White Heat (1949).

White Heat(1949). Film Noir. Cast: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly and Steve Cochran. Directed by Raoul Walsh from the Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts screenplay based on a story by Virginia Kellogg.

While Cody Jarrett and his ruthless gang robs a train, Cody kills the engineers and as one of them falls, it hits a steam valve, scalding bad guy, Zuckie Hommell.



 Along with Cody's mother and his wife Verna, the gang hides out in the mountains. Ma, is the only one who knows what to do to help him though his migraine headaches. She also helps him fight off Big Ed Somers, who wants to take over the gang and get Verna for himself.

During a thunderstorm, Cody decides to leave the hideout with his gang. He tells Zuchie that he will send a doctor back to take care of him, but.. orders Cotton Valleti to kill him. Instead Cotton, pretends to kill him and leaves a pack of cigarettes behind.

After Zuckie's body, is found along with Cotton's prints on the cigarettes, the Treasury Department has enough evidence to link the train robbery to Cody's gang. Agent Philip Evans and his men come close to catching Cody, but.. thanks to Ma, the gang escapes.

Cody, comes up with an alibi for the murderous train robbery, by confessing to a smaller robbery in Illinois that took place at the same time. Evans, knows that Cody is lying, but.. cannot prove it. He sends undercover agent Hank Fallon. Under the name Vic Pardo, Hank to jail, where he plans to befriend Cody.

Meanwhile.. Big Ed, takes over the gang.

At the prison, Hank saves Cody's life when Roy Parker, one of Big Ed's thugs, try to kill him. After Ma hears about the attack, she promises Cody that she will take care of Big Ed. Back in his cell Cody, has one of his headaches and Hank helps Cody, the way his mother did. Later that night, Cody shares his plans to escape. Hank, passes on the escape plans to an agent who is pretending to be his wife, but.. on the day of the planned escape, a newly arrived prisoner tells him that Ma is dead.

Cody, loses it in the prison mess hall and is taken to the dispensary. There, he uses a smuggled gun to take the doctor hostage and along with Hank, Parker and two other in-mates, makes his escape. Outside, Cody kills Parker and then heads for Bakersfield to avenge Ma's death.

Even though it was Verna, who killed Ma, she tells Cody that Big Ed shot her in the back. Cody kills Big Ed and then joins the rest of the gang. Cody, plans to rob a payroll by sneaking the gang into a company inside an oil tanker. Will Hank, be able to tip off the police in time, before any one else is hurt?.

Fun Facts:

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.

The unusually close relationship between Cody Jarrett and his domineering mother was inspired by real life bank robbers Kate Barker (aka "Ma Barker") and her sons.

I' m not really a James Cagney fan but, I did enjoy him in this film His character, Cody Jarrett, is one of the best classic movie bad guys you will find on film. Cagney's wife, is played very well, by one of my favorite actress Virginia Mayo. The final scene of White Heat, is one you will not soon forget.

Margaret Wycherly (26 October 1881 – 6 June 1956), was primarily a stage actress, appearing in one silent film. In 1929 at the advent of sound pictures she appeared in her second film, but first talkie, The Thirteenth Chair, based on the 1916 play by her husband in which she had starred. The film was directed by Tod Browning and was in the genre of mystery-old house melodrama.

Twelve years later, Wycherley appeared in Sergeant York in 1941. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of Mother York, though perhaps her best remembered screen role was as "Ma Jarrett", the mother of the psychopathic gangster Cody Jarrett, in White Heat (1949), which famously starred James Cagney.

Wycherly starred in several popular Broadway plays, including Tobacco Road, Random Harvest, Liliom, Six Characters in Search of an Author and The Thirteenth Chair (which role she reprised in the film of the same name). Her other films include Keeper of the Flame, The Yearling, Forever Amber, The Man with a Cloak and Johnny Angel starring George Raft.

An Act Of Murder(1948).

An Act Of Murder(1948). Directed by Michael Gordon. Starring Fredric March, Edmond O'Brien, Will Wright.

The story begins in the Pennsylvania court of Calvin Cooke, attorney David Douglas loses a murder trial. Unknown to Calvin, David, whom the judge dislikes because of his liberal ways of thinking, is dating his daughter Ellie.

Later that evening, while Cathy is preparing for her twentieth anniversary dinner, she experiences severe pain and dizziness which she hides from her family. The next day she goes in for several tests. Cathy's friend and Dr. Walter, arranges for the test results to be submitted to several specialists around the country.

In court the next day, Calvin gets a message from Walter, who informs him that Cathy is suffering from a unstoppable and fast-advancing disease.

The only help Walter can give her are pain pills that are highly toxic. He recommends that Calvin keep the information from Cathy and try to make her remaining days as pleasant as possible. Calvin decides to take Cathy on a second honeymoon trip.

While in an amusement park house of mirrors, Cathy has a dizzy spell and wants to return to the hotel, where she continues experiencing great pain.

Calvin gives her a pain pill, telling her it is aspirin, but Cathy spends the night in excruciating pain. The next morning Cathy finds a note from Calvin saying that he has gone for the newspaper and comes across Walter's pain medicine prescription and diagnosis. Meanwhile, Calvin has telephoned Walter and talks of suicide and relieving her pain.

When he returns to the hotel, Cathy says nothing about finding the prescription and asks to return home. On the drive back in the middle of a rainstorm, they have car trouble and Calvin is forced to pull into a roadside garage and cafe. While Calvin is with the mechanic, Cathy, realizes her condition is getting worse and calls her daughter Ellie.

On the road again with Cathy sleeping beside him, Calvin, intentionally drives the car over an embankment.. Will they survive the crash?

The story is about a helpless husband and his brave wife, and their final days until their doomed weekend. "An Act of Murder" makes a powerful statement on how fragile life is.

Edmond O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985), made his film debut in 1938, and became a highly regarded supporting actor. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the Air Forces' Broadway play and film, Winged Victory.

He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film, The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and was also nominated for his role as an alcoholic U.S. senator in the film, Seven Days in May (1964). Prior to that, O'Brien had a role in the, 1950's D.O.A. as a poisoned man who looks for his own murderer before he dies.

His other notable films include The Killers (1946), White Heat (1949), The Girl Can't Help It (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Longest Day (1962), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and The Wild Bunch (1969).

D.O.A. (1950).

D.O.A. (1950), a film noir directed by Rudolph Maté. Cast: Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton and Luther Adler.

The film begins with Frank Bigelow, walking through the police station to report his own murder and it seems the police already know who he is.

A flashback begins with accountant Bigelow, who decides to take a vacation in San Francisco, which upsets Paula, his secretary and girlfriend, when he does not invite her to go along.

He ends up at a jazz club where, a stranger swaps his drink for another, unnoticed. The next morning, Bigelow, not feeling well, visits a doctor, where tests show he has swallowed a "luminous toxin". He goes for a second opinion, the doctor agrees with the first findings and believes that the poisoning must have been deliberate.

With just a few days to live, Bigelow wants to find out why someone would want to kill him. Paula, provides the first clue: Eugene Philips had tried to contact him, but has since died. Bigelow travels to Philips' company in Los Angeles, first meeting the secretary and Mr Halliday, who tells him Eugene committed suicide. From there he goes to see the widow, Mrs Philips and Eugene's brother, Stanley.

The key to the mystery is a bill of sale, which Bigelow had notarized for Eugene Philips six months earlier. He then connects Eugene's mistress Marla Rakubian, to gangster Majak. They capture Bigelow, but he manages to escape. Will Bigelow, find his killers in time?



The story takes on many interesting twist and turns and there are many suspects to chose from.

Pamela Britton (March 19, 1923 – June 17, 1974) , Her first role in a major production was as Frank Sinatra's girlfriend in the film, Anchors Aweigh. Next she went on to perform in the film, Letter for Evie(1946), Key to the City(1959), with Clark Gable, D.O.A. (1950), Watch the Birdie (1951). Next, she performed in the title role of the TV version of, Blondie, for the one season it ran. The role which she is best Known for in 1963 and lasted until 1966, was a the nosy landlady, Mrs. Loralee Brown in, My Favorite Martian.

From the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 5: Backfire(1950).

Backfire(1950). Noir. Cast: Virginia Mayo, Gordon MacRae, Edmond O'Brien and Viveca Lindfors.

This movie mystery is told in flashbacks: About a returning serviceman in a VA hospital recovering from a spinal injury. During his recovery he falls in love with his nurse and begins to make plans with his friend Steve to buy a ranch together.

While still in the VA hospital, Bob begins to have nightmares that his friend Steve is in danger. Late one night, he’s visited by Steve’s girlfriend, who tells him that .. Steve, is badly injured. Bob falls asleep before he can find out more. (The blurred vision give a hallucinatory quality to the scene).

After Bob, is released from the hospital he has plans to spend a romantic weekend with Mayo. Their weekend plans come to an end when he’s picked up by cops and taken to the homicide division. There he’s told that his best friend is the main suspect in the killing of a well known gambler. Bob, wants to help his friend clear his name.

I really enjoyed seeing MacRae in a film noir. I mostly know him from his performances in musicals. There are plenty of flavorful character actors in supporting roles. I thought the film was suspenseful and very entertaining.

Dane Clark (February 26, 1912 – September 11, 1998) was an film actor who was known for playing the "Joe Average" character.

He graduated from Cornell University and earned a law degree at St. John's University School of Law in Queens, New York.

During the Great Depression, he worked as a boxer, baseball player, construction worker and model.

Clark got his big break when he was signed by Warner Bros. in 1943.

He performed in war movies: Action in the North Atlantic (1943), his breakthrough part, opposite Humphrey Bogart, Destination Tokyo (1943) with Cary Grant, and Pride of   the Marines (1945) with friend John Garfield. According to Clark, Bogart gave him his stage name.

Viveca Lindfors (29 December 1920 – 25 October 1995), was a Swedish stage and film actress.

She trained at the Royal Dramatic Theatre School, Stockholm. Soon after, she became a theater and film star in Sweden.

She moved to the United States in 1946 after being signed by Warner Bros. She appeared in more than one hundred films such as: Night Unto Night, No Sad Songs for Me, Dark City, King of Kings, Creepshow and Stargate.

In the last years of her life, she taught acting at the School of Visual Arts in New York.