The popularity of the Bandit The genre originated in the early 1930s, and countless undisputed crime classics were produced in the following decades. As the time just after the Prohibition era and proliferating crime due to the Wall Street Crash of 1929, it made sense that gangster movies captured the popular imagination because real-life crime bosses like Al Capone and John Dillinger were fresh in viewers. With acclaimed directors such as William Keighley, Raoul Walsh and Howard Hawks creating revolutionary crime films, it’s a testament to the appeal of the era that so many remain beloved to this day.
Many of the best gangster movies of all time were released in the 1930s and 1940s, as major movie stars like Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney dominated the genre with powerful portrayals of crooked cops, gun-wielding gangsters, and treacherous thieves. . Through a mix of film noir, heist classics, and intense crime-based melodramas, the influence of many gangster movies of this period can still be felt today. Looking back on The best gangster movies of the ’30s and ’40sWhat is most striking is how well they held up as iconic Hollywood stars gave some of the all-time great performances.
15
The Glass Key (1942)
Directed by Stuart Heisler
The classic film noir The glass key A murder mystery mixed with actionRomance and Gangsters and was a revised and updated version of ​​an earlier 1935 release of the same name. With political corruption and a brewing romance between Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd’s characters, in many ways, The glass key Can be seen as a precursor to themes and ideas better explored in Howard Hawks The big sleep Only four years later. As the story of a corrupt politician accused of murder by a thug during his election campaign, the complex story melds noir and gritty crime drama.
14
Bullets or Bullets (1936)
Directed by William Keighley
Bullets or bullets was an early crime thriller in Humphrey Bogart’s career, fresh off his breakout success in The petrified forest. with Edward G. Robinson as a cruising crime-buster modeled after real-life cop Johnny Broderick and Bogart as an articulate and calculating killer, Bullets or bullets See the detective go undercover and try to infiltrate Bogart’s gang to bring him down. with strong performances, Bullets or bullets Steadily building to its blazing climactic showdown.
13
Every Dawn I Die (1939)
Directed by William Keighley
James Cagney and George Raft team up for William Keighley’s iconic gangster movie Every dawn I die. The story of an investigative journalist who befriends a notorious gangster after being unjustly thrown into prison, this fascinating story based on a novel by Jerome Odlum is packed with twists and turns. Every dawn I die Worked primarily due to the excellent chemistry between Cagney and Raftwho helped raise this distant prison history with tough performances.
12
G Men (1935)
Directed by William Keighley
Director William Keighley was responsible for some of the greatest gangster movies of the 1930sEspecially when he was paired with Hollywood icon James Cagney. This was certainly the case c peopleA movie that consciously tried to go against the idea that movies glorify gangsters as they show their lives of freedom, luxury and power. Rather than a revered gangster like the protagonist, c people Shift his focus to the noble lawmen who work tirelessly to bring them down. With Cagney as a lawyer turned federal agent, c people Show him rise through the ranks.
11
Dead End (1937)
Directed by William Wheeler
Dead end was a very underrated Humphrey Bogart gangster movie that shows how the lives of men, women and streets all converge on one volatile day in New York City. Based on the Broadway play by Sidney Kingsley, Dead end was a melodramatic gangster film whose child stars were so impressive that they made over 60 moviesInitially under the name ‘Dead End Kids.’ With a complex story told with just one set, the tightly constructed narrative of Dead end Can be seen as a forerunner to the one place triumphs of Alfred Hitchcock in later movies like String And Rear window.
10
The Petrified Forest (1936)
Directed by Archie Mayo
As just one of several movies starring Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis, The petrified forest was A definitive release for Bogart as the role of the notorious gangster Duke Mantee would encapsulate the kinds of characters he would play for the rest of his career. As a no-nonsense criminal who takes a group hostage in a diner while fleeing a police pursuit, The petrified forest was a tightly constructed Depression-era story filled with engaging characters. From Bogart’s engaging criminality to the slow-building love story of Davis and co-star Leslie Howard, The petrified forest was a true 1930s classic.
9
High Sierra (1941)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
High Sierra was an extraordinary film noir that saw Humphrey Bogart perfecting his hardened persona as Roy EarleA notorious thief helps his boss carry out a major robbery in California. With plenty of action, suspense and car chases, High Sierra was a gangster movie triumph that paired Bogart with Ida Lupino, one of the few female co-stars who could rival his acclaimed partnership with Lauren Bacall. High Sierra Co-writer John Huston would even use the film’s success as leverage to make the jump to director and reunited with Humphrey Bogart for The Maltese Falcon Later in 1941.
8
Key Largo (1948)
Directed by John Huston
As the fourth and final pairing between husband-and-wife duo Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Key Largo Also featured Bogart’s frequent co-star Edward G. Robinson in a villainous roleTaking people hostage in the titular hotel. With a storm brewing outside and a confined space, Key Largo was a fast-paced story of an evil gangster made all the more compelling by the compelling romance of Bogart and Bacall’s characters. With love, action, and stellar performances, Key Largo Has aged incredibly well and is a must-watch for lovers of 1940s gangster pictures.
7
Little Caesar (1931)
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Based on the story of the real-life mafia boss Salvatore Maranzano, Little Caesar was a thrilling crime story that showed how a low-level hoodlum rose up the ranks of organized crime to become a big-time gangster. Along with The public enemy And Sharpface, Little Caesar Helped solidify the gangster genre in the early 1930s and was a major influence on everything that came after it. A hit at the box office, Little Caesar was a major release for director Mervyn LeRoyand was a definitive role for its star, Edward G. Robinson, who quickly became associated with playing tough-guy roles.
6
Dillinger (1945)
Directed by Max Nosek
Dillinger Tells the story of John Dillinger, one of the most notorious real-life gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s. Dillinger was a fast-paced, influential and highly engaging gangster movie made when the notorious legacy of the main character was still part of the living memory of the audience. While Dillinger was one of Lawrence Tierney’s definitive rolesIt’s a testament to his legacy that he still excelled playing gangsters well into the 1990s as Joe Cabot in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
5
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
The Roaring Twenties was produced as an homage to classic gangster movies of the early 1930s. With a star-studded cast including James Cagney, Priscilla Lane and Humphrey Bogart, The Roaring Twenties Explores three men’s experiences during major events in the 1920sincluding Prohibition and the Wall Street Crash. With an impressive 100% on rotten tomatoes, The Roaring Twenties was a precursor to later acclaimed gangster movie Gratz by the 1970s New Hollywood movement directors such as Martin Sorcese and Francis Ford Coppola.
4
Angels with grim faces (1938)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
With James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart and The Dead End Kids, Angels with grim faces was truly a who’s who of 1930s gangster movies. Cagney played a notorious gangster trying to corrupt a gang of street kidsWhile O’Brien played his childhood friend and local priest trying to stop the degradation of young minds. As a wild melodrama that featured Cagney in one of his best roles, Angels with grim faces Was so influential that it even served as the basis for the fake movie Angels with dirty souls That Kevin McAllister watches in Home alone.
3
The Public Enemy (1931)
Directed by William A. Wellman
The public enemy was a pre-Code gangster movie classic starring James Cagney as Tom PowersA young gangster who rose through the ranks of the criminal underworld of the prohibition era. Inspired by Al Capone’s murderous gang rivalries in Chicago, The public enemy was a very influential film that laid the groundwork for many themes and ideas that are explored in the gangster genre to this day. Although The public enemy Only received mixed reviews when it was released, in retrospect, it was hailed as a true classic of the genre.
2
White Fever (1949)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
White heat has rightly earned a reputation among the best gangster movies of all time, because it anticipated later heist classics of the 1950s while using a semi-documentary style and pushing the psychology of ​​gangsters more than any film before it. As the peak of acclaimed director Raoul Walsh’s career, White heat Watch James Cagney play a tragic and volatile antihero to absolute perfection. As a major influence on the gangster genre itself, White heat has earned a place among all the great onesRegardless of the era it was released.
1
Scarface (1932)
Directed by Howard Hawks
Although most viewers will be more familiar with Brian De Palma’s 1983 remake starring Al Pacino, Howard Hawks’ 1930s Sharpface Revolutionized the gangster genre. As a timeless story about an Italian immigrant’s extraordinary rise to power, Sharpface Brings together themes of excess, the American dream, and the destructive consequences of power better than anything else seen in this era of filmmaking. As the quintessential gangster movie of the 1930s and 1940s, Sharpface Set the visual template for the genre for decades to come and boasts a legacy almost unmatched among Hollywood productions.