Reviews (14)

Singing to Dancing to Baseball with Sinatra and Kelly
Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly play Dennis Ryan and Eddie O'Brien, the most popular song-and-dance team in vaudeville. However, during the summer the boys are star players for the Wolves baseball team. This season both boys are distracted by the arrival of K. C. Higgins (Esther Williams), the team's new manager! Meanwhile, Eddie becomes involved with gambler Joe Lorgan (Edward Arnold), who wants to wreck the Wolves' chance for the pennant. Jules Munshin plays teammate Nat Goldberg and Betty Garrett is Shirley Delwyn, who has been pursuing Dennis so that when Eddie gets K.C., both boys will have somebody to go home to. This 1949 film was directed by Busby Berkeley, based on a story by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, who directed the dance sequences, which are clearly the best part of this musical. Not a great musical, but Sinatra and Kelly are both pleasant enough. The DVD edition of "Take Me out to the Ball Game" includes a pair of deleted Songs: "Baby Doll" and "Boys and Girls Like You and Me."

When Baseball Was A Game!
Since I am only 26, I have only known the sport of baseball as a business, which it continues to be. "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" harks back to a time when people played baseball for the love of the game. The film may be sentimental, but it is a joy to see Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra sing and dance while playing baseball! Kelly makes the movie what it is, especially with the number "It's The Hat My Dear Old Father Wore". To me that is the showstopper of the movie. Sinatra on the other hand looks bored in some scenes, like this movie was below him. Esther Williams and Betty Garrett, two underrated actressed, also round out the cast.

The DVD version features two great deleted numbers. One was the charming song "Baby Doll", which Gene Kelly sings to Esther Williams. The other song is the Rodgers and Hammerstein number "Boys And Girls Like You And Me", which Sinatra sings to Betty Garrett. The movie loses one star, because of Sinatra's role and the only average musical score. The DVD version adds a lot to the film, and it actually makes me want to dust off my old glove and pitch a few...

A Musical Baseball Film That's Not About Baseball
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME is a typical MGM musical. Its story is silly at best and almost always implausible, yet somehow as if through some magical action, it works and the viewer believes that what is on the screen could actually happen. This is due to the fact that MGM seems to always have quality in mind. Add to the fact that the actors and actresses had more than looks and appeal, and you almost automatically have a wonderful film.

The plot is rather simple. Eddie O'Brien (played by Gene Kelly) and Dennis Ryan (played by Frank Sinatra) are baseball players by profession, but at heart they are Vaudeville entertainers. Trouble begins when they return to playing ball and learn the team is under new ownership. The owner's name is K.C. Higgins. When Higgins (played by Esther Williams) turns out to be a woman, a battle of the sexes begins. Ryan is set up to fall in love with Higgins, but meets Shirley Delwin, a girl who is both pretty and knows baseball. The two are smitten and Ryan wonders how he will break the news to Higgins. This turns out not to be a problem since Higgins naturally falls in love with Kelly, and in the end, all end up together and happily ever after. Of course the real treasure of this film is not the plot but the wonderful song and dance numbers. Sinatra croons away and Kelly wows the audience with his dance techniques. Of course Esther Williams has a swimming number. The movie ends with the four stars singing and dancing to "Simply America." Its major purpose was probably to promote patriotism and seems set in the 1940's rather than the early 1900's, and in the number Sinatra and Kelly sing of the virtues of great female performers such as Judy Garland and Kathryn Grayson while Williams and Garrett respond by singing the praises of Bing Crosby and Fred Astair. The DVD includes edited portions of the film which are interesting to see.

All in all, the film is both nostalgic and entertaining in MGM's trademark manner.

Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are back together again!
Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra are back after starring "Anchors Aweigh", and they're better than ever! Gene Kelly is Eddie O'Brien and Frank Sinatra is Dennis Ryan, two baseball players for the champion team the Wolves, in the off-season they're vaudeville stars. As the baseball season begins to start, the Wolves are horrified to hear that there's a new owner for the team, K.C. Higgins, who's going to 'actively take part in the training'! But as it turns out, the mysterious K.C. Higgins's first name is Katherine (Esther Williams), meaning she's a woman! Womanizer Eddie soon becomes frustrated when the beautiful Katherine doesn't fall for any of his charms, and sparks fly as the two soon become enemies. On the other hand, Dennis begins to fall in love with her but does she return his love? Also starring are Jules Munshin as Nat Goldberg, Eddie and Dennis's best baseball buddy, Betty Garrett as Shirly Delwyn who has her eye on Dennis, and Edward Arnold as Joe Lorgan who is a baseball gambler.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is certainly one of MGM's musical comedy gems. With all the elements of a good musical, including a great cast, terrific music, fantastic dances, sweet romance, and lots of laughs, this musical is a must-see for musical/comedy fans. The plot is not complicated and in the tradition of MGM musical comedies, the story is fast-paced making the 93 minutes just fly by with snappy dialogue, foot-tapping musical numbers, some good plot twists, and great interactions between the characters.

Though Frank Sinatra and Esther Williams are listed first in the credits, this movie is mostly Gene Kelly's. Besides stealing the film with his charm, energy, and his tap dancing powers, who can't help but fall in love with him? A womanizer in the beginning of the film, it is fun to see him in the end fall in love with the 'right girl for him'. Frank Sinatra is of course his sweet self and the scenes between him and Betty Garrett are laugh-out-loud funny! It's surprising to know that he can't really dance since he does pretty well alongside Kelly though it is obvious that Kelly is the more experienced. Jules Munshin is perfectly cast as the third member of the 'O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg' play, it wouldn't have been too bad to have more of him. And of course, Esther Williams, called at the time "America's Mermaid", is just simply stunning. Though not necessarily a 'swimming movie', Esther of course gets a chance to show off a bathing suit at the hotel swimming pool. It's not everyday a bathing beauty can sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" while swimming!

Now here's a list of the great musical numbers in the movie:
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" - Here's the famous musical number where Kelly and Sinatra give their vaudeville performance. Later on as I mentioned before, Esther Williams sings this number while swimming.
"Yes, Indeedy" - Kelly and Sinatra sing to the Wolves about their love lives during the off-season.
"O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg" - One of the best numbers in the movie, Kelly, Sinatra, and Munshin are simply HILARIOUS! Especially the part Munshin tells about how he started off his career in baseball.
"The Right Girl for Me" - What would this film be without Frank Sinatra crooning a beautiful love song?
"It's Fate, Baby" - Betty Garrett will do ANYTHING to convince Sinatra that the two of them are meant to be. Another of the greatest numbers in the movie.

"Strictly U.S.A." - A clam bake, hot dogs, lemonade... it's strictly U.S.A!
"Upon St. Patrick's Day" - The BEST number, the reason is because this is all Gene Kelly's! Singing in an Irish brogue, he later on puts his feet to work, giving us one of the best tap dancing numbers ever done. There's this one part where he will simply stun you as he kicks one of his legs up while his one foot on the ground continues to tap dance! It's no wonder Gene Kelly is one of the best tap dancers there was or probably ever will be.

Here are some other Gene Kelly movies I highly recommend:
*ANCHORS AWEIGH* (1945) - The first teaming up of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, also starring is Kathryn Grayson. Not one of the best musical comedies, but it's well worth it to watch Kelly dance "The Worry Song" with the cartoon mouse, Jerry!
*ON THE TOWN* (1949) - Once again, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, and Betty Garrett are joined once again to star in this delightful film about three sailors going 'on the town'. Also starring the terrific Anne Miller (in my opinion the best woman tap dancer ever) and the beautiful Vera Ellen.
*COVER GIRL* (1944) - One of Kelly's earlier film, he stars along with Rita Hayworth and Phil Silvers in a movie with a great story.
*SINGIN' IN THE RAIN* (1952) - Who can forget this film, named one of the best musicals ever, starring Kelly alongside Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor? If you haven't seen this, I assure you that you're definitely missing out on a classic!

Take Me Out Is A HOME RUN!!!
This movie isn't just about baseball. It's about so much more! Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly are a great pair that really reveal their true friendship through the camera. This film has great music sung by Esther Williams (yes there's a pool scene. You can't have Esther in a movie without her swimming and singing at least once!), Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Betty Garrett. Is that an all-star cast or what!!! These are the best of the best.
Just like in On The Town, Frank and Gene are looking for women, and when a new one comes to town they both are determined to win her over!
As for a little bit of trivia- Frank Sinatra had no idea how to dance! (You'd never guess that huh?) But for this film, he worked with Gene Kelly for HOURS to get his routines down, because he was determined to make the movie the best it could be.
The movie is also fast-paced. Just when you think about getting bored, another song begins and the storyline progresses. I'm not a big fan of baseball, but this movie is about so much more. It's about loyalty and trust- 2 qualities that are rare these days.
I truly suggest that you get or at least view this classic. They don't make movies like this anymore!!! ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Betty Hutton scores a triumph as Annie Oakley
At last the 1950 movie muscial "Annie Get Your Gun" is finally available for a whole new generation and fans who fondly recall seeing it years ago to experience the magic of America's greatest composer,Irving Berlin(who in addition to the great score of this film brought us"White Christmas", God Bless America" and hundreds of others)dynamic stars, Betty Hutton, Howard Keel and a first rate supporting cast perform in one of Hollywood's greatest and at the time most expensive musical. The technicolor has been preserved in such a manner that the colors are a joy to behold and the meticulous detail of the great photography of Charles Rosher and the costumes by Walter Plunkett("Gone With The Wind")and Helen Rose, who did the exquisite western costumes for Betty Hutton are truly a feast for the eye.This film showcases Betty Hutton at her best. She may not have "voice of the century" like Judy Galand who had to bow out of the role due to illness and other problems but she adds a tremendous gusto to the role plus an almost child like innocence to her early scenes as the backwoods, uneducated Annie. She is especially touching in several scenes in addition to her special gusto (toned down here from some of her earlier roles). Betty Hutton was one of the top stars in Hollywood when this film was released. That same year she made the cover of Time magazine and the film went on to be one of the top grossing movies that year. She went on to sing and dance with Fred Astaire in "Let's Dance" and then won the coveted starring role in Cecil B. DeMille's oscar winning film(for best picture of 1952)"The Greatest Show on Earth"in which she did most of her own stunts in her role as a trapeze performer in a circus.(both of these films are available on video Her last big film was "Somebody Loves Me" in 1952. She left Paramount Pictures due to a dispute over having her then husband direct her next film. She later made one more film in 1956(released in 1957 called "Spring Reunion" a small black and white film produce by Kirk Douglas'company co-starring Dana Andrews. Miss Hutton gave a sensitive performance in this drama about an unmarried career woman in her 30's ,lonely and living with her parents. Once the most popular girl in high school, she meets and old classmate at a reunion. The film gave Miss Hutton a chance to really show that she was a actress fo considerable depth. It is a small film but quite affecting. It is not available on videobut has been aired on TCM) Also in "Annie Get Your Gun", Howard Keel made his movie musical debut and it was an auspicious one indeed. The first of many great parts showcasing his magificient baritone voice, natural acting ability and his strong, handsome ,masculine prescence.Mr. Keel later reached his peak in MGM musicals in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and especially "Kiss Me Kate" (both available on video and probably DVD)The theatrical version of "Annie Get Your Gun"had several songs that were not included in the film. One "I'm a Bad Bad Man" would have been fun to have had Mr. Keel perform and two sung by Annie were a ballad"I Got Lost In His Arms"(beautifully done recently by Bernadette Peters in the broadway revival) and the delightful "Moonshine Lullaby" sung by Annie to her little brother and 3 sisters with an assist by them . It would have been nice to have had Miss Hutton do these in the film. Most of her songs except "They Say It's Wonderful" are of the exuberant variety. She is a standout doing the show's greatest number "There' No Business Like Show Businesss" in which she sings with her co-stars, later a reprise by herself and a again with Mr. Keel. Before the film, it is enjoyable to see the original trailer(or coming attraction promotion) for the film, a short introduction and brief history of Annie Oakley and her various incarnations by broadway/television star, Susan Lucci. Shown are outakes made by Judy Garland before she was let go for the film. After the film 2 completed numbers by Miss Garland are shown. She appears rather tired in them but her voice is just great and fine natural acting ability is evident as always. Finally a lovely number that unfortunately was later deleted from the film before it was released is shown for the first time.It is called "Let's Go West Again" with Betty Hutton. It is a good number , beautifully shot, sung in a more low key manner by Miss Hutton. Another interesting sideline, some of the original lyrics by Mr. Berlin were considered a little too "racy" for movie censors in 1950. For example in "You Can't Get a Man With A Gun",The lyric "a man's love is mighty he'll even buy a nighty for a gal who he thinks is fun, but they don't make pajamas for pistol packing mamas" was altered for the movie to "a Tom, Dick or Harry will build a house for Carrie when the preacher has made them one" Although a minor complaint it did cause a few of the songs to lose a little of their "bite".The film won 2 Oscars for sound recording and musical adaptation and it is obvious by the smooth , clear arrangements which give great justice to Irving Berlin's genius as both a composer and lyricist. I highly recommend this film for the entire family, especially if you are tired of the current films that offer nothing more than extreme violence, car chases, boring performers, gimmicky special effects, blatant sexuality etc. run and get this film. Betty Hutton was recently interviewed by the brilliant Robert Osborne on TCM(the Turner Classic Movies cable channel) and if they see my review I want to say "Bravo" to both of you for an outstanding one hour conversation about Miss Hutton's life and career. I hope that Betty Hutton will continue to give future interviews and lectures . She is a remarkable "survivor"who gives so much of herself to her audience.It is not surprising that she got her start on the Broadway stage and after her movie career continued appearing all over The USA and Europe in concerts and and theatrical productions to sellout audiences until personal problems in the 1960's caused her to stop performing until she made a brief return to Broadway in 1980(filling in for Alice Ghostley) in the role of Miss Hannigan in "Annie" ( muscial based on Little orphan Annie)

Worth the wait?
Well, it`s here at last. The long-awaited VHS of this smash hit Broadway musical.
I remember seeing it at the movies when it came out and thinking - what went wrong?
The tunes are great - the start is excellent but there`s no heart.
It`s too clean I guess and one-dimensional. Poor Howard Keel has not got into his stride as a movie actor and his Frank Butler is stodgy and quite unpleasant.
Our girl, Betty does her nut as usual but as she gets prettier so does her character diminish and she too appears brash and unsympathetic.
Of course, the songs are block-busters but I really missed Moonshine Lullaby which would have gone a long way to redeem Betty Hutton`s portrayal of Annie Oakley.
My favourite line is when Chief Sitting Bull says:
"Keep bow tight, keep arrows sharp AND NO PUT MONEY IN SHOW BUSINESS."
Unfortunately the movie degenerates into montage sequences of little moment and a conclusion that depends on the woman being subservient to the man and 'letting him win'.
Based on a true story, it starts so well........but finishes like a damp squib.
In all fairness, Judy Garland couldn`t have cut it as Annie, as we see in a couple of her numbers before she was sacked from the production.

There Really Is No Businesss Like Show Business!
Annie Get Your Gun is my favort play.And now it is my favort movie. I loved being in that play even though i was only 11 years old i still loved doing it.As I got older I found out that there was a movie and when I got the movie I could not stop watching it, and now my future goal would Be Palying Annie Oakley. And I think Annie would be proud.

There Really Is No Businesss Like Show Business
Annie Get Your Gun is my favort play. I loved doing it even though i was only 11 years old is till loved doing it.As I got older I found out that there was a movie i could not stop watching it. And My Future goal in life would Be Palying Annie Oakley. And I think Annie would be proud.

One of the most fun films ever made!!
Betty Hutton is sooo good in this musical. Even in pigtails, freckles, and rags she's totally loveable and her backwoods accent is hysterical!!
Annie Oakley (Hutton) and Frank Butler(Howard Keel) are two of the best gunshots in the world, but Oakley, who doesn't know a thing about being a lady, falls hopelessly in love with the handsome Butler. After accepting an offer to work with Butler in Buffalo Bill's western show, Oakley takes pains to become a beautiful lady and win Butler's heart. Unfortunately for Oakley, Butler can't take her being a better shooter than him, so a big rivalry ensues and so does all the fun.
Most memorable performance is Hutton and Keel's adorable number with the song "Anything You Can Do."
The quality of this DVD is great. Picture's bright and clear, sound is excellent, and so are the extra features like Susan Lucci's intro and about four outtakes, two of which contain Judy Garland's only two finished performances. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Description

Gene Kelly makes his film debut in this WW I musical playing a man who deliberately injures his hand to avoid being drafted into the army. He starts a vaudeville act with a young woman and they become determined to play The Palace. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A Musical Masterpiece
"For Me And My Gal" was one of the first musicals I saw, and one of the first I bought on video. Judy Garland is great in her first "adult" role. This is also the splashy debut of Gene Kelly to movie audiences. Movie hoofer and later politican George Murphy rounds out the love triangle. It's interesting to note the difference in the stars ages though. Garlandwas 20 when the movie was made. Kelly was 30. And Murphy was 40.

Most movies of the 1940s, let alone World War II movies, dealt with serious issues, but this musical is full of them. Some of the issues include draft dodging and the horrors of war among others.

The music portion of the movie is the highpoint. My personal favorite is Garland's teary rendition of "After You've Gone". Reportedly, she filmed it the day after her divorce from bandleader David Rose. Another memorable scene is the famous Garland-Kelly duet of the title track. The musical numbers are countless and timeless and add to the movie's greatness. If you are looking for a great musical, with dramatic moments, and a tearjerking ending, then "For Me And My Gal" is for you...

Gene Kelly's film debut
Judy Garland plays Jo Hayden, a Vaudeville performer who has big dreams to reach the top along with her partners Jimmy Metcalf (George Murphy) and Sid Simms (Ben Blue). But then Harry Palmer (Gene Kelly) comes along with a great duo act. A Vaudeville performer himself, Jo finds that he too has big dreams, to be able to play at the Palace. This is the tale about how these two team up and through hardships and the war effort, reach out for their dreams and to their surprise, find love.

I'm a big fan of all musicals so hearing that this was Gene Kelly's first film, I knew I had to see it. And though I didn't enjoy it as much as I do other superior musicals, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Judy Garland is one of the most wonderful actresses, a one in a million. Every note she sings is pure perfection and she is one talented actress. "For Me and My Gal" is more of a musical/drama than a musical/comedy, so expect Garland to have many scenes where her eyes are full of tears. And this being in black and white, these scenes come out simply beautiful since Judy Garland is a stunning actress.

Being a musical, expect to see some great musical numbers. All the dance scenes are well choreographed. Most favorite is probably the "Ballin' the Jack" where Garland and Kelly share a number. But since this is Kelly's first film, don't expect him to do any of his famous outstanding solo tap numbers. He does get a short number towards the beginning which gives really only a glimpse of his talents. He tap dances... with huge rubber shoes worn by clowns!

Another character is in this movie called Eve Minard played by Martha Eggerth, a beautiful operatic singer. Though I'm not a big fan of opera type music (Kathryn Grayson is the only one I love in the movies), I must admit that Eggerth has an astounding voice.

As I said, there is a lot more drama than comedy in "For Me and My Gal". But don't worry, the end is terrific, and my only reason for giving this movie four stars is that I do have other musical favorites which I think are a bit superior to this one.

To see Gene Kelly REALLY show off his tap-dance talent, watch:
*SINGIN' IN THE RAIN* - If you claim to be a fan of all musicals and STILL haven't seen this one... well, tsk tsk tsk on you!
*COVER GIRL* - Kelly has this one amazing number where he dances... with himself! VERY cool!
*ANCHORS AWEIGHT* - Great number where he dances with the cartoon, Jerry the Mouse! Also a scene where he plays a matador.
And just in general, watch any of Kelly's films, they won't disappoint!

I liked it too
I greatly dislike and resent reviewers who give away plots and endings. Why do they do it? This is one of my all-time favorite musicals. It is not a flag-waver and it does not sugar-coat war (rah-rah-America!), though as one reviewer mentioned, there is a note at the ending saying that war bonds would be sold in the lobby. War is hell. Everyone in it was wonderful, Garland actually kept right up with Kelly in the dancing, and she came across strong, professional and abundantly talented, all of which she is. (Incidentally, before Pal Joey, there was a straight play by Saroyan called The Time of Your Life which I think was Kelly's first big break (he danced), and before that a part in the chorus of a Porter musical called Leave It To Me, more than that I don't know.) The movie is singing and dancing from stem to stern, all wonderful, all Garland and/or Kelly, and I loved every minute of it. The directing was also good, though I'm no judge of that kind of thing, but it struck me as inventive and original while I watched it. I totally abhored Murphy's bit in France when he makes a sap out of the poor dumb foreigner with the fake money. And then his men have a good laugh. I thought it stunk. And on the subject of George Murphy (whose career in movies was about as stellar as Ronald Reagan's), Tom Lehrer said (sang, actually), "Gee it's great! At last we've got a senator who can really sing and dance!" That's about the size of it, folks. And I didn't think he did either of those particularly well. If he'd gotten the girl, I wouldn't have watched the movie a second time. One last note. I cried during this movie when Danny left for duty. And I really cried at the end.

Watching the Easter Parade
There is apparently a shortage of the Great Easter Parade film, one of the truly GREATEST musicals (of which not enough have been released). I don't know what is available RIGHT NOW, but a wonderful copy came out several years ago on Lasar Disk, so IT HAS BEEN RELEASED.

BLACK & WHITE....not color!
So many have done such a great job reviewing this movie I won't rehash....but Amazon.com taking their cue from Warners (on the DVD box) say this is color and it is NOT....its in its glorious original Black and White and a beautiful print at that! Didn't want anyone out there afraid this masterpiece had been colorized! Yiiikes
Kelly / Garland......please this should be a no-brainer! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The boys are working on a farm. Here comes John Garfield.
This is the forth Dead End Kids film. (Dead End [1937], Crime School [1938], Angeles With Dirty Faces [1938]). A boxer (John Garfield) has a little party after his fight. In a apartment, Johnnie trys to swing a punch at a nosy reporter, but he is so drunk he misses and ends-up passed out in a chair. Another man hits the reporter over the head with a whiskey bottle. The reporter McGee ends up dead. Later, they decide to make Johnnie take the fall. Johnnie is innocently drunk-sleep. The bad man and woman try to make there getaway, but with the police catching them, they go off the road and instantly die. They think it is Johnnie who is dead. But one detective is on the hunt. Johnnie runs away and he comes across a farm where the delinquent Dead End Kids (Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Gabriel Dell, Bernard Punsly) have been sent to work. There he meets the boys who he trys to reform. Also a woman at the date farm, Peggy (Gloria Dickson), softens his heart too. Meanwhile a detective (Claude Rains) is close on the trail. This is a good film for Billy Halop, who practically steals the film. Great acting from Halop. Good performances by May Robson who played the Grandma on the farm. Filmed at Palm Desert, California. Great ending. Get a hankercheif. On this DVD version, Alpha Video only offers an "index" which is a chapter selection. Very good print of film.

John Garfield meets the Dead End Kids
Future superstar, John Garfield, is cast as a boxer on the lam from a (false) murder rap.
Claude Raines is miscast as the detective who pursues him.
Garfield winds up at a farm where the ever-popular Dead End Kids are too.
There's plenty of action, drama and intrigue as Garfield gets involved with the farm's gorgeous owner and the Dead End Kids, who come to idolize him.

A Very Thirties Film
The always intense John Garfield stars as a boxer framed for the murder of a newspaper reporter who was about to expose the real story behind his carefully crafted public image. Conveniently, the real killer and the only witness to what really happened are both killed in a car accident, leaving Garfield without a defense. So he takes off, ends up in California and gets mixed up with the Dead End Kids, a girl, and an old lady who befriend him, not knowing his real identity. There's a lot left to luck in this film as dogged detective Claude Rains chases after the boxer. The Dead End Kids are an acquired taste, although in this film they aren't as grating as they would become in later years. Garfield, as usual, is very watchable and believable. Rains, on the other hand, is miscast as the detective and never for a moment seems convincing. Ann Sheridan is equally miscast as Garfield's drunk girlfriend, although she makes a quick exit in the film, despite her uncalled-for high billing. Gloria Dickson, the girl he falls in love with, has a few good moments, but lacks star quality. The script has a number of holes in it, but it also has some good moments. I particularly enjoyed the dramatic water tower sequence, as the boys must try to escape from a water tower where the water is going down. This is very much an old fashioned movie, especially in the boxing scenes, but that is also part of its appeal, since it is a great example of the kind of film Thirties audiences enjoyed.

Boxer on the lam hobos to Arizona date farm.
One of the original six DEAD END KIDS films, this "The Fugitive"-style story involves a world-class boxer(John Garfield) who is thought to be dead (but he's not) and also a murderer (but he's not). On the lam with a new identity and little money he hobos his way to an Arizona date farm where the Dead End Kids are on rehabilitation off of New York's East Side and being taken care of by a gorgeous farmer (Gloria Dickson). Garfield is a bad influence on the kids but somehow he is where he belongs. When a boxing promoter offers $500 a round for anyone who can stay in the ring with his champion, Garfield can't resist coming out of hiding to go for the prize. There is an investigation sub-plot (with Claude Rains doing what Tommy Lee Jones did in "The Fugitive") but here it is totally useless and just doesn't work. The ending is even more useless. Regardless, there is much to like due to great direction (Busby wasn't very good at telling the story but boy did he know where to put the cameras and how to fill up the screen), great acting (John Garfield brings compassion to a dislikable character, the reliable Dead End Kids are in top form, and Gloria Dickson is very appealing).

Entertaining Drama
They Made Me A Crimminal is not remembered as a classic drama, but the film still provides predictable entertainment sixty-one years after its theatrical release. Busby Berkeley's direction is excellent as the sequences involving the car crash, Garfield's train ride, and the water tower appear realistic. The fight scenes in the ring are a bit histrionic, but at least Berkeley used enough extras to create a boxing arena type atmosphere- John Avildsen (Rocky) are you reading this? The film contains a credible cast with John Garfield in the lead as Johnny a prize fighter on the run. Gloria Dickson as Peggy gives a Sylvia Sydney type performance as a reformer intent on reabilitating juvenille deliquents. Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Gabriel Dell, and the rest of the Dead End Kids are the NYC teens who idolize tough Johnny, but respect Peggy. Cluade Rains plays a newspaperman who wants to rip the veil of deceit from Johnny's persona. Ann Sheridan receives top billing over Gloria Dickson and for no good reason. Sheridan's role as Goldie is brief and totally unconvincing as a drunken floozie riding the coat tails of Johnny's ring success. For those that enjoy happy endings with morality values, this 90 minute film will not disappoint you. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rediscovered film noir gems
"Impact" and "The Second Woman" are excellent examples of the kind of quality programmers that Hollywood seemed to churn out effortlessly in its golden age. Both have clever, tight plotting, well-written dialogue and fine acting. Neither director is much remembered these days, but on the evidence here they deserve reassessment. "They Made Me a Criminal" is solid too, but not really a film noir and not as interesting as the other two. The quality of the prints on this triple-feature DVD is surprisingly good, and the whole package is an amazing bargain. ... Read more