They Made Me a Criminal

They Made Me a Criminal_720p(480P)

source: They Made Me a Criminal

Moviecut—They Made Me a Criminal

A compact drama about redemption. John Garfield, always a powerful screen presence, makes a strong impression in the lead as an initially corrupt boxer who sees the error of his ways. The Dead End Kids are well used and the sassy May Robson brightens any movie in which she appeared. Be aware that Ann Sheridan, although prominently billed, is in and out of the movie in about 5 minutes, however Gloria Dickson makes a fine showing. At this point she was considered an actress on the way up but ended up spending most of her brief career in low budget films before her death in a fire at 28. The one small problem is the casting of Claude Rains as a dogged detective. He was always a fantastic actor and gives a professional performance but the part doesn't play to his strengths of urbanity and wit. Berkeley, taking a break from musicals, maintains a brisk pace in the direction making this one of the better programmers to come out of the Warners factory.

These B movies rolled off a production line and no time was wasted. The dialog is moronic and I imagine few scenes had the benefit of second takes. Most of the supporting actors were wooden. Maybe they were leftovers from silent movies. It is a remake of "The Life of Jimmy Dolan" from only six years earlier and (for Hays Code reasons) they changed the story so that the hero was not the killer, but (at least initially) is persuaded that he was. This is a classic film noir opening and I settled down to watch a minor opus in my favorite genre. But once the action moves to Arizona, film noir is forgotten and the film becomes hokey rural and sentimental comedy. It is as though halves of two different movies have been spliced together. Garfield is right for the part but is still learning his trade here. Claude Rains is hopelessly miscast and it is painful to watch this suave and authoritative actor in his small part as a washed up detective who is the departmental butt monkey. The only "modern" actors here are Ward Bond, Louis Jean Heydt, and Ann Sheridan, all in cameo parts. Sheridan shaped up as the female lead but disappears from the movie halfway through the first act and the actual female lead has the charisma of a suet pudding. The Dead End Kids were more embarrassing than usual with Leo Gorcey playing a muted role. Just before the end, detective Rains offers a clue that our hero is innocent. I thought that some clever detective work would ensue, but they obviously needed the set for the next movie as things are brought to a swift close instead What another reviewer here perceptively notes as a psychologically believable change of heart by Rains, which could have been a big deal in a serious film noir, is handled so abruptly as to be absurd.

I enjoy watching John Garfield. He plays a good leading man, with a rough edge, and an underlying danger. I don't know how much the era differed from the current one, but my guess is that there were people all over for whom boxing was a real passion. I'd be surprised that the kids didn't recognize the Garfield character. After all, he is the world champion, not just an unknown contender. He runs, is cheated by those he trusts (this part is believable in the fight game), and those that know him turn their backs on him. He hides under an assumed name and makes his way to the South. One part that bothers me is that he has a hard time keeping a low profile. If he doesn't want attention, he doesn't go about it very well. One might say it's the girl, but he has already strung himself up before she seriously comes into the picture. The Dead End Kids are more believable in these movies. They don't have the silly Three Stooges kind of persona that the Bowery Boys later had (of course, those were formula films). They are the real starts here, but still have too much schtick to be that appealing. The final scene is nice, but it really is contrived.

After winning a championship fight, boxer John Garfield (as Johnnie Bradfield) celebrates with a drinking binge, which leads to the manslaughter of a pushy reporter. Although his manager killed the man, Mr. Garfield is blamed. When the manager dies in a car crash, wearing Garfield's stolen watch, authorities think the boxer is dead. Still a WANTED man, Garfield changes his identity to "Jack Dorney" and moves to an Arizona ranch. There, Garfield meets "The Dead End Kids": Billy Halop (as Tommy), Bobby Jordan (as Angel), Leo Gorcey (as Spit), Huntz Hall (as Dippy), Gabriel Dell (as T.B.), and Bernard Punsly (as Milt). Garfield bonds with the young "Dead End" lads, who were sent to stay with sweet "Grandma Rafferty" (May Robson) as an alternative to reform school, courtesy of her brother, deceased priest "Father Rafferty". Garfield falls in love with Halop's sister, pretty "Peggy" (Gloria Dickson), who is there to keep any eye on the kids. Of course, Garfield's past comes back to haunt him John Garfield and The 'Dead End' Kids make beautiful (Max Steiner) music together, thanks to effective direction and photography, by Busby Berkeley and James Wong Howe. The story is predictably comfortable, with the Warner Brothers support team in fine form. Garfield and the "Dead End" kids are a winning combination; although Garfield made no further movies with the "East Side" gang, the studio had him re-team with both Billy Halop and Bobby Jordan, almost immediately, for "Dust Be My Destiny". The boxing scenes are nicely staged. But, the most exciting sequence has Garfield and four of the New York "Kids" (Halop, Jordan, Hall, and Punsly) climbing into a giant water tank for a swim - which unexpectedly puts their lives in danger. Other, more brief, highlights include floozy Ann Sheridan (as Goldie), boozy Barbara Pepper (as Budgie), and young Ronald Sinclair (as Douglas) losing at strip poker. ******** They Made Me a Criminal (1/21/39) Busby Berkeley ~ John Garfield, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Claude Rains

This film is not good. It appears to be just another among the hordes of films dished out during this period. Yet there is something about this film, not distinguishing per se, but something that nonetheless draws us to it. I think this film's appeal is that it sums up the period. Everything is so acutely 1930s-esque. Watching it now with a considerable amount of distance, the film almost seems a self-parody. It resembles something we'd produce today to poke fun at this time and place. Watch Claude Rains, by most accounts a 'classical' actor, attempt his best hard-boiled detective impression. That's what this film is. Also, the proficiency and efficiency of this film are remarkable, sort of an epitome of what was standard at this time but rarely achieved at such a high degree as here. These types of things were meant to be quick and direct. People would file into the theatre, see what they expected to see, and file out. This film achieves exactly that. The camera is matter-of-fact, the editing is quick and straightforward, and the dialogue is bare-bones essential. This may not be art, but it is mastery of craftsmanship. It is competent, but so competent that it's worth noting.

This is a poor excuse for a movie. A film noir done by Busbee Berkeley? Please! First, let's forget about the plot, a truly simple-minded version of a cynical tough guy turned into a saint by the love of a pretty blonde. Yechh. So what turns her from despising him to loving him? Along with a group of other guys, he helps keep a kid from drowning as they all swim in a water tower and try to survive as the water is siphoned off, stranding them. It isn't exactly heroics, but she's suddenly smitten. It's truly painful to watch Claude Rains trying to portray a hard-bitten, tough-talking, noir-type cop. A crooked grimace is his main and rather pathetic acting tool, along with a growling voice. Most of his energy seems to go into trying to hide the intelligence that shines in all his other roles. How he ever got talked into taking this job I'll never understand. Enjoy it, if you can, for a few period details, the old cars and gas pumps, but don't expect a decent film experience. It wasted 1-1/12 hours of my life.

***SPOILERS*** Even though the movie "They Made Me A Criminal" is nowhere as good as the later John Garfield anti-hero classics like "Body & Soul" in 1947 "Force of Evil" in 1948 and his last and very underrated "He Ran All The Way" in 1951 it's the film that defined his career from that point onward until his untimely death on May 21, 1952 at the young age of 39. Garfiled plays the part of light Weight Champion Johnnie Bradfield and later the fugitive from the law Jack Dorney who's innocent of the murder that he's charged with, even though he's been declared officially dead. Jonnie's manager Doc Ward, Robert "Doc" Gleckler, who during a drunken victory party killed reporter Charles McGee,John Ridgely, who was going to expose to the public his fighter Johnnie Bradfield lies about him being a one women guy as well as non drinking momma's boy. Doc Gleckler smashed a bottle over McGee's head killing him as Jonnie was almost dead drunk with a number of women partying in his hotel suite. Doc was later killed in a car crash with Johnnie's girlfriend Goldie, Ann Sheridan, but Doc burned to a crisp and with Johnnie's watch on him was mistaken for Johnnie. Told to stay dead and buried by his lawyer Malvin ,Robert Strange, who took $9,750.00 of the $10,000.00 of Johnnie's money that he had for this great piece of advice. Malvin told Johnnie to take on a new identity and call himself from now on Jack Dorney and get the hell out of the state of New York; talking about sleazy shysters. Johnnie now Jack Dorney travels the rails from New York down to Arizona ending up at the Rancho Rafferty Date Farm where most of the film takes place. If it wasn't for John Garfield in the lead role as both Jonnie Bradfield & Jack Dorney the movie would have long been lost and forgotten. Garfield who was only 26 at the time brought the best out of everyone in the movie. Even the transported Dead End Kids, I guess we can call them The Arizona Kids here, acting were notches above what you would have expected from them and they came across as real and sensitive persons not a bunch of slap stick clowns like in almost all of their movies. All that due to being on the same stage, or filming location, with John Garfield. "They Made Me a Criminal" is a good story that has the undercover champ acting like anything but not to draw any attention on himself and end up not only behind bars but in the electric chair. In the end Jack showed just what kind of man he is by not fighting the big fight and against all the odds dramatically winning at the last moment but by going four brutal rounds to get the money for his new found family at the date farm including his girl Peggy, Gloria Dickson, to open up a gas station with it. Giving the European champ Gaspar Rutchek, Frank Riggi, the fight of his life and getting $2,000.00, thats $500.00 a round, for doing it Jack showed everyone who looked up to him like the "Arizona Kids" that sometimes taking a punch is far braver and more courageous then throwing one.The fact that Jack could have easily clobbered Rutched but didn't in order not to expose himself to the police, as on the loose killer Johnnie Bradfield. But instead went as far as he could taking everything that Rutchek could throw at him to help out his friends showed more then all the fights that he won in the boxing ring put together. I for one didn't find the ending of the movie contrived at all but fitting right in with the story. The cop Morty Phelam, Claude Rains, who came to Arizona from New York to arrest Jack had to live with for years the fact that he once sent an innocent man to the electric chair. We were told all this right at the start of the movie. Why knowing that Jack/Johnnie was innocent of the murder that he's charged with and not knowing for sure if he'll be found innocent of it in a court of law would he want to make the same terrible mistake again? I can easily see this happening in real life why not then in the movies.