Peppermint Friday Review #18: Angels With Dirty Faces

We are at the end of Cagney and Bogart week, and I've enjoyed it and all the film noirs even though I have to admit its been a little bit heavy, particularly this film as its pretty intense but one of my all time favorites.

The story centres around Rocky Sullivan who is played by James Cagney in his life Rocky has had a very criminalised lifestyle where he has stealed, been in prison, his lawyer who also own a casino Jim Frazier played by Humphrey Bogart tell Rocky to take the blame for the robbery he committed and spend 3 years in prison, and he will pay him $100000 the money Rocky stole on that day, he does this. Rocky then returns home visits old friends, who tell him to stay in the old parish, Rocky visits Jim's Casino and gets robbed, Rocky finds out its a group of youths who admire him. I won't say anymore but I will tell you the tension between Jim and Rocky goes from nought to one million. 

This film is very intense and amazingly modern in terms of camera technique, particularly the end scene as its the most famous of them all but also the most important one. The character of Rocky is so intriguing its even better as its Jimmy who plays him, as he is amazing at being the tough criminal guy who also is not actually that tough in the end and actually needs abit of TLC. 

Rocky's youths and kinda like his fans aswell, as they really look up to him are amazing too. They do such a brilliant job as they don't look or act like kids who have been doing acting for ages and are really stageschooly. They really are street kids which I love as it makes the film even more genuine and raw. Humphrey Bogart was amazing at playing Jim as he was so calm and concerning but the subtext of being pretty two faced. 

The character of Jim and Rocky are so modern and unique, particularly Jim as he is seen to help out Rocky but backstabbs him. For its time its so modern and different from any film before, and this is from a girl in 2017. This film was made in 1938, and its so edgy and its got dirt underneath its finger nails, people might think that Deniro is the original badass, but Jimmy and Humphrey are a whole different animal. 

This film is amazing, and not for everyone as it can get emotional and violent, but if anyone under the age of 16 watches this won't be as scared or violated than an underage person from 1938. But I could be wrong, as its completely unique to every person, but it can violent to some people. I adore this film and its so modern with its camera techniques during a time when film was just coming into its own. I will leave a link to buy it off amazon if you want as its a fantastic film that everyone should give a chance too!

Next week will be alot lighter if this week wasn't as I'm in the mood to watch a comedy and that's what I'll do! Speak to you alll soon, much love!

Cagney Vs Bogart

Because this week I've been watching a lot of Cagney films, and Bogart films. They are both charismatic and very talented in there performances and they have appeared in the same films together. I'd like to point out very quickly like I mentioned on my new 'FAQ Page' whenever I do 'Vs' posts its not a case of 'he/she is crap and he/she is the best' its either all, I like them both very much there's just one I like more than the other. That's clear? Let's go!

Both of these gentlemen have played the gangsters and both are very charming and charismatic people. Bogart and Cagney have both appeared in the same films together although these films are on the same genre, where they've mainly played gangsters, who smoke and they're usually from New York like Roaring Twenties, Angels With Dirty Faces. 

With saying that the gangster-smoking New York roles haven't been the only roles they've played although they've done it with charisma and charm, with Cagney he is much less apologetic when it comes to being a gangster and particularly when he's a gangster or villain, in Pubic Enemy I mean we can all remember that scene with him shoving that grapefruit in Mae Clarke's face? But at the same time, you can't stop watching him.

Bogart was seen as to me anyway, much less harsher but he is still seen as a tough, quiet and straight talking guy. Because his acting is much less show-offy not that Cagney shows off, but when Bogart acts he doesn't have to shove a grapefruit in a girl's face, its all in the eyes, kinda like the silent treatment in a way. But Bogart was still stern and charismatic, the similarities were Bogart was bought up in New York and so was Cagney so both of them knew about being in New York and you have to stand on your own.

Although both have played light hearted characters, Cagney was an amazing tap dancer and singer, just watch Yankee Doddle Dandy or Footlight Parade. Even in all the gangster, film noir he was in whenever he had a female to act alongside he did it brilliantly, and was just irresistible. Bogart is again such a gentlemen where he is just so charming when he was in Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn (which was one of her first films) he is so charming and kinda awkward as well, not the usual Bogart you would usually see.

I adore both of these actors, as they are so unique and at the time of them they wasn't anything like them, and I don't think there's anything like them today. I'm gonna say I prefer Jimmy Cagney, as I've watched him alot more and thats usually the reason, but also Jimmy can tap dance! and he's so eyecatching. Again I don't hate Bogart, I just prefer Cagney and have watched him longer and more, but Bogart is again very talented, and both are oozing with charisma and charm in all there roles. 

Review: Yankee Doodle Dandy

First of all how incredible was the Golden Globes? I stayed up to watch it as its on very late at night for the UK viewers, but I loved it. Oh and we've had a makeover on Peppermint Friday, what do you think it took me on and off all week, but I'm finally happy with it for now it might change it might not, but at the moment I love it!

Anyway back to the post this week is such a long time coming as I love these men so so much.  Particularly Jimmy, he is amazing but more on the individuals in Wednesday's post. 

Yankee Doodle Dandy is musical biopic of George M Cohan he was a vaudevillian superstar, the best way I can describe him is the old version of Neil Patrick Harris. He was amazing basically he wrote his own songs, he was very business oriented this film is about his family act called 'The Four Cohans' and his career. 

James Cagney (or I call him Jimmy) plays the George and he is brilliant, Jimmy mainly known for being this tough gangster guy but in this film he is a tap dancing, singing charismatic gentlemen. And Jimmy has always had charisma in all his roles regardless of the agenda and typecast of them. Thats one of the reasons as to why I love him so much, I mean Jimmy used to dance as a child, but he is so good everyone needs to see this side of Jimmy.

The songs are so catchy and brilliantly sung, I adore 'Harrigan', 'You're a Grand Old Flag', and of course 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' the film also has a lot of serious bits where George's sister Mary decides she wants to get married and stop performing, and so does their father. At that point in the film its really hard as it just shows that it was George who was the driving force of it all, and had the business behind it all so for him it was a slap in the face of 'oh its all me I have noone to give encouragement too' and in some ways it could be like 'oh yay I'm on my own, and I can bigger and have much more freedom'. As it was George writing all the songs for the shows they were all in. 

I think its an underrated musical as it has very catchy songs, the acting is brilliant and the story touches on some key issues that can be related to any walk of life. Although there are better musicals that have done much better and I can understand why its not done on stage or in schools as the music is yes good but its also seen as abit old fashioned.

Not to say its awful because 'an oldie can be a goldie' which segways perfectly onto the next point of the film which I'm going to talk about and thats being seen as a 'has been' during the end of George's career he is in his garden and they are teenagers nearby and they're talking about music and George mentions he did music all long time ago. The teenagers have no idea who he is and George says well maybe your parents talked about me, and the teenagers still don't know. Its just about being relevant and the worry that not even the people who listen and watch him remember who he is. 

But I adore this film and Jimmy's dancing, and more people should know who is he and love him. Because he is brilliant, charismatic, charming gentlemen he always has been and for those who only know Jimmy for his brilliant badass-ery watch this film, and still be blown away but in a different way.