jarrodmcdonald-1 I'm probably rating the film higher than I should, but I had fun watching it and it works for me. John Garfield played these kinds of characters, men on the wrong side of the law, so well...and he seems to represent the down-on-his-luck hero better than most actors of his generation. In this picture, he goes on the lam thinking himself responsible for a murder he didn't actually commit. He winds up in Arizona at a ranch owned and operated by May Robson and her granddaughter (Gloria Dickson), which also happens to serve as a place to rehabilitate delinquent teens (played by the Dead End Kids). This gives Garfield a chance to mentor the kids, teaching them about how to be a wiseacre hero and providing them with a few boxing lessons. Sometimes it's hard to figure out in their scenes together if Garfield is the central character, or if the kids are...but their interactions are always entertaining.While Garfield's character is on this journey down in Arizona, he finds greater purpose in life. He also finds love with Dickson, though their romance is not without problems. She doesn't seem to believe in him, especially when he's taken the boys swimming and one of them almost drowns but doesn't thanks to his quick thinking. Of course, Dickson and her grandmother eventually learn what really happened, and he is soon back in their good graces. Probably Garfield's own reformation succeeds because it's defined by his relationship with the kids and the women, and in a way, he's rehabilitating all of them. There are no real surprises in the film, and the story seems to go in a predictable direction. But that's a good thing. All of the characters (and the actors that portray them) are tough and brutally honest with each other, which is refreshing. THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL is a reworking of an earlier Warner Brothers picture called THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN that starred Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Loretta Young. The earlier version had Aline MacMahon in Robson's role and younger kids, and it had a certain charm-- but it didn't have what this version has...and that's grit.

writers_reign This was John Garfield's second film following hard on the heels of his debut in Four Daughters (in which Claude Rains was much better cast as a father than he is here as Javert with an American accent). Inexplicably Ann Sheridan, a natural foil for Garfield and an actress who revelled in low-key dialog ("you couldn't even afford the headlights" was her come- back to the diner who observed 'some chassis' in They Drive By Night) and would certainly have matched Garfield crack for crack, is written out in the second reel leaving Gloria Dickson - a fine actress but no match for Sheridan in trading dialog - as the love interest. The plot's a tad predictable but this was 1939 and audiences were more than happy with a mixture of cliché and sentiment provided it was pacey and punchy and this delivers on both counts.

Michael O'Keefe Busby Berkeley directs this drama that features an element of crime mixed with drama and some humor. A feel good flick that holds interest. John Garfield plays a young champion prizefighter that is led to believe he murdered a reporter in a drunken brawl; so he high steps it out of town. He heads west and stops in Arizona taking refuge on a ranch run by Ann Sheridan and staffed by the Dead End Kids featuring Leo Gorcey and Billy Halop. The gang convinces the boxer on the run to enter a prizefight to win stakes for a future gasoline station. But spoiling a good thing is detective Claude Rains, who recognizes the champ and is set to take him back. A nice escape back to days gone by.

Jem Odewahn I wasn't expecting a great deal from this film, so I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it and found it to be most noteworthy. It's noteworthiness is mainly due to the talent and appeal of it's star, John Garfield.Garfield plays Jack, a boxing star who is framed for murder. He must go on the run, and ends up out in the sticks with Gloria Dickson and the Dead End Kids. Here is offered a chance for redemption, yet will the past catch up with him yet? Garfield was an actor ahead of his peers. Before the term 'Method' was even coined and before Brando ever screamed 'Stella!' he brings 'natural' to the screen. His earthy quality and amazing acting talent dominate this production. Also interesting is that his role here as a boxer has shades of that 'Golden Boy' role he so desperately wanted to covet on screen. Garfield looks the type and goes the distance as a boxer, proving his acting worth.Ann Sheridan is here in a small role at the beginning as Jack's trampy girl Goldie. I haven't ever thought much of Sheridan, but I liked her here. She plays well off Garfield. Dickson's' performance is a little tired and she does not share good chemistry with Garfield. The Dead End Kids are here, and Garfield seems their natural idol (even more so than Cagney). Claude Rains is miscast, and he looks uncomfortable in the role in many a scene. Strange, as he always was such a reliable actor.Also interesting to note is the director- Busby Berkeley, best known for his early musicals with dancing girls and kaleidoscope images, directs a different genre here with remarkable ease. He maintains a gritty atmosphere throughout admirably.A very good film that deserves greater attention 8/10.