They Made Me a Criminal

1/21/19391h 32m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ YOU'D GIVE A DOG A BETTER CHANCE! ~

Overview:

A boxer flees, believing he has committed a murder while he was drunk.

Director:

Busby Berkeley

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

police
sports
detective
arizona
boxer
ranch
reporter
dead end kids
boxing

Cast

John Garfield

~ as ~

Johnnie Bradfield, aka Jack Dorney

Claude Rains

~ as ~

Det. Monty Phelan

Ann Sheridan

~ as ~

Goldie West

May Robson

~ as ~

Grandma Rafferty

Gloria Dickson

~ as ~

Peggy

Billy Halop

~ as ~

Tommy

Bobby Jordan

~ as ~

Angel

Leo Gorcey

~ as ~

Spit

Huntz Hall

~ as ~

Dippy

Gabriel Dell

~ as ~

T.B.

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
This is one of these films that you need to allow quite a bit of latitude, else you will rule it just too implausible and stop watching. John Garfield ("Johnnie") is a world champion boxer who finds himself embroiled in the death of a journalist. His problem is, he was totally sozzled after his victory so cannot recall what he did, or didn't, do - so absconds to a remote Arizona ranch where he helps the elderly May Robson who runs a refuge for wayward teenagers. That's where he meets, and falls for "Peggy" (Gloria Dickson) and settles down to a respectable life helping teach the boys how to focus their energies on boxing. Thing is, New York plod "Whelan" (Claude Rains) is on his case, and soon this newly found utopia is at risk... Garfield does a fitting job here, he is eminently plausible as the flawed prizefighter and his character's evolution as the story develops is engaging too. Rains features sparingly for much of the film, and I found his efforts a little disappointingly constrained when he did appear. The film really, for me anyway, belonged to the "Dead End Kids" - playing the best game of strip poker I think I've ever seen in a family movie. It's a bit too long, but has good pace, plenty of action, decent dialogue and the romance is kept to a minimum - well worth a watch.