Angels with Dirty Faces question

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frogman042 · #1 Post by **frogman042** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:39 pm

As was pointed out in Frank's movie quiz, the famous quote from Cagney was not from 'Dead End' but from 'Angels with Dirty Faces'. Since the Dead End Kids aka The Bowery Boys were in both it is not surprising that I and some others confused the two films. I remember briefly debating which one it was but chose the wrong one - which is in a way surprising because I really like Angels with Dirty Faces.

That said, one of the things that I really enjoy about Angels with Dirty Faces is the ambigous ending. Did Rocky really go yellow at the end or did he show even more strength of character and give Father Jerry as well as the kids a last gift to hopefully head the dead end kids away from the life (and death) he led. I think both work great and the decision to make it unclear was really wise. I got the impression that Pat O'Brian as Father Jerry felt that it was faked (thus the seamingly internal angish hearing Rocky called yellow when he knew otherwise) for his and the kids benefit and that is the interpretation I like to lean to - but it leads to the idea of the noble hoodlum. The other approach is that deep-down, Rocky really was a coward and his tough persona was always a front - also an appealing interpretation. A third possibility is that he really was scared and realized it but would have kept it to himself and not made such a big show of turning yellow except that it would at least lead to some possible positive outcome for others.

Like I said I'm leaning to the heroic interpretation, but I was curious what other folks thought as well.

Either way I think it was a brilliant and powerful ending.

---Jay

Ritterskoop · #2 Post by **Ritterskoop** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:26 pm

From imdb's trivia page on the movie:

When asked about the scene years later, Cagney says he chose to play it in such a way so that the audience could make their own decisions as to whether or not he was faking.

mellytu74 · #3 Post by **mellytu74** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:38 pm

frogman --

Great question.

I grew up as a big-city Catholic and this movie always had a certain resonance for me. I hadn't seen it in years; my first viewing in years dovetailed with my finding my current parish and spiritual community.

I always like to think it's the fake yellow ending. It's about redemption and the greater good.

In the end, Rocky Sullivan redeems himself (and saves his soul) and makes his peace with childhood friend Jerry (and himself) by doing it.

He disgraces himself in the eyes of the Dead End Kids, thus deterring them from lives of crime and helps Jerry keep them on the straight and narrow (and, by extension, saving their souls by keeping them out of lives of crime).

It's one of those movies that's fine entertainment on its own but can also be viewed in a spiritual context (The original Love Affair/Affair to Remember and Random Harvest come to mind, as does much of John Ford's work) while not a traditional "religious" film.

BTW -- some GREAT quizzes on Sploofus. I can't play them at work but I get to them when I can. Really enjoy them.

Here's Fanny! · #4 Post by **Here's Fanny!** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:41 pm

I've always thought it was clear that he was putting it on as his last gift and show of respect to Fr. And that deep down he was an okay guy who cared more about the future of others than his own past.

Unlike in White Heat, where he was just apeshit.

mellytu74 · #5 Post by **mellytu74** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:47 pm

Here's Fanny! wrote:Unlike in White Heat, where he was just apeshit.

ROTFLMAO.

Miss Denise is looking at me with a VERY peculiar look.

frogman042 · #6 Post by **frogman042** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:51 am

mellytu74 wrote:
Here's Fanny! wrote:Unlike in White Heat, where he was just apeshit.
ROTFLMAO.

Miss Denise is looking at me with a VERY peculiar look.

There is a line in the novel Ragtime regarding that Houdini and Jolson as the last of the truly great, unabashed sons who loved their mothers in a way that could no longer be done (thanks to Freud, IIRC) - I think Cagney in White Heat could be safely added to that list.

---Jay (It was in this year of the 20th century that Houdini replaced the Milk Can with his most famous escape: the Chinese Water Torture Cell - know the year and you know the rest...)