NOTE: This review is part of the John Garfield 100th birthday blogathon. To read all the other wonderful entries in the event, go HERE.
At a victory party following a fight, boxing champion Johnny Bradfield (Garfield) drinks to excess and finds himself involved in an altercation with a newspaper reporter. After slugging the man, Johnny---completely drunk---passes out.
With Johnny out cold, his manager proceeds to get into it with the reporter, dealing a blow which leads to the man's death. Anxious to cover his tracks, the manager---along with Johnny's girlfriend, Goldie (Ann Sheridan)---leaves the scene, knowing that the crime will then be pinned on Bradfield. The two of them end up being killed in a fiery car crash, and because the man was wearing Johnny's watch, his body is identified as that of Johnny. However, police detective Phalen (Claude Rains), who is out to prove himself to the higher-ups, is quite sure Johnny is still alive, and he has every intention of finding him and charging him with murder.
When the real Johnny comes to and reads the newspaper account of what has happened, he has no choice but to go on the run. After being warned to not use his fists lest he give himself away, Johnny takes on the name Jack Dorney and heads West. Hopping freighters, as well as pounding the pavement with his feet, Johnny/Jack makes his way to Arizona, where he finds a welcome at a ranch for troubled boys.
The teenage boys (played by The Dead End Kids) have been sent by a New York priest to his sister's (May Robson) farm, where it is expected that kindness, responsibility, and hard work will rehabilitate them. Johnny/Jack is put to work, and although his influence on the boys is initially a matter of concern, he eventually proves himself. In fact, it's not long before the "look out for yourself" man wants to help the farm reverse its dismal finances. When he sees an advertisement for an amateur fight, Johnny is willing to enter the ring for the prize money---despite the fact that he is a "wanted man" and really needs to keep a low profile.
Does Johnny go through with the fight? Or, realizing the danger of being so visible, does he back out? Does Detective Phalen, who has seen Johnny's picture in the paper, find him and take him back to New York to face a murder rap? These are the questions which play out in the balance of this film.
Although listed on Mr. Garfield's filmography as his second film, They Made Me a Criminal, technically, is his third. Blackwell's Island, the true second film to be made, was released a couple months after this one. With Garfield's debut performance in Four Daughters the previous year touting him as "the sensational new "find"---not of the year, but of the decade," Warner Brothers knew they had a mega-star on their hands; wanting to capitalize on that popularity while Four Daughters was fresh in the minds of audiences, they rushed They Made Me a Criminal ahead of the B-grade Blackwell's Island. While Garfield had been billed seventh in Four Daughters, he was given name-above-the-title status in this film.
They Made Me a Criminal is a perfect vehicle for the talents of John Garfield. He completely excelled in roles like this, and he was his usual wonderful self here. The misunderstood, huge-chip-on-the-shoulder rebels are easily my favorite kinds of roles for Mr. Garfield. Quite honestly, I love him like this!! The Dead End Kids, who are normally so obnoxiously disrespectful that I can hardly stand them, were definitely more tolerable in this film. Even Leo Gorcey wasn't as smart-alecked as usual. According to Mr. Garfield's biography, Body and Soul, The Story of John Garfield, he enjoyed working with the Dead End Kids.
As for Claude Rains' portrayal of a New York detective---he felt he was dreadfully miscast for the role and begged to be let out of it. Interestingly, however, Mr. Garfield felt that Rains "contributed the strongest performance" to the film. Garfield was critical of his own performance---finding it "hollow"---and he would "deprecate the picture at every opportunity in later years." Funny, I thought he was quite good in the role...maybe not his best performance, but certainly solid and very believable.
May Robson is completely delightful...especially in the fight scene. What a fun grandma-type she is. I love her spunky spirit!
This film is out on DVD, plus it is available in its entirety on YouTube, so you shouldn't have a problem being able to view it. It's a solid, 3-star film...close to 3.5 stars. I think it's a film all Garfield fans will want to see.
Happy viewing!!
NOTE: All directly quoted material is obtained from Body and Soul: The Story of John Garfield, by Larry Swindell, William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1975)
I'm a huge fan of choreographer Busby Berkeley's musicals and was very curious, on how he would direct John Garfield, who is very believable playing a on the lamb boxer.
ReplyDeleteI know, Busby Berkeley seems like a totally odd director for a film such as this!
DeleteI like this movie a lot, except for the horrendous miscasting of Claude Rains - I'm surprised to hear that John Garfield thought he was so good in this! Garfield himself is great in this mixed-up bad boy role, which, as you say, really follows on from his role in 'four Daughters'. Gloria Dickson is very good too and it is sad she isn't better known - she died in a house fire a few years after the film was made, so later releases have tended to promote Ann Sheridan's name rather than hers. I noticed there is a nod to Berkeley when one of the Dead End kids starts singing a bit of 'By a Waterfall' from 'Footlight Parade'! Enjoyed your piece, Patti!
ReplyDeleteEveryone talks about the miscasting of Claude Rains, and I know from my friend Mad, who is the biggest Claude Rains' fan on the planet, that Claude begged Warners to release him from this film. However, I think his performance goes to show what a complete and total professional he was, because he is more than adequate. Miscast or not...wanting to do the role or not...he did it, gave it his all, and I think he's very convincing.
DeleteHow sad about Gloria Dickson. I'm pretty sure I have only seen her in one other film...also a Rains' one "They Won't Forget." Now I know why I haven't seen her in more...she wasn't alive to make more films.
this is probably the best of Berkeley's directorial efforts, quite an enjoyable picture. i do still prefer the original with Doug Jr and Loretta Young *sigh*, but only slightly more, both are well-worth seeing. i'm not surprised Claude Rains wanted out of that role, talk about the wrong guy for the job. he did his best tho and is certainly not terrible in it! the 1936 WB film "Boulder Dam" starring Ross Alexander and Patricia Ellis has a very similar story line. nice review Patti, makes me wanna watch this film again, its been quite a long time since i last saw it!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Artman, your Loretta was certainly beautiful in her and Doug, Jr.'s version of this film. I can see why it is a tiny bit favored over this one.
DeleteI have never heard of "Boulder Dam," nor of Ross Alexander or Patricia Ellis, but you can bet I'm going to look them all up. That's what I like so much about talking to other classic film buffs...they can open my eyes to movies I might otherwise never know about.
Thanks again for your participation in the event. Your collection of stills, posters, photos, and lobby cards was a wonderful addition to the blogathon.
Patti i am no doubt the worlds biggest Patricia Ellis fan and jokingly refer to her as "Mrs Artman" on my blog. if you click her name in my sidebar tags you'll see all my posts relating to her. She appears in 2 Cagney films, The Picture Snatcher and the St Louis Kid. I think she was a great foil for Cagney in both of those and sooooo easy on the eys *sigh* she made a string of mostly B-films at WB in the 30's. she was only 16 when she started there in 1932.
DeleteRoss Alexander had a very short career, sadly, he took his own life in the late 1930's due to personal problems. very sad, he was a good actor, lots of energy. His most known film would no doubt be A Mid Summernight's Dream which you being a Cagney fan you must have seen by now yes? Ross plays in the scenes with Dick Powell, Olivia and Jean Muir. He's also in Captain Blood.
Artman, dare I admit that I have not seen "A Mid Summer Night's Dream?" Not being a Shakespeare appreciator, I have just put that one off! Shameful of me, I know.
DeleteHow sad that Ross Alexander took his own life. I cannot imagine the kind of despair that drives a person to suicide.
I got a kick out of Patricia Ellis being "Mrs. Artman." Right now, it would appear that she is having to share her status as "your beloved" with Loretta Young. But that's okay... you know that I have 6 (!) great loves (Holden, Ryan, Coop, Clift, Cagney, and Garfield), and Fred March and Ty Power aren't too far behind them! Bill has been tolerant of Garfield getting so much attention lately because of his 100th birthday, but he is ready for some attention himself. My Classic Flix queue has a "new to me" Holden film that just went out today. That ought to make Bill happy. So, you will need to show Patricia a little bit of love in the midst of all the love to Loretta!
Patti, I may have to check out THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL just to see The Dead End Kids singing "By a Waterfall," with Busby Berkeley as the director, no less! (We here at Team Bartilucci HQ are fans of The Dead Ends Kids/Bowery Boys from way back.) I very much enjoyed your lovingly-written, fascinatingly-detailed post; great job!
ReplyDeleteIn the Gardner household, every time The Dead End Kids are on, we look at each other and yell "Juvies!"
DeleteI was reading in James Cagney's autobiography last summer that during the filming of "Angels with Dirty Faces" (my favorite Cagney film) that they, especially Leo Gorcey, were goofing around and being disrespectful when they ought to have been paying attention. He (Cagney) bopped Gorcey upside the head and demanded that he get in line. I got a kick out of that. Leo Gorcey going up against Mister Gangster himself.
Thanks for visiting, Dorian, and thanks for participating in the blogathon. It was great meeting you!
An immensely entertaining Garfield picture. He and Rains complemented each other well in all their films together, but this one is my favorite of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Rains and Garfield complemented each other well. They had a terrific chemistry together in all their films. I would have said "Daughters Courageous" was my favorite of their films together...until catching "Saturday's Children" for the first time last night.
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
I've seen the older version of this with Loretta Young and really enjoy it. I don't believe I've seen this version but I'll look for it on youtube, hopefully they don't remove it before I get a chance to watch it! Although those Dead End Kids can be hard to take sometimes!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen "Dead End", with Joel McCrea and Sylvia Sidney? I think the Dead End Kids are more obnoxious in that film than any. There's one film I've seen where they are much more tolerable..."The Angels Wash Their Faces." It's got Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan and is actually on tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.
DeleteDisrespect is probably the thing I hate most in the world, so for that reason, the Dead End Kids get on my nerves easily.
I've seen this one and I remember thinking that Garfield had great, unforced chemistry with the Dead End Kids. Wasn't surprised to hear that they got along in real life. Even as a Rains fan, I can't really say he's well-cast here, but it's nice to hear Garfield praise him.
ReplyDeleteI know, Aubyn, everyone thinks Rains was miscast, even Mr. Rains himself. But, being the true professional he was, he still gave it his all and did a good job.
DeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts...and for taking part in the blogathon.
Patti, it's been many years since I saw this film as a boy on the afternoon movie one day when I was home sick from school. It was the first thing I ever saw Garfield in (the Dead End Kids too) and he's what I most remember about the film. I watched it with my mother, and John Garfield was her favorite actor. You reminded me of what a strong impression Garfield made on me in the film. It forever cemented his screen persona in my mind. A fine post on his first film as a leading man.
ReplyDeleteR.D., thanks for sharing that sweet memory. It's amazing, isn't it, how films (songs too) can take us back to a time many decades past and a place many miles away. I was just mentioning that very thing on a classic film social network I belong to. The mention of "Bye Bye Birdie" brought vividly to mind spending the night at my grandmother's when I was about 10. I got to sleep in her room, which had a TV in it (a novelty for me!), and we watched the late movie..."Bye Bye Birdie." I can still picture that night in my mind, and I can still hear my grandmother singing the song.
DeleteHow wonderful it is to recall precious memories of beloved people, and if movies bring those memories to mind, they're doing more than just entertaining us in the present. Obviously, watching movies isn't as much of a waste of time as some people might tell us it is.
I think your mom had great taste!!