Angels With Dirty Faces

Angels With Dirty Faces was described as 'A rousing, brutal melodrama' by the New York Daily Mirror, who added that 'It tops the crime cycle' and is a brilliant picture that is one of the major landmarks in the history of the gangster film. Unlike many of its contemporaries, it is a gangster film that has not dated and which remains fresh and exciting today due in large measure to the superb two performances of James Cagney and Pat O' Brien. Having grown up together in the slums of New York's lower East Side, O'Brien becomes a priest while Cagney ends up as a gangster whose return to his childhood neighbourhood disturbs O'Brien, especially when he becomes the idol of the local youngsters. Cagney, continuing his criminal activities, is finally convicted of murder and, in order to shatter the illusions of the hero-worshipping youngsters. Cagney received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his performance. © Warner Bros. Inc.