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Dead End (1937),
Director: William Wyler, rated Approved
Drama that roars full-blooded from the screen!
  Starring:
Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart, Wendi Barrie,
Claire Trevor, Allen Jenkins, Marjorie Main, Charles Peck, Minor
Watson, James Burke, Ward Bond
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"The famous 'Baby Face'
Martin used to live on this block. He wasn't such a bad kid
either at first. He was smart and brave and decent... at first." -
Dave Connell
Why watch this?
New York City. Gangsters. Thugs. Women of the Night. Cool.
Plot Summary:
In the crowded slums of 1930's New York City, a desperate
architect, a hardworking young woman, and a notorious gangster
returning to his roots see their lives intersect over a single
dramatic day. While a group of local street kids risk falling
into a life of crime, the gangster, who finds himself rejected
by both his mother and his old flame, decides to undertake a
dangerous new venture.
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Dad's Preview:
This crime drama, like many, plays out on the mean
streets of NYC. As the rich enjoy their high-rise views
and swanky parties, the working poor eke out a meager
existence in the lower level tenements. Some folks
escape honestly, but many turn instead to a life of
crime. But what happens when the rich and poor rub
elbows? The film's central story feature two people
trying to figure out that they really love each other.
There's also a gang of hard-scrapple teens who terrorize
their neighborhood. That said, the film's most
interesting plot revolves around an infamous gangster
who has come home to see his Ma and a dame he still
loves. Regardless of his billing on the marquee, this
film's star is Humphrey Bogart as the notorious
gangster, "Baby Face" Martin. He would soon dominate
film noir in such classics as
The Maltese Falcon (1941) and
Casablanca (1942). It is these three
intersecting stories that elevate this into a pretty
good pre-noir film. |
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Samuel
Goldwyn Productions; United Artists |
