray Montgomert, Robert Osterloh
Description: A psychopathic criminal (James Cagney) with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. Shortly after the plan takes place, events take a crazy turn.
Review: Many say that the role of Cody Jarrett was James Cagney’s best. “White Heat” is a classic gangster film. The opening is pretty bold for a movie from 1949. During a robbery on a train several witnesses are shot in cold blood, because they know the name of the leader. And one of the robbers gets sevearly burned. Jarrett eventually wants this man to be killed, because he slows the group down.
Cody Jarrett is a sickly character. He has a strong relationship with his mother and terrible heatache attacks. But he is not stupid: he knows he will get the electric chair when he is caught for robbing the train. He decides to turn himself in, for a different robbery in another state. The plan works, but detective Hank Fallon decides to go undercover and catch Jarrett once and for all.
“White Heat” is a must see for movie fans and also fans of the crime drama or gangster films. James Cagney did first what later actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino did. Cagney is fabulous as maniacal Cody.
Rating: 3,5/ 5
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