CONNECTION TO PREVIOUS ENTRY: Edmond O’Brien
SOURCE: Personal Collection–TCM Greatest Classic Gangsters: James Cagney DVD box set
STARRING: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O’Brien
CO-STARS: Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran, John Archer
DIRECTOR: Raoul Walsh
COMPOSER: Max Steiner
STUDIO: Warner Brothers
SUMMARY: Cody Jarrett (James Cagney) is a criminal who with his gang, rob a mail train. They kill four people during the heist. After the heist, the gang hides out as law enforcement attempts to locate Cody. He, along with his wife Verna (Virginia Mayo) and his beloved “Ma” (Margaret Wychlery) are located at a motor court and end up in a shootout. Cody injures federal agent, Phillip Evans (John Archer) while escaping. Knowing that he’s out of options, Cody comes up with the scheme to confess to a lesser crime that was committed by a member of his gang. The lesser crime was committed at the same time Cody and his gang pulled the train job. Cody’s confession will provide him with an alibi (albeit a false one) so he isn’t tried for the far more serious crime. Cody’s ruse works and he is sentenced to 1-3 years in prison. At the same time, the federal government places an undercover agent, Hank Fallon (Edmond O’Brien), as a plant inside the prison so that he can get closer to Cody and find out who is helping Cody launder stolen money. At the same time, Cody’s gang, is on the outside still pulling jobs, waiting for Cody’s release. Cody’s wife Verna and his henchman, “Big Ed” (Steve Cochran) are having an affair.
FAVORITE PART(S):
1) Of course the ending. It is spectacular and iconic.
2) How sleazy Verna is. It’s quite a switch from the usual roles that Virginia Mayo was seen in. She is very good in her bad girl film noir roles.
3) James Cagney’s cafeteria scene. During filming, the scene as written wasn’t working. Raoul Walsh and Cagney were trying to figure out what to do and Cagney had an idea. He told Walsh to get two of the biggest extras to stand on either side of him and put the camera on him. His meltdown in the cafeteria is what resulted from this and the looks of shock and bewilderment on the cast and extras are genuine.
BEST QUOTE(S):
CODY: Made it, Ma! Top o’ the world!
VERNA: Money’s just paper if you don’t spend it!
PHILLIP EVANS: Cody Jarrett…
HANK FALLON: He finally got to the top of the world…and it blew up right in front of his face.
CODY: You know something, Verna, if I turn my back long enough for Big Ed to put a hole in it, there’d be a hole in it.