Stuff

Warner Brothers always seemed to have the lead in gangster films, just as MGM was always associated with the best musicals. Their go to stars included Edward G Robinson and James Cagney.

Cagney is an interesting character. He was still making films into the 1980s. By all accounts, he preferred doing musicals to gangster films.

But one film in particular is a favourite here, “White Heat”.

The film comes from 1949, so we are saying relatively (!) modern. Cagney looks a little older.

The story concerns gangster Cody Jarrett (Cody is a nickname, I think) who has a wife but basically literally loves his mother. His ma does everything to help him, but when Jarrett learns that his mother has been shot and is dead, he goes crazy in the prison.

It’s a very memorable scene. Cody Jarrett is a complex character, he has something called homicidal psychosis. He escapes, plans a job at a chemical plant whch goes wrong and the plant blows up. At the end he shouts “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!”.

Sorry, spoiler alert.

There are some very memorable scenes in this film. It is often quoted and may be one of Cagney’s best roles. You’re never quite sure what he will do next.

We’ve avoided some obvious films here. No “Gone With The Wind”, no “Citizen Kane”, no “Wizard Of Oz”… We know you know these are worth seeing anyway.

“Bringing Up Baby” is the classic.

“It Happened One Night” is great.

Don’t neglect the films of W C Fields.

“The Thin Man”, based on a Dashiell Hammett story, is genuinely hilarious, especially Astor the dog:

The early 1940s brought us war films. High among them, though actually just after the end of the war, is “A Matter Of Life And Death”:

And let’s not forget “Brief Encounter” one of the earliest films of adultery told from a female point of view.

We’re not sure we would call this a screwball comedy, but it is a comedy for sure.

Cary Grant stars in this 1946 film as an account executive who decides to move away from the bustle of New York and renovate an old country house. Myrna Loy is the wife. Problems with the house and the locals make this a difficult job, with hilarious results, as they say.

It’s the kind of role Grant does best, a slightly confused character rather baffled by those around him.

The real house still exists, as does the one from “Miracle On 34th Street” and is basically unchanged.