White Heat (1949)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Ivan Goff (screenplay) and
Ben Roberts (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1952 (Austria)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Film-Noir

Tagline:

James Cagney Is Red Hot In "White Heat"!

Plot:

A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. Shortly after the plan takes place, events take a crazy turn

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Heist | Escape | Undercover | Gangster

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

James Cagney	...	Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
Virginia Mayo	...	Verna Jarrett
Edmond O'Brien	...	Vic Pardo
Margaret Wycherly	...	Ma Jarrett
Steve Cochran	...	Big Ed Somers
John Archer	...	Philip Evans
Wally Cassell	...	'Cotton' Valletti
Fred Clark	...	Daniel Winston
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joel Allen	...	Operative (uncredited)
Claudia Barrett	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Ray Bennett	...	Guard (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford	...	Chief of Police (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Motorist at gas station (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Agent at Directional Map (uncredited)
Leo Cleary	...	Railroad fireman (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Happy Taylor (Jarrett gang) (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Court Officer (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	'Reader' Curtin (uncredited)
Garrett Craig	...	Ted Clark (uncredited)
Herschel Daugherty	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Fern Eggen	...	Margaret Baxter (uncredited)
Art Foster	...	Guard (uncredited)
Eddie Foster	...	Lefeld (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Oil refinery payroll guard (uncredited)
Buddy Gorman	...	Vendor at drive-in (uncredited)
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Roy Parker (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Court clerk (uncredited)
Carl Harbaugh	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Perry Ivins	...	Dr. Simpson (uncredited)
Mickey Knox	...	Het Kohler (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	T-man with headphones in Radio Car A (uncredited)
DeForrest Lawrence	...	Jim Donovan (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Russ (uncredited)
Murray Leonard	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Ian MacDonald	...	'Bo' Creel (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Clocker (uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Psychiatrist #2 (uncredited)
Sid Melton	...	Russell Hughes (uncredited)
Art Miles	...	Guard (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery	...	Ernie (uncredited)
Robert Osterloh	...	Tommy Ryley (uncredited)
Terry O'Sullivan	...	Radio announcer (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Willie Rolf (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Prison tower guard (uncredited)
Eddie Phillips	...	T-man (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	T-man driving Car C (uncredited)
Ford Rainey	...	Zuckie Hommell (uncredited)
Joey Ray	...	T-man (uncredited)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Dr. Harris (uncredited)
George Spaulding	...	Judge (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Prison infirmary guard (uncredited)
George Taylor	...	Police surgeon at Tahoe morgue (uncredited)
Jim Thorpe	...	Big inmate (uncredited)
Jim Toney	...	Brakeman (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Jerry (uncredited)
Jack Worth	...	Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Ivan Goff		(screenplay) and
Ben Roberts		(screenplay)
Virginia Kellogg		(story)

Produced by
Louis F. Edelman	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox		(as Sid Hickox)

Film Editing by
Owen Marks

Art Direction by
Edward Carrere

Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Edwin Allen	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Gertrude Wheeler	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie G. Hewitt	....	sound

Special Effects by
Roy Davidson	....	special effects director
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)

Stunts
Audrey Scott	....	stunt double: Virginia Mayo (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Bjeering	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Paul Burnett	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Mike Joyce	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Dudie Maschmeyer	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leah Rhodes	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrations

Other crew
Irva Mae Ross	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• atlas Film (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United Artists Television (1976) (USA) (all media)
• Turner Entertainment (1987) (USA) (TV) (colorized)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (video)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | UK:15 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (1962) | Sweden:(Banned) (original rating) (1949) | Canada:PG (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1950) | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) (2004) | USA:Approved (PCA #13852) | Australia:M (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

All the locations and bearings radioed back and forth during the triangulation tracking of the gasoline truck, as it moves southwest across the Los Angeles basin, are accurate. They can all be found on a modern map of Los Angeles. Even the view of the Los Angeles City Hall shows up at the appropriate time.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The gas station attendant removes the radiator cap with his bare hand.

Quotes:

Verna Jarrett: It's always "somebody tipped them." Never "the cops are smart."

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes: America's Greatest Quips, Comebacks and Catchphrases (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Five O'Clock Whistle

Who But Cagney Could Pull This Off?

If you like James Cagney and you like the film noirs of the late 1940s, well, it doesn't get much better than this.

Cagney, who was always great at playing wild gangsters, makes this film interesting all the way through its two hours. Despite being a half-century old, he was still not far from being at the top of his game. His character, Cody Jarrett, is one of the most famous of the many he portrayed on film, which is saying a lot.

Who could sit on his mother's lap and still look like a tough guy? Not many, but Cagney pulled it off here with his tough mama, played really well by Margaret Wycherly. This was a new type of role for Wycherly, who was used to doing Shakespeare. You wouldn't know it from this "Ma Jarrett" role!

The "hoods" in here are all realistic tough guys and gals. Cagney's two-faced wife is played well by Virginia Mayo, who plays the typical (for this genre) floozy blonde whom you can trust about as far as you can throw.

The final scene - "Top Of World, Ma!" - is one of the most famous in all of film history. It's nice to see a nice print of this out on DVD now and some of the features are very informative. Included is an interview with Mayo, who still looks pretty good for an old lady!