White Heat 1949

 

Top Of The World Ma.

Released towards the end of 1949 and indeed towards the end of the entire terrible and tumultuous decade, “White Heat “can also be seen as the end of James Cagney's tremendous nearly 20 year career as the most important screen actor of the time. His reign began in 1931 with his groundbreaking performance as a hood in “Public Enemy” and came to an explosive end (literally) with his great performance as another hood in “White Heat.”

His influence as the most important screen actor of his time was coming to an end and screen acting would change once more in the early 50's with the appearance of Marlon Brando. After “White Heat” Cagney mostly coasted from one safe movie to another safe movie with one or two explosive performances most notably in 1955 when he did “Love Me Or Leave Me” getting his final Oscar nomination for best actor.

But it is in this somewhat B movie with A credentials that he gave what many consider to be one of the great works of screen acting in the history of film. Playing a gangster named Cody Jarrett who rules over a raw rag tag of a gang who when the film opens are about to rob a mail train of treasury bonds and pretty much everything could go wrong does including Jarrett's cold bloody killing of 4 members of the train crew who make the mistake of recognizing him. Bang bang and they're dead. Also in the dead mix is one of the gang members whose face is burnt off in a burst of white hot heat steam from the locomotive and is left to die when the gang takes off from where they're holed up a little later in the movie.

Cody suffers from extreme headaches that might be migraine, a blowzy cheating wife played by the very good Virginia Mayo, and a scary unnatural relationship with his mother, Ma Jarrett acted by the terrific Margaret Wycherly. The scene where she comforts him as he sits on her lap is jaw dropping. He is also dealing with some duplicitous members of the gang most notably “Big Ed” Somers played by the sexy and dangerous Steve Cochran who is playing around with Virginia. I can only take a guess at why he is called “Big Ed” as it certainly has nothing to do with his height. Maybe Virginia could help us with the answer.

The feds are of course after him and his gang and the late 40's techniques and machinery of law enforcement shown are dated but fun to see. They decide to use an agent played by the always good and reliable Edmond O' Brien as a plant to get close to Cody after he is sent up the river for another crime committed by him that gives him a lesser sentence than any he would have gotten for the robbery and murder of all those railroad employees.

This plot ploy might give rise to raised eyebrows among some, but it sets up one of the most shocking and intense scenes in film history that takes place in the prison dinning hall after Cagney receives some bad news. Cagney tears the film apart in this scene even shocking the hundreds of extras who had no idea what was coming. Check their expressions. Cagney still had his grace of movement even at this age, no one moved like Jimmy. The ending of the film is also memorable and still has power and heft, serving as a coming attraction for the political mishaps our nation would endure during the new approaching decade.

Directed by Raoul Walsh who began his long career as an actor, appearing as John Wilkes Booth in D.W. Griffith's “The Birth Of A Nation” and moving on to directing including the beautiful silent Douglas fairbanks version of “The Thief Of Bagdad” in 1924. In 1929 His right eye was lost in a car accident during the making of “In Old Arizona” that he was going to star in and also direct and for the rest of his life he wore an eye patch that added to his allure and persona. His career as I said was long and varied but he is mostly known for his muscular crime and western movies he did at Warner Bros. In the 30's and 40's including “The Roaring Twenties”, “They Drive By Night”, “High Sierra “& “Gentleman Jim”, many of which starred Cagney, Bogart and Errol Flynn. He was one of the founders of The Academy Awards, yet he never received a nomination nor did he get a lifetime achievement statue. He made his last film in 1964. This one here is one of his best and one of the greatest gangster films ever made. Best actor of 1949 and 10 best of 1949.