White Heat (1949) User Reviews (221)

Even at 50 Cagney is a force of nature here

[AlsExGal · 9/10 · 2 March 2017]

White Heat" shows the influence of film noir that was so popular in the 40's an 50's. Here, Cagney's gangster persona has come full circle back to the viciousness of Tom Powers in "Public Enemy". The big difference is that in this film Cagney's mother is no cream puff. She is, in fact, probably a bigger criminal in thought if not in deed than Cagney's Cody Jarrett.

This late entry into Cagney's gangster filmology shows technology and thus the law gaining on the criminal, with electronic gadgets and undercover lawmen with college degrees in psychology replacing the determined hard-boiled detectives and beat cops of the past. It very much looks forward to the Dragnet series that is to emerge in the 50's.

Virginia Mayo plays Verna, the fur coat loving unfaithful wife to Cagney's psychopathic criminal character Cody Jarrett. She has the hots for a member of Cody's gang, Big Ed (Steve Cochran). Even with his dark menacing presence, Cochran acts like a scared rabbit at the idea of dealing with Cody's wrath - Cagney has that much screen presence here. Edmund O'Brien is great as the undercover cop who has to stay on his toes to keep Cody believing he is on his side and win his confidence. Anything less than a convincing performance would be deadly. O'Brien always impressed me as someone who, like Cagney, could play either a guy with a white or black hat, depending on what the role called for.

Best scene without giving away the ending. Cody chewing on a chicken leg asking a guy in the trunk of the car how he's doing. When he complains it is stuffy Cody pumps the trunk full of lead. He now has the air he needs, not that he is in any condition to breathe anymore.

Made it Ma... Top of the world!

[Tito32 · 9/10 · 10 November 2004]

They sure don't make them like this any more!

Blessed with a touch of genius...

Alfred Hitchcock once said that you need three things in order to make a good movie : good script, good script and good script! This is a perfect example of that statement. It is as simple as that! This movie is made in 1949 and today,almost 55 years later, it still holds up and is up there with the best gangster dramas of all time. Many would disagree but frankly who cares? None of the modern gangster flicks would be the same without existence of this movie, thats for sure. The script is just great,the score is excellent and dialog is amazing!!! (try comparing it with the standards of today) Every third sentence coming out of Cody Jarretts mouth is endlessly quotable, this movie is Scarface of its time. Cagneys character in this movie is larger than life, one of the greatest gangster characters of all time... James Cagney - perhaps his greatest performance ever! I see that some fools criticize his performance,saying that it isn't great at all. My question to you is : How many movies from '40s have you seen? How wooden was the acting in those days? The answer - extremely. There were few great actors in those days, whose genius could hold up against the acting giants of today and one of them is surely James Cagney!

One of top 10-15 gangster movies of all time!

It ain't subtle, but it's highly entertaining.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 2 August 2009]

After a long absence from gangster films, Jimmy Cagney returned in WHITE HEAT. However, it's not just a typical gangster film as Cagney plays one of the craziest killers in film history--and the final product is incredibly entertaining.

Cagney plays a combination momma's boy and antisocial killing machine. What makes this more interesting is his unusually close relationship with his mother--who follows him as he goes on bank jobs around the country. While he has a girlfriend (Virginia Mayo), he's so attached to Mom that he cannot live without her. Heck, I almost expected to see him in bed with her--they were that close and it was very creepy. It was like Freud's idea of the Oedipal Complex except Cagney DID succeed in seducing and capturing his mother! Later in the film, Cagney's mother is killed--after which, Cagney becomes a lot more imbalanced. In addition to this, he has periodic blinding headaches and it's almost comical to see him writhing in pain one minute and blasting some guy for practically no reason the next!

After this gang evades the police for some time, a special agent (Edmund O'Brien) insinuates himself into the gang--becoming a trusted friend of Cagney in the process. Eventually, of course, the gang is captured and Cagney is confronted by a bazillion law enforcement officers in the most spectacular ending of any film noir picture in history. You just have to see it to believe it!

Overall, a great script with lots of interesting psychological components. While Cagney's performance isn't the lest bit subtle, it certainly is very entertaining. For any lover of noir, this is a must-see and one of the most memorable films in movie history.

Love James Cagney movies? Don't miss this one.

[ksdilauri · 10/10 · 13 May 2019]

If you're into Old Hollywood, and haven't gotten around to seeing "White Heat", remedy that right away! Nobody does 'gangster' like Cagney, and the screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts is one of their very best---a classic Warner Brothers crime melodrama, with a mother complex thrown in for its protagonist. When pictures like this are done well, they hold up in spite of the change in standards over time. "White Heat" is tough, even though its violence isn't explicitly shown and there isn't a cuss word in the whole thing. (Can you imagine? Today, even TV talk-show hosts drop f-bombs like gum wrappers. That's progress......) The "White Heat" DVD is available, including 2 commentaries by film historians Leonard Maltin and Drew Casper, in the fun "Warner Brothers Night at the Movies" package. It's the way it used to be when people went to a movie in the Golden Era---with coming attractions, 1949 newsreel, vintage Bugs Bunny cartoon, a comedy short, and the feature picture---with Cagney in his most explosive role. A must see for film buffs.

Who But Cagney Could Pull This Off?

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 17 December 2005]

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!

They don't make 'em like this anymore

[BrianV · 10/10 · 12 September 1998]

The old saying, "They don't make 'em like they used to" fits this film to a T. Every other crazed-killer-goes-on-a-rampage movie ever made pales next to it. This is the best performance of Cagney's career (although, astoundingly enough, he didn't think much of the picture or his work in it, dismissing it as "just another gangster flicker"). Only Cagney could take a character like Cody Jarrett, a snarling, murderous monster with a mother fixation--someone you KNOW is going to get his at the end--and still almost make you wish he gets away. The film is one taut nerve from beginning to end. There's not a wasted moment in it; it starts out at full blast with the daring robbery of a mail train barreling through a mountain pass and doesn't let up. Performances are universally top-notch, from the stars on down to the extras. Far and away the finest film of director Raoul Walsh's long and distinguished career, this movie can take its place as not only the best gangster film ever made, but as one of the best films ever made, period.

I told you to keep away from that radio. If that battery is dead it'll have company.

[hitchcockthelegend · 10/10 · 4 March 2008]

White Heat is directed by Raoul Walsh and adapted by Ivan Goff & Ben Roberts from a story suggested by Virginia Kellogg. It stars James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Steve Cochran & Margaret Wycherly. Music is by Max Steiner and photography by Sidney Hickox.

Cody Jarrett (Cagney) is the sadistic leader of a violent and ruthless gang of thieves. Unnervingly devoted to his mother (Wycherly) and afflicted by terrible headaches since childhood, Cody is one bad day away from being a full blown psychotic. That day is coming soon, and everyone in his way is sure to pay.

Around the time of White Heat being released, two things were evident as regards its star and its themes. One is that it had been a long time since a gangster, and a truly vicious one at that, had thrilled or frightened a cinema audience. The Production Code and a change in emotional value due to World War II had seen the genuine career gangster all but disappear. Second thing of note is that Cagney was stung by the disappointing performance of Cagney Productions. So after having left Warner Brothers in 1942, the diminutive star re-signed for the studio and returned to the genre he had almost made his own in the 30s. He of course had some say in proceedings, such as urging the makers to ensure a crime does not pay motif, but all told he needed a hit and the fit with Raoul Walsh and the psychotic Jarrett was perfect. It may not be his best acting performance, but it's certainly his most potent and arguably it's the cream of the gangster genre crop.

The inspiration for the film is mostly agreed to be the real life criminals: Ma Barker, Arthur "Doc" Barker and Francis Crowley. A point of worth being that they were all 30s criminals since White Heat very much looks and feels like a 30s movie. Cagney for sure is older (he was 50 at the time) and more rotund, but he and the film have the presence and vibrancy respectively to keep it suitably in period and in the process becoming the last of its kind. White Heat is that rare old beast that manages to have a conventional action story at its core, yet still be unique in structure and portrayal of the lead character. Neatly crafted by Walsh around four Cody Jarrett "moments" of importance, the Oedipal tones playing out between Cody and his Ma make for an uneasy experience, but even then Walsh and the team pull a rabbit out the hat by still garnering sympathy for the crazed protagonist. It sounds nutty, but it really is one of the big reasons why White Heat is the great film that it is. Another reason of course is "those" special scenes, two of which are folklore cinematic legends now. Note legend number 1 as Cody, incarcerated, receives bad news, the reaction is at once terrifying and pitiful (note the extras reaction here since they didn't know what was coming). Legend number 2 comes with "that" ending, forever quotable and as octane ignited finale's go it takes some beating.

As brilliant and memorable as Cagney is, it's not, however, a one man show. He's superbly directed by Walsh, with the great director maintaining a pace and rhythm to match Cody Jarrett's state of mind. And with Steiner (Angels With Dirty Faces/Casablanca/Key Largo) scoring with eerie strands and strains, and Hickox (The Big Sleep/To Have and Have Not) adding noir flourishes for realism and atmosphere, it's technically a very smart picture. The supporting cast in the face of Cagney's barnstorming come up with sterling work. Wycherly is glorious as the tough and tetchy Ma Jarrett and O'Brien is needed to be spot on in the film's second most important role; a role that calls for him to not only be the first man Cody has ever trusted, but also as some sort of weird surrogate mother! Mayo isn't called on to do much, but she's gorgeous and sexy and fatalistic in sheen. While Cochran holds his end up well as the right hand man getting ideas above his station.

White Heat is as tough as they come, a gritty pulsating psycho drama that has many visual delights and scenes that are still as powerful and as shocking some 60 odd years since it first hit the silver screen. What is often forgotten, when yet another clip of the brilliant ending is shown on TV, is that it's also a weird and snarky piece of film. All told, it is blisteringly hot. 10/10

Cagney's last great gangster film was his best...

[Doylenf · 15 June 2002]

WHITE HEAT is the ultimate gangster melodrama with the great James Cagney at the peak of his powers. No one else in the cast is a slouch either--Virginia Mayo convinces me that Bette Davis was right when she suggested Mayo should have played Rosa Moline in BEYOND THE FOREST.

Edmond O'Brien as a doggedly determined cop pretending to be a prisoner to get close to Cagney, is excellent, as he always is in these kind of roles. Steve Cochran's dirty lowdown heel is a standout as the darkly handsome actor makes the most of every line, especially in his scenes opposite Virginia Mayo.

Director Raoul Walsh keeps the film spinning along at a fast clip, never once letting the rather uncomplicated plot lose any of its tension as he underscores the pathology of Cody Jarrett's character, a man obsessed by his conniving mother (Margaret Wycherly). Cagney's prison breakup scene is masterfully handled by the actor and staged for maximum effect. A rousing score by Max Steiner underlines all of the suspenseful action and there's an electrifying climax with Cagney's famous "Top of the world, ma!" before he meets his end.

James Cagney has never had a better gangster role and he's given brilliant support by an outstanding cast. By all means, worth viewing as one of the great Warner crime melodramas of the late '40s.

Cagney's Fine Performance In A Dull Story

[Lechuguilla · 6/10 · 10 November 2013]

Cody Jarrett (James Cagney) is a violent, psychopathic outlaw and the ringleader of a group that robs a train headed for California, in this noir gangster film written in semi-documentary style. As a killer, Cody is the bad guy. Yet, he must confront enemies that in some ways are even worse. He must deal with traitors inside his own gang. He also must outwit a much more difficult enemy, the U.S. government, which uses lies and deceit to trap him. And so by comparison, viewers sympathize with Cody, a strait shooter and basic loner who, though pugnacious, is tough, pragmatic, smart, and gutsy.

Cody draws inspiration from his mama (Margaret Wycherly) who tags along with the gang, cooking and shopping. While trust is hard to come by among gang members, Ma Jarrett and Cody psychologically depend upon, and reinforce, each other. Mom eggs her son on, and at one point intones: "You're the smartest there is, Cody". And when mom says she could have made a mistake, Cody responds: "Your hunches are never wrong, Ma". Hints of Freud, maybe?

When Cody uses prison as a way to avoid a more serious rap, the Fed sends in an undercover detective who assumes the name of Vic Pardo (Edmond O'Brien), to trap Cody and get inside info on the gang. One of my complaints about the script is that Pardo doesn't act like a real prisoner; he acts like an undercover cop. And so the character just isn't believable. Yet the Pardo character and some inserted plot twists keep the story moving to its less than realistic conclusion. Another problem is the script's prison interlude segment. It's too long and too talky. This section could have been cut in half and still maintained essential plot points.

B&W cinematography is acceptable but nothing special. Background score is too loud and intrusive most of the time. Production design is largely invisible, which is what we would expect for a 1940s crime film. Casting is okay. And the acting is somewhat above average, with the best performances coming from Cagney and Wycherly.

"White Heat" is really a James Cagney cinematic vehicle. The entire plot revolves around his character and his relationship to those who come into his orbit. Though this is a fine character study, and Cagney gives a fine performance, the overall story is a bit dull and tedious for me.

a boy's best friend is his mother

[telegonus · 10/10 · 15 August 2001]

James Cagney lights up the screen in all respects in this violent and hard-driving film. There's nary a dull moment with Jimmy on hand, whether having his mother ease his migraine tantrums by rubbing his head or shooting a fellow gang member through the trunk of his car in order to give him a little air. Raoul Walsh vigorously directs this movie with remarkable gusto given that he was over sixty at the time and at at this point in his career had nothing to prove.

Cagney's character of Cody Jarrett is shown to be a madman at the start of the film. There's no need for his confederates to engage in a little is-he-or-isn't-he chitchat regarding his sanity a la The Caine Mutiny. They know he's mad. Even his mother knows he's mad. No matter. Cody continues on his crime spree, and his gang stays loyal to him, if only for the consequences of leaving him being to frightening to contemplate. He has a girl, who two-times him with another gang member. A federal agent who infiltrates the gang and becomes a surrogate mother by easing his headaches in the same manner, also betrays him, though it's his job to do so. Only Ma Jarrett, it seems, could be trusted.

One of the many charms of this film is its absolute refusal to make a statement, which wasn't Raoul Walsh's bag anyway; and screenwriters Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, though they delve into Freud a bit, don't get too heavy over Cagney's psychopathology. They just accept it, show us its various sides, and leave it at that. This movie is a far cry from other films made around the same time, was highly popular when first released, and remains so to this day. It is not quite film noir, being too bright and rational. Nor is it a study in perverse psychology, despite its main character. For all the location filming it is no semi-documentary in the manner of House On 92nd Street. It is basically a lively action picture whose makers, taking a cue from Hiroshima bomb, decided to end their movie with a bang, making their show a fine example of good, clean apocalyptic fun.

On top of the world ma!!!

[thekyles99 · 7/10 · 20 December 2010]

Finally got a copy of this sent to me and man! I don't usually like old black and white films as they bore the hell outta me but this was really good. I have seen many impresiions of James Cagney and now that i actually got to see the man himself, i can see what the impressionists were doing. A lot of them that i saw were dead on! Cagney delivers a riveting performance of gangster boss Cody Jarrett. Jarrett is a psychopathic mama's boy who while in the pen plans a heist of an oil refinery unbeknown st to him that his new cell mate is a plant by the police. A great film that if anyone knows of other classics i might enjoy such as this please share!! Renewed my faith in the era of black and white film. ON TOP OF THE WORLD MA!!!

Bridges the gap between film noir and WB's classic gangster flicks.

[Ham_and_Egger · 10/10 · 9 June 2005]

An extraordinary performance from James Cagney turns what might have been a by-the-numbers movie into a masterpiece. Everything revolves around Cagney. Edmond O'Brien, Virginia Mayo, and Margaret Wycherly are all superb, but when Cagney is off the screen you wait for him to come back.

Cody Jarrett (Cagney) is a desperate gangster, standing on the ledge at the end of the Public Enemy era. But 'White Heat' gives us a much more intricate psychological portrait of it's anti-hero protagonist than earlier gangster movies. Cody's dependence on his "Ma" is at the crux of the story; there is no finer example of the corrupted mother in film history, even Mrs. Bates takes a backseat to Ma Jarrett.

Throughout the film, events, and characters, conspire against Cody all leading to his delivering of one of most iconic lines ever concocted by Hollywood. I won't repeat it, you know what it is even if you've never seen the movie, but even with prior knowledge it's still an extraordinarily moving moment given the context in which it's delivered.

A constantly surprising and entertainingly unhinged gangster classic.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 12 April 2018]

One thing that 'White Heat (1949)' could never be accused of, like it's unhinged and off-type killer protagonist, is being predictable. It's constantly surprising as it powers through its relatively unconventional plot which - though sometimes a little unfocused - does a fantastic job of painting a clear picture of a violent criminal at its heart and keeping you on your toes throughout. The flick is entertaining and maintains a tight grip on its narrative, which is violent and exciting as it follows the deadly lifestyle of its central criminal character. It ends with a literal bang during a fantastic, frenetic shootout. 7/10

White Heat Only Registered "Luke-Warm" On My Own Private Movie-Meter

[strong-122-478885 · 5/10 · 24 October 2011]

Sure James Cagney, as the psychotic Cody Jarrett (a regular, little momma's boy and migraine-headache victim), may have been "On top of the world!" in terms of his own overall exhilaration - Yeah. That he may have been - But, for me, while watching White Heat, I certainly wasn't anywhere near that level of nirvana, myself - No. Not by a long shot.

Over the years I have been told, time and again, that White Heat was, in fact, a true "Classic" of 1940s Crime films. Well, in my opinion, the only way that I could ever call White Heat a "Classic" would be solely in terms of its disappointment factor. I mean, to be fair, White Heat wasn't awful, but, then again, by the same token, it sure didn't live up to its "so-called" legendary reputation, either.

For one thing - White Heat was way-way too long for my liking. About a good half an hour could've easily been trimmed from its running time. Yeah. That whole inexplicable focus on Cody's stay in prison became totally tedious beyond words.

Another disappointment in White Heat was Cagney's less-than-electrifying performance as the psychotic suck, Cody Jarrett. I mean - A few face-slaps here, a couple of "Shuddups!" there, some agonized head-holding, and a string of predictable wisecracks certainly didn't add up to a very interesting character, in my books.

Cagney was 50 at the time of this film, and if his character was really supposed to be this insanely devoted momma's boy that he was, then I could never-ever, in a zillion years, be convinced that he could've ever landed himself such a hot, young and (fairly) understanding wife like Verna (even if she was just two-faced white-trash). No way, Jose. Like, please spare me having to suspend disbelief about Cody by that much. OK?

All-in-all - White Heat was mediocre movie-entertainment. Like - C'mon, all you vintage movie fans out there - Let's face it - There are, by far, so many other 40s Crime films out there that can, and do, surpass this one by a literal country mile.

A Mother's Son

[nycritic · 10/10 · 18 December 2005]

No one but James Cagney could play infamous gangsters like he could. Already famous for smashing a half-grapefruit on Mae Clarke's face in THE PUBLIC ENEMY, he had an appropriate bracket as another low-life in Raoul Walsh's ultra-gritty crime caper WHITE HEAT.

Breaking ground for even more creepy criminals, Cagney plays Cody Jarrett, a man who wants to be on 'top of the world' and is dominated to incestuous excess by his she-wolf of a mother, Ma Jarrett (modeled on Ma Barker and played to excellence by Margaret Wycherly). These two are not people you would want to cross: Cody is capable of acts of extreme violence, and Ma Jarrett will go to great lengths to protect her son. She has even less fear then he. Both are the equivalent of Bonny and Clyde without the romantic liaison.

Such so that the Feds decide to keep an intense eye on them by sending one of theirs, Hank Fallon, disguised as a common crook Vic Pardo. Both land in jail and an uneasy but increasingly dependent friendship develops, one that gets closer when Ma Jarrett dies and Cody simply goes bonkers -- in losing her, he has lost himself and this now bumps Fallon a notch closer to Cody who turns the tables of trust on him. Both bust out of prison to perform another money-making heist that has quite a different outcome than originally planned.

The power of WHITE HEAT lies less on duplicities and double-crosses: other than the revelation that Cody's own wife Verna (Virginia Mayo, electrifying) was the person who offed his mother (off-screen), what matters if the relationship that the two men develop. Ed O'Brien as Fallon/Pardo seems slimier at times than James Cagney's Cody Jarrett -- his character is used to this sort of thing, living among criminals, playing the undercover cop -- and he knows all the stops to trump Cagney when the time comes. His role is actually more difficult than Cagney's because he has to underplay his part and walk on eggshells while around him, and we know that ultimately it will be revealed who he is and that Cagney will not be a happy camper at realizing this overwhelming betrayal. Featuring one of the best endings (and most quoted movie lines in film history), WHITE HEAT has gone to universal acclaim and has been referenced in its template when tackling crime dramas.

A classic drama and a classic psychological study

[nickjg · 25 January 2004]

Cagney's ability to shock is constant and each new gangster he creates shows a new facet of the psychopathic mind. White heat is the perfect antidote to the earlier movies- the structure where good triumphs in the last reel is still there but the killer, out of control is far less romanticised- if only current directors could develop this message. Cody Jarrett is the product of an over protective mother and thug father in the classic pattern. His whole view of the world is simplistic without subtlety or shade. Like all people of his type his self-confidence betrays him because he sees other people as stereotypes and while he has insight into the sorts of people who form his support network, he, very unwisely, dismisses the intelligence of the opposition. Like all gangsters, he has very little grasp of the outside world- throughout the film he is trapped in boxes, just like the man he kills in the boot of his car. Cagney's portrayal is his greatest role- his avoidance of pathos and his refusal to bend emotionally mean that we are never invited to pity him- wherever there seems to be a point of access for the audience he delivers the lines with a flatness which denies us sympathy. His maudlin obsession with his mother invites us to loathe his infantile mental paralysis.

Not enough comments praise the real co-star: Margaret Wycherley. She is a sinister mother who can handle the police and the gang and Cody's wife. Her world-weary cynicism, her obsession with her son delivered in the same dead-pan style is such a total antithesis to the usual hollywood 'caring parent' model that she raises the character to the level of an Empress Livia or an Agrippina. The final scene works on multiple levels- the good-guy cannot easily destroy the villain- does the world blow up in Cody's face or are we being told that the Jarretts of the world will dominate until they bring the universe to destruction? A film which still demands analysis and does more to reveal the nature of criminal amorality than anything Tarrantino or Scorsese could produce- The latter types of director are too caught up in the 'romance' of the villainous life- they need to develop Raoul Walsh's objectivity and Cagney's penetration. It is Cagney's unequivocal hatred of the character he's portraying and the personal honesty which allows him to objectify both the character he is playing and himself as an actor that makes the whole thing work. The crude method actors we're stuck with today could learn a lot from his Cody Jarrett!

James Cagney loves his mommie

[MarioB · 10/10 · 28 August 2000]

Well... O.K.! I'm gonna say the same things than the other IMDB users! After some fine films as an actor producer in the 1940's, great James Cagney returns to the type of role he doesn't want to be anymore : a gangster! Perhaps he was knowing that this time should be the last time, because he's adding and adding some meaness to his character. Cagney, as a gangster, was never so great in a movie! He's mad, dangerous, he's everything - and more! - we want to see from a Hollywood gangster! Adding to that a very good cast, with superb Virginia Mayo in one of the best women's gangster movie role. Add some solid and masculine work by director Raoul Walsh and we have perhaps the best gangster movie of all time. And of course, there's the finale nobody wants to forget... Did I say the same things? Yes? That's one more good reason to see this film!

The Best Gangsters Have Mommy Issues

[GRWeston · 9/10 · 30 March 2011]

An elaborate, bloody and very exciting heist of treasury bonds from a train kicks off White Heat, a movie I had been wanting to see for a long time, and my expectations were met and then some. The heist's mastermind is Cody Jarrett (James Cagney), a leader of a band of thieves who is the strangest, yet most entertaining gangster I've seen in a movie: he's a man prone to random crushing headaches and who is hopelessly devoted to his co-conspiring mother, much to the chagrin of both his second-in-command and his neglected wife. Unfortunately for Cody, he does not get away clean, but he has a card up his sleeve: do time for another, lesser crime he had committed earlier so that he can avoid the severe punishment of this one. While unable to step in, the treasury responds by having an agent assume the alias of Vic Pardo and pose as an inmate and befriend Cody so that the law can bring him and gang to justice. Meanwhile, his wife and his former right-hand man make plans of their own: move the organization forward, and without Cody - literally. Pardo inadvertently foils their assassination attempt, a move which makes his bond with Jarrett even stronger. The two eventually get out of jail, and while Cody quickly regains control and even lines up his next heist, the payroll of a major chemical plant, he remains unaware of Pardo's real intentions. Cody's gang and the law both converge on the plant, which becomes the set piece for a (literally) explosive conclusion.

What surprised me the most about White Heat is its energy and speed. Instead of having the careful, measured pace typical of 40's film noir, it resembles what a feature-length episode of 24 would be like, and given the volatility of the Jarrett character, this is entirely appropriate. Cagney definitely sunk his teeth into the role: his creepy behavior, especially his relationship with his mother, really gets under your skin, and when he's violent, he makes even Joe Pesci in Goodfellas seem tame. The violence in general is very shocking: there are many shootings, and each one hasn't a shred of regret or remorse. As for the movie's two major heists, both are simply thrilling to watch, not to mention interesting in how they reveal how criminals operated during that era. Still, what is even more interesting is how the law uses technology to chase down Jarrett and his gang. There is heavy and seemingly accurate use of car phones, radar detection and other techniques I had no idea were in use at the time. I will admit, however, that the movie did not leave me with a whole lot to think about afterward, which is disappointing given Jarrett's strange quirks which, while unique, only seemed to be there for the plot's sake rather than examine of the burdens of having an Oedipus complex. Still, I will not deny that I was entertained, and I would be hard pressed to find a better example of noir and action done right.

Intelligent Thriller

[Theo Robertson · 9/10 · 12 August 2002]

Warner Brothers decided to kill off their cycle of gangster films with WHITE HEAT. A pity perhaps but what a film to end their success on . Cagney will always be remembered for playing gangsters and Cody Jarret is his most memorable performance , but Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts script is nearly as memorable as Cagney due to its high level of intelligence . I especially liked the way the gang tried to test Fallon by leaving the photograph of his wife on the table in the prison cell , little touches like that make WHITE HEAT a classic . If it was made nowadays we`d get bad language , graphic sex, bloodbaths and post modernist references to pop culture . Well you can keep all that Quentin Tarantino rubbish , this is how a good film should be made . Top of the world

Beating Raoul

[SatyrIX · 7/10 · 26 August 2009]

Right from 'Regeneration' every Raoul Walsh film is a must-see. Nevertheless, I find this picture a weaker effort of his. Which is not to say I don't love it as much as everybody else, but I found some of it's plotting unnecessarily slapdash, and get the feeling it was over-polished in the editing and left the lot with the tires overinflated for maximum box office appeal. The "Top of the world, Ma!"- Jimmy Cagney classic is actually not as old as I'd thought, released in 1949. One of those great albeit deeply unconvincing Edmond O'Brien roles as a narc who gets in too close with Cagney. Two things are noteworthy about this movie. First is that the big score scheduled for the end of the film is premised upon the idea that a large chemical firm pays its numerous employees in cash on payday. This struck me as mighty unlikely. Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one and paychecks are less than 60 years old. And to my jaded astonishment O'Brien's character also lets fly with "we got him by the short hairs!" complete with finger motions; was Hayes' out sick? Mind bogglingly risqué for its time, I felt, and nearly subliminal in its inclusion. Several other instances beggar belief; yet they are balanced out by our understanding of them as psychologically relevant character details, and a wealth of other more satisfying scenes. Really, I think the family dynamic, particularly in the first half of the film, show Walsh's greatness: the tension between Ma & the Moll, both in the hideout and down at the precinct: fabulous.

There seems to be some nuanced Freudian symbolism in Cody's use of a Trojan horse in his final caper; moreover a great deal of attention is paid by everyone to Cody's mercurial inner states. In the end, the hyper-industrialized landscape of the chemical factory where Cody's apotheosis takes its eponymous place as a fireball in the sky, is also seen to be where the White Heat's original genius loci inside Cody's head (in the form of both his devastating self-inflicted migraines, and raging criminal ambitions) turns inside out, transmuted to spectacular combustion, sheer effect. "Top of the world, Ma!" is revealed as an incantation.

James Cagney's performance is amazing

[bregund · 10/10 · 3 August 2005]

Though the acting in this film is excellent all around, Cagney steals the show. His performance is good not just because he was an excellent actor, but because he knew just how far to take the role of Cody without appearing cartoonish. He spends much of the film stomping around like a petulant, angry little boy, but then he surprises with a few moments of gentle reminiscing about his mother. His command of the role is remarkable because he seems to know the character so well that he becomes Cody; I think this is the ultimate statement about an actor's skills because you forget that he's acting. His every expression, roll of his eyes, sneer, maniacal laugh, howl of anger or glee, these things came from his heart. The scene where Cagney walks out of the house eating a drumstick and casually ventilating the trunk of the car with his gun is something that Tarentino might have used fifty years later. And I doubt that anyone could fail to see how deeply he loved his mother after his wail of despair when he learns of her death. His stunned disbelief at learning Fallon is a cop practically leaps off the screen: "I treated him like a kid brother." It's a wretched scene. It's hard to believe this is the same actor who made such impossible dance moves in "Yankee Doodle Dandy". James Cagney was a remarkable actor. I doubt that any contemporary actor ever possessed the same kind of intensity. James Caan was once this intense a long time ago.

Virginia Mayo is radiant, whether being treacherous or purring like a kitten as it suits her plans. Cody doesn't really care for her, even when he's carrying her piggyback around the house. It seems warm and light-hearted, but she'll never take the place of dear old mom, and she knows it. Her best line is delivered at the end of the movie when she's trying to save her own neck: "you dirty copper." The way she says it always makes me laugh. But don't turn your back on her, if you know what I mean.

Raoul Walsh's tight direction doesn't let you stop for a moment. Something is always happening in the movie, even at the very end, where the alien landscape is dominated by gigantic refinery spheres. This is postwar U.S. prosperity, where Cody's old-fashioned gangster world doesn't belong, and the results are predictably abrupt and terrifying. They even use a primitive form of GPS to catch him, and walk around with walkie-talkies, technology that Cody couldn't begin to understand. Out with the old world, in with the new.

Edmond O'Brien is good too, but he's no match against Cagney and knows it, so he plays it really straight and low-key. You can see the desperation in his face. I think Walsh was ahead of his time when he played the truck driver (I forget his name) against Fallon, where they constantly kept missing each other's faces by a split second; it's really clever the way Walsh does this, and you find yourself saying "oh no" several times as they just miss each other. It's almost humorous the way Walsh does this. Only at the end do their eyes finally meet, and there's the spark of recognition.

This movie is fantastic, and every bit as groundbreaking as "Citizen Kane" or "Sunset Boulevard". At least watch it for James Cagney, there will never be another actor like him.

Fine violent gangster movie with some iconic scenes

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 12 November 2014]

Cody Jarrett (James Cagney) is the sadistic leader of a ruthless gang. He is married to Verna (Virginia Mayo) and suffers from pounding migraines. He is violent and totally devoted to "Ma" Jarrett (Margaret Wycherly). The police are closing in on the gang after a deadly train robbery. Undercover agent Hank Fallon (Edmond O'Brien) is able to infiltrate the gang by being in the Illinois State Penitentiary.

There is a static procedural feel about some of the movie along with some fun gangster action. It is punctuated by Cagney's explosive performance and of course his climatic chemical plant shoot out. The line "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" is iconic. It's a fine violent gangster movie underscored by some very memorable scenes.

Can Cagney Disappoint?

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 11 March 2011]

Cody Jarrett (James Cagney) is the ruthless, deranged leader of a criminal gang. Although married to Verna (Virginia Mayo), Jarrett is overly attached to his equally crooked and determined mother, "Ma" Jarrett (Margaret Wycherly), his only real confidante.

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called it "the acme of the gangster-prison film" and praised its "thermal intensity". Tim Dirks on the website Filmsite.org writes that the film may have also inspired many other successful films.

Bottom line: can James Cagney make a bad gangster film? I think not. The only way you can make a gangster film better than a Cagney film, is by having one with Cagney, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson. But that is just not going to happen.

I have a different opinion of this highly rated crime/drama film

[Ed-Shullivan · 6/10 · 11 February 2018]

I think James Cagney's body of work is something to be very proud of and his loyal fans like myself are glad he made so many great films. Having said that I have watched this film three (3) times now and I just never got that good feeling that sometimes comes over me after watching a great crime film classic like (1972) The Godfather, (2015) Black Mass, (2012) The Iceman, and/or (1993) A Bronx Tale.

I realize that I may be in the minority with my opinion but the film left me looking for quite a bit more in Cagney's mob boss character Cody Jarrett. The fixation with his "ma" was creative but for example, the scene in which Cody is in prison and whispers at the prison meal table to the guy sitting next to him who just got outside news that Cody's "ma" is dead was just so over the top that I found it to be too comical. I just could not see a mob boss after finding out his adorable "ma" is dead would scream out loud and literally crawl across the prison dinner table without anyone trying to stop him for acting like a big baby.

I loved Virginia Mayo's portrayal as the selfish and beautiful blonde gun moll Virginia, wife of Cody Jarrett whose facial expressions when she observes the interactions between Cody and his mom provide us with her disdain for their relationship.

No doubt, the film ending is a classic and extremely well done. I just was not so impressed with the other 110 minutes of the film.

The most unattractive protagonist (villain) and the most helpless police

[TaylorYee94 · 4/10 · 15 September 2020]

When villain is widely praised which is not that common, he or she has his or her side of the story: a reasonable, memorable, and understandable one. Conversely, he or she can be psychotic evil, just the state of evilness and chaos. Cody is just a grumpy, old, fat, and short mama's boy who looks down on his people, his girlfriend, and almost everyone. He is too violent and neurotic every time without enough reasons.

Cody's obsession with his mom and troubled childhood can make him an interesting villain with history, but James Cagney fails to deliver it. His acting is exaggerated and dramatized unnaturally. He has this face he make, something like lips are smiling, but eyes are not. He makes lips widespread and talks like woodpecker, monotone and staccato throughout the movie. It's like a robot's acting in a exaggerated way. There is nothing natural about his acting. James Cagney IS overrated.

Government authority is so powerless that it brings down movie's protagonist with it. A great villain can shine because he or she can compete with a great hero, and vice versa. Joker and Batman; Thor and Loki; Harry Potter and Voldemort. When Cody breaks out from prison, officials even help his colleague put on straight jacket. With one hit in the back of the neck, police officer collapses and loses consciousness. Everyone grows and learns from obstacles, but Cody doesn't have any. It does not make him look so powerful; it makes him look dumb just like collapsed police officers.