Review of Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) by Reid V — 13 Feb 2012

Let me start by saying I love the genre throughout the ages. From The Departed back to this. And this is still one of my favorites. Cagney made several ganster movies in this era and I think this is his best, as many others have said.

Even though the character development is predictable, I love the authentic feel of the look, location and dialogue. With the exception of Cagney's, none of the other roles are what I would consider "Oscar worthy".

But the balance of characters meld together to make a great movie. This is also an era in which Bogart was not the headlining star of the movie. And I loved this stage in his career (see The Amazing Dr.

Clitterhouse). For anyone who loves movies, and especially old black and whites, this is a must on the "list to see".