White Heat (1949) | |
| Director(s) | Raoul Walsh |
| Producer(s) | Louis F. Edelman |
| Top Genres | Crime, Film Noir |
| Top Topics | Gangsters, Heist, Mother/Son |
Featured Cast:
White Heat Overview:
White Heat (1949) was a Crime - Film Noir Film directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Louis F. Edelman.
SYNOPSIS
"Made it, Ma. Top of the world!" The last explosion of the Warner Bros. gangster movies, a decade after their '30s heyday, was one of the best, with Cagney unleashing a merciless portrayal of the warped personality that becomes a ruthless killer. Based on the mother-son gang led by "Ma" Barker, the story opens with Cagney's gang holding up a train and then hiding out in a freezing cabin with an injured member and his wife (Mayo) and mother (Wycherly). Dissension in the gang and an attraction between Mayo and a rebellious gangster (Cochran) lead to a police tail in Southern California, a stint in prison for Cagney, and a blazing final showdown. The climactic shoot-out in the oil refinery has become a movie icon and it remains one of Cagney's and director Walsh's greatest moments.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.White Heat was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2003.
Academy Awards 1949 --- Ceremony Number 22 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Writing | Virginia Kellogg | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
White Heat (1949)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Sep 5, 2017 From 4 Star FilmsWhite Heat burns like hot coals even today. It’s a gangster picture from master Warner Bros. craftsman?Raoul Walsh that’s volatile and intriguing, highlighted by the always fiery James Cagney as a crazed man-child with a mom complex. Cagney had stayed away from gangster pictures that mad... Read full article
White Heat (1949)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Sep 5, 2017 From 4 Star FilmsWhite Heat burns like hot coals even today. It’s a gangster picture from master Warner Bros. craftsman?Raoul Walsh that’s volatile and intriguing, highlighted by the always fiery James Cagney as a crazed man-child with a mom complex. Cagney had stayed away from gangster pictures that mad... Read full article
1001 Classic Movies: White Heat
By Amanda Garrett on Aug 26, 2017 From Old Hollywood FilmsWhite Heat (1949) is one of the 1001 classic movies you should see. It stars Margaret Wycherly (middle) and James Cagney as a devoted mother and son who also happen to ruthless gangsters. Virginia Mayo (left) plays Cagney's unhappy wife. Due to an unexpected illness, I didn't write about The Man... Read full article
Film Noir of the Week: White Heat
By Amanda Garrett on Jul 2, 2015 From Old Hollywood FilmsThere's plenty of fireworks in this week's film noir. White Heat (1949), featuring James Cagney (above) as trigger-happy gangster Cody Jarrett, will air at 6 p.m. July 3 as part of TCM's film noir festival, Summer of Darkness. I'll outline the noir elements in this classic gangster movie below. ... Read full article
White Heat (1949) – Film-Noir
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 18, 2013 From 4 Star FilmsStarring James Cagney, Edmund O’Brien, and Virginia Mayo, once again Cagney does the gangster role. However, his Cody Jarret is older and more psychotic than ever as he leads his band of thugs. Although he has a beautiful wife, the main woman in Jarret’s life is his mom who watches over ... Read full article
See all White Heat articles
Quotes from
Philip Evans: I suppose he shot me all the way from another state.
Ma Jarrett: What makes you think *he* shot you? Lots of people have guns.
Philip Evans: I was as close to him as I am to you.
Ma Jarrett: Anybody else see him?
Philip Evans: Just you. And his wife.
Ma Jarrett: Of course, being an old woman, I wouldn't know much about the law, but I hear you got to have *witnesses* to make anything stand up in court.
Roy Parker: You wouldn't kill me in cold blood, would ya?
Cody Jarrett: No, I'll let ya warm up a little.
Cody Jarrett: Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
read more quotes from White Heat...
Facts about
At the time of filming of White Heat, Special Effects were not yet using squibs (tiny explosives that simulate the effects of bullets). The producers employed skilled marksmen who used low velocity bullets to break windows or show bullets hitting near the characters. In the factory scene, James Cagney was missed by mere inches.
If the surprise expressed by James Cagney's fellow inmates during "the telephone game" scene in the prison dining room appears real, it's because it is. Director Raoul Walsh didn't tell the rest of the cast what was about to happen, so Cagney's outburst caught them by surprise. In fact, Walsh himself didn't know what Cagney had planned; the scene as written wasn't working, and Cagney had an idea. He told Walsh to put the two biggest extras playing cons in the mess-hall next to him on the bench (he used their shoulders to boost himself onto the table) and to keep the cameras rolling no matter what.
read more facts about White Heat...
