Decades before infamous mob characters were played by present day greats Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, the original smooth talking gun slinging wiseguy was brought to life by cinematic great James Cagney.
Well known for his sinister roles in films from the 30s and 40s, my first foray into his talents comes via the 1949 classic “White Heat.” The antagonist is seldom the leading role of a story. In “White Heat” Cagney takes this challenge and delivers with an astounding performance.
The black and white picture was nominated for an Academy Award and has been added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The action and death count actually shocked me for a film of its era, and proves director Raoul Walsh, himself a founding member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was an innovator behind the scenes.
“White Heat” opens as it should, with a group of thugs in the perfect attire of trench coats and fedoras hijacking a locomotive. The gang of miscreants is led by the notorious Cody Jarrett (Cagney) a ruthless nut with a short temper and an itchy trigger finger.
Jarrett shows immediately that he is the original wiseguy. When the trains engineer asks if this is a holdup Jarrett quickly replies “Naw. You’re 7 minutes late. We’re just changing engineers.”
“White Heat” is a perfect crime movie. The characters are colorful and the effects solid for the time. Joining Cagney is the beautiful Virginia Mayo as Jarrett’s cold hearted wife Verna, and his conniving right hand man Big Ed (Steve Cochran). “If I turned my back long enough for Big Ed to put a hole in it,” Jarrett explains to Verna in an early scene, “there’d be a hole in it.”
James Cagney earns his play as one of the greats of all time. In a era that is often overlooked, Cagney has a voice and demeanor that is one of the best you will ever witness, and the character of Cody Jarrett is an all time great villain.
With sharp quips like “If that battery’s dead, it’ll have company.” To his sweet talking of Verna, “You’d look good in a shower curtain.” In response to her desires for a mink coat, James Cagney was cool before cool was even a word.
What’s also interesting is the depth given to the character of Cody Jarrett. Jarrett is the leader of a gang of criminals, but also a loving son that has an unhealthy relationship with his mother (Margaret Wycherly).
Jarrett deals with the two-timing of Verna and Big Ed and the constant criminal schemes of his gang like a corporate stalwart.
The movie follows two fronts; Jarrett on the run and then a sequence in prison, which remains just as exciting as director Walsh puts forth an elaborate scheme orchestrated by the feds in which an agent (Edmond O’Brien) goes undercover as Cody Jarrett’s cellmate in order to gain his trust – again, a concept decades before its time.
These elements of depth and excitement are often overlooked by older films. Their inclusion makes “White Heat” a terrific movie in any era.
When I sat down to watch I had my doubts. In the end, “White Heat” is a great crime movie full of violence and action that doesn’t let the restrictions of 1949 cloud its enjoyment.
by – Matt Christopher
