White Heat (1949)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Raoul Walsh's crime drama goes further into the psychology of a gangster than most fear to tread and James Cagney's portrayal of the tragic anti-hero is constantly volatile.
White Heat Photos
Movie Info
Watch it now
Cast
as Arthur Cody Jarrett
as Verna Jarrett
as Hank Fallon/Vic Pardo
as Ma Jarrett
as Big Ed Somers
as Phillip Evans
as Giovanni Cotton Valetti
as Giovanni Cotton Valetti
as Daniel Winston
as Zuckie Hommell
as Happy Taylor
as Herbert, the Reader
as Het Kohler
as Roy Parker
as Tommy Ryley
as Bo Creel
as Ernie Trent
as Edmund O'Brien
as Brakeman
as Fireman
as Engineer
as Radio Announcer
as Chief of Police
as Willie Rolf, the Stoolie
as Government Agent
as Guard at Plant
as Convict
as Nat Lefeld
as Tower Guard
as Government Agent
as Simpson, the Prison Doctor
as Gas Station Owner
as Operative
as Psychiatrist
as Psychiatrist
as Radio Patrolman, Car A
as Guard
as Guard
as Guard
as Guard
as Guard
as Guard
as Russell Hughes
as Margaret Baxter
as Clerk
as Ted Clark
as Clocker
as Judge
as Popcorn Vendor
as Cashier
as Jim Donovan
as Police Surgeon
as Man
as Accountant
as Foreman
Critic Reviews for White Heat
All Critics (28) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (28) | Rotten (0) | DVD (4)
Brilliantly directed by Raoul Walsh, an old master of cinema hoodlumism, it returns a more subtle James Cagney to the kind of thug role that made him famous.
Cagney has an excellent supporting cast.
Raoul Walsh's heroes had a knack for going too far, but none went further than James Cagney in this roaring 1949 gangster piece.
Despite chronology (deranged by the censor's influence on the studios), this is really the fitting climax of the '30s gangster movie.
The simple fact is that Mr. Cagney has made his return to a gangster role in one of the most explosive pictures that he or anyone has ever played.
Magnificent examination of the criminal mind and Cagney's finest moment.
Audience Reviews for White Heat
Bridging the gap between the gangster era and film noir is this doozy of a crime epic. Cody Jarrett is a real piece of work, he's a determined criminal with a strong desire to be 'on top of the world'. He's neglectful of his sultry wife, feverishly devoted to his doting mother, and actually finds glee when it comes to dishing out acts of violence, even upon his own gang of thugs. He also suffers from crippling migraines, which really seem to have an effect of his already fractured psyche. After inadvertently leaving clues behind following a railroad heist, Jarrett becomes a target of the feds. In order to cover his tracks, he willingly goes to prison on a trumped up charge. While there, he befriends a mole placed by the G-Men to infiltrate his gang. Jarrett and the mole escape from jail, and once out, they regroup the gang in order to pull off another masterful caper, unaware of the plans of the feds. This is a really stunning film, and definitely high on the list of best ofs in the genre. Raoul Walsh provides some strong, briskly paced direction, there's great camera work, and a fair amount of character study, depth, and food for thought. The action set pieces, especially the finale are superb, and through it all we get some terrific performances, dominated by the always impressive Cagney. If you're a fan of gangster films, or just love a great crime yarn in general, then this is a must-see.
Super Reviewer
Someone on IMDB called "White Heat" the bridge "between film noir and WB's classic gangster flicks", and I think it's a pretty apt description. It's the story of Cody Jarrett, psychotic gangster feared by everyone, and yet constantly looking over his shoulder as conspirators lie in wait at every turn (whether it be his right hand man, Big Ed, or the undercover cop, Vic Pardo). Cody the crackpot, with his phantom headaches and his obsessive fixation on his mother, you get the sense of impending doom lingering about his head. So what makes this film so noir-ish? Well, there's a certain amount of lurid fascination we the audience are made to feel with Cody's world, be it with his sleezy, back-stabbing wife or his disturbingly ruthless mother, it's all gritty and seedy. Characters like Pardo or "The Trader" (Cody's "manager") feel like they're ahead of their time in some ways, and we can still see echoes of them in modern day crime films. But it's James Cagney's Cody that steals the show. He's intense, intelligent, but maybe a little too trusting of those around him. His character is kind of pitiful in that he never sees betrayal coming until it's too late. It's a great performance and a great, if quirky crime noir that's right up there with The Big Sleep and The Big Heat (and other "big" movies, for that matter- well, except for Tom Hanks' "Big", obviously).
Super Reviewer
My favourite gangster movie, Cagney is brilliant as the crazy mama's boy gang leader. The ending is classic. I love it.
Super Reviewer
White Heat Quotes
| Arthur Cody Jarrett: | Made it, Ma! Top of the world! |
| Arthur Cody Jarrett: | A copper! A copper!! And I treated him like a kid brother......and I was going to go 50-50 with a copper!! |
| Arthur Cody Jarrett: | A copper! A copper! And I treated him like a kid brother... and I was going to go 50-50 with a copper! |
| Arthur Cody Jarrett: | Made it, Ma! Top of the world! |
Discussion Forum
Discuss White Heat on our Movie forum!