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Cast

James Cagney
as Arthur Cody Jarrett

Virginia Mayo
as Verna Jarrett

Edmond O'Brien
as Hank Fallon/Vic Pardo

Margaret Wycherly
as Ma Jarrett

Steve Cochran
as Big Ed Somers

John Archer
as Phillip Evans

Wally Cassell
as Giovanni Cotton Valetti

Wally Cassel
as Giovanni Cotton Valetti

Fred Clark
as Daniel Winston

Ford Rainey
as Zuckie Hommell

Fred Coby
as Happy Taylor

G. Pat Collins
as Herbert, the Reader

Mickey Knox
as Het Kohler

Paul Guilfoyle
as Roy Parker

Robert Osterloh
as Tommy Ryley

Ian MacDonald
as Bo Creel

Ray Montgomery
as Ernie Trent

Hank Fallon
as Edmund O'Brien

Jim Toney
as Brakeman

Leo Cleary
as Fireman

Murray Leonard
as Engineer

Terry O'Sullivan
as Radio Announcer

Marshall Bradford
as Chief of Police

Milton Parsons
as Willie Rolf, the Stoolie

Eddie Phillips
as Government Agent

Robert Foulk
as Guard at Plant

Jim Thorpe
as Convict

Eddie Foster
as Nat Lefeld

Lee Phelps
as Tower Guard

John Pickard
as Government Agent

Perry Ivins
as Simpson, the Prison Doctor

Nolan Leary
as Gas Station Owner

Joel Allen
as Operative

Grandon Rhodes
as Psychiatrist

John McGuire
as Psychiatrist

Harry Lauter
as Radio Patrolman, Car A

Ray Bennett
as Guard

Harry Strang
as Guard

Jack Worth
as Guard

Bob Fowke
as Guard

Art Foster
as Guard

Arthur Miles
as Guard

Sid Melton
as Russell Hughes

Fern Eggen
as Margaret Baxter

Sherry Hall
as Clerk

Garrett Craig
as Ted Clark

Larry McGrath
as Clocker

George Spaulding
as Judge

Buddy Gorman
as Popcorn Vendor

Claudia Barrett
as Cashier

De Forrest Lawrence
as Jim Donovan

George Taylor
as Police Surgeon

John K. Butler
as Man

Stanton Herzog
as Accountant

Carl Harbaugh
as Foreman

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Critic Reviews for White Heat

Audience Reviews for White Heat

• Feb 08, 2019

  A masterclass in pacing. Not a second of this movie is wasted, each scene only adds intriguing complications to the plot. Cagney is exactly the kind of terrifying energy the movie needed.
  

  Alec B Super Reviewer
• Nov 29, 2017

  This gangster film has it all - well-planned heists, cold-blooded murders, fast cars, double-crosses, snappy dialog, sophisticated criminals, and just as sophisticated cops. It's very smart, and Director Raoul Walsh keeps us on our toes without wasting a single moment in telling this story. Most of all, it has James Cagney, who is just fantastic. The film is both dark both in how it's shot, a classic film noir, and in its tone, as Cagney's character is sociopathic, wracked by migraines, and possibly insane. He is supported by a great cast, including Margaret Wycherly in the memorable role as his mother, whose toughness and depravity is gradually revealed. Edmond O'Brien is also strong in the role of the undercover G-man. One theme in the film is how easily (and violently) criminals will betray one another. Another is how advanced forensic and crime-fighting technology was in 1949, which is both impressive and may make you smile. The two of those put together serve as a strong anti-crime message, likely influenced by the production code, and yet, the film is gritty and pushes boundaries, so that it doesn't feel like a morality tale. Character motivations feel authentic. There are several iconic moments, the ending of course, but also Cagney returning and surprising his wife (Virginia Mayo) in the garage, and later staring at a rival (Steve Cochran) through the crack of a door. He is absolutely chilling when angry, and one can't help but be impressed by the great range he showed over his career. If you're in the mood for action and a dark crime film, 'White Heat' is very satisfying.
  Antonius B Super Reviewer
• Jun 26, 2015

  Like getting punched in the face - in a good way.
  Marcus W Super Reviewer
• Nov 28, 2011

  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).
  Devon B Super Reviewer

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