Popularity gangster The genre began in the early 1930s, and the ensuing decades have produced countless undisputed crime classics. Being a period immediately following the Prohibition era and the rise in crime due to the Wall Street Crash of 1929, it made sense that gangster films captured the popular imagination as real-life crime lords such as Al Capone and John Dillinger were fresh in audiences’ minds. . Notable directors such as William Cayley, Raoul Walsh and Howard Hawks made groundbreaking crime films, and the fact that many remain beloved to this day is a testament to the era’s appeal.
Many of the best gangster films of all time were released in the 1930s and 1940s, when the genre was dominated by major movie stars such as Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney, with powerful portrayals of crooked cops, gun-toting gangsters and wily thieves. With a combination of noir, classic heists and intense crime melodramas, the influence of many gangster films of the time is still felt today. Looking back the best gangster films of the 30s and 40swhat was most impressive was how well they held up as big-time Hollywood stars who gave some of the best performances of all time.
15
The Glass Key (1942)
Directed by Stuart Heisler
Classic film noir Glass key mixed murder mystery with actionromance and gangsters and was a reworked and updated version of the previous 1935 release of the same name. Political corruption and the brewing romance between Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd’s characters have a lot to do with it. Glass key can be seen as a precursor to themes and ideas better explored in Howard Hawks’s book. Big dream just four years later. As the story of a corrupt politician accused of murder by a gangster during his election campaign, this complex story combines noir and gritty crime drama.
14
Bullets or Ballots (1936)
Directed by William Keighley
Bullets or ballots was an early crime thriller in Humphrey Bogart’s career, having just marked his breakthrough success in Petrified Forest. WITH Edward G. Robinson as a crime fighter modeled after real-life cop Johnny Broderick. and Bogart as a skilled and calculating killer, Bullets or ballots saw a detective go undercover and try to infiltrate Bogart’s gang to take him down. Thanks to confident performances, Bullets or ballots was inexorably approaching a blazing climate showdown.
13
Every Dawn I Die (1939)
Directed by William Keighley
James Cagney and George Raft will star together in William Keighley’s cult gangster film. Every dawn I die. Based on the novel by Jerome Odlum, this gripping story follows an investigative journalist who befriends a notorious gangster after he is wrongfully imprisoned. Every dawn I die worked primarily due to the excellent chemistry between Cagney and Raft.who helped elevate this contrived prison story with good performances.
12
G Man (1935)
Directed by William Keighley
Director William Keighley created some of the greatest gangster films of the 1930s.especially when he was paired with Hollywood icon James Cagney. This was certainly the case for g mena film that consciously tried to go against the idea that films glorify gangsters by showcasing their lives of freedom, luxury and power. Instead of portraying a revered gangster as the main character, g men has turned his attention to the noble lawyers who are working tirelessly to overthrow them. Cagney, a lawyer, became a federal agent, g men demonstrated his rise through the ranks.
11
Dead End (1937)
Directed by William Wyler
Dead end was a hugely underrated Humphrey Bogart gangster film that showcased how the lives of men, women and the streets 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 went on to make over 60 films.originally called “Dead End Kids”. A complex story told using only one set, tightly constructed narrative Dead end can be seen as a precursor to Alfred Hitchcock’s triumph at one point in later films such as Rope And Rear window.
10
The Petrified Forest (1936)
Director Archie Mayo
This is just one of several films starring Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis. Petrified Forest was Bogart’s final release as the notorious gangster Duke Mantee would embody the characters he would play for the rest of his career. A serious criminal who takes a group of people hostage at a diner while escaping a police chase. Petrified Forest was a tightly constructed Depression-era narrative filled with lovable characters. From Bogart’s gripping crime story to the slow-paced love story of Davis and her co-star Leslie Howard. Petrified Forest was a true classic of the 1930s.
9
High Sierra (1941)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
High Sierra was the outstanding film noir that saw Humphrey Bogart perfects his cool persona as Roy Earlea notorious thief who helps his boss commit a major robbery in California. With lots of action, tension and car chases. High Sierra was a triumph of gangster cinema, teaming Bogart with Ida Lupino, one of the few female stars who could rival his famous partnership with Lauren Bacall. High Sierra co-writer John Huston would even use the success of this film as leverage to move up to directing and reunite with Humphrey Bogart for Maltese falcon later in 1941.
8
Key Largo (1948)
Director John Huston
This is the fourth and final husband and wife pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Key Largo also played Bogart’s frequent co-star Edward G. Robinson in a villainous role.taking people hostage at the titular hotel. With a storm brewing outside and limited space, Key Largo It’s a fast-paced story of a sinister gangster made even more gripping by the gripping romance between Bogart and Bacall’s characters. With love, action and stellar performances, Key Largo has aged incredibly well and is a must-see for fans of 1940s gangster pictures.
7
Little Caesar (1931)
Directed by Mervyn Leroy
Based on the story of real-life mafia boss Salvatore Maranzano., Little Caesar This is a gripping crime story that shows how a low-level hoodlum rose through the ranks of organized crime to become a major gangster. Together with Public enemy And Scarface, Little Caesar helped solidify the gangster genre in the early 1930s and had a major influence on everything that followed. Hit at the box office Little Caesar was a major release for director Mervyn LeRoy and a defining role for its star Edward G. Robinson, who quickly became associated with tough guy roles.
6
Dillinger (1945)
Directed by Max Nossek
Dillinger told the story of John Dillinger, one of the most notorious gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s. Showing how Dillinger got his start in petty crime and quickly became the mastermind behind several daring robberies, Dillinger was a fast-paced, influential and highly entertaining gangster film made at a time when the legacy of its notorious protagonist was still part of audiences’ living memory. Bye Dillinger was one of Lawrence Tierney’s signature roles.It’s a testament to his legacy that he continued to excel at playing a gangster well into the 1990s as Joe Cabot in Quentin Tarantino’s film. Mad dogs.
5
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Roaring Twenties was made as a tribute to the classic gangster films of the early 1930s. With a star-studded cast including James Cagney, Priscilla Lane and Humphrey Bogart, Roaring Twenties explored the experiences of three men during major events in the 1920s.including Prohibition and the Wall Street Crash. With an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Roaring Twenties was the precursor to the subsequently acclaimed great gangster films of New Hollywood directors of the 1970s such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
4
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Director Michael Curtis
Starring James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart and The Dead End Kids. Angels with dirty faces was truly a who’s who of 1930s gangster films. Cagney played a notorious gangster trying to corrupt a gang of street kids.and O’Brien played his childhood friend and local priest trying to stop the degradation of young minds. This is a wild melodrama in which Cagney played one of his best roles. Angels with dirty faces was so influential that it even served as the basis for a fake film Angels with dirty souls what Kevin McCallister is looking at Home alone.
3
Public Enemy (1931)
Directed by William A. Wellman
Public enemy was a classic pre-Code gangster film starring James Cagney as Tom Powers.a young gangster who rose through the ranks of the Prohibition-era underworld. Inspired by Al Capone’s bloodthirsty gang rivalry in Chicago. Public enemy was an extremely influential film, laying the foundation for many themes and ideas explored in the gangster genre down to the present day. Although Public enemy It received only mixed reviews when it was released, but now, looking back, it has been hailed as a true classic of the genre.
2
White Heat (1949)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
White heat has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the best gangster films of all time, as it anticipated the later heist classics of the 1950s while using a semi-documentary style and pushing the psychology of gangsters further than any other film before it. This is the pinnacle of the career of renowned director Raoul Walsh. White heat saw James Cagney play the tragic and volatile anti-hero to absolute perfection. Having a great influence on the gangster genre itself, White heat ranked among the greatest men of all timeregardless of the era of its release.
1
Scarface (1932)
Directed by Howard Hawks
Although most viewers are more familiar with the 1983 remake by Brian De Palma starring Al Pacino. Howard Hawks, 1930s. Scarface revolutionized the gangster genre. This is the timeless story of the extraordinary rise to power of an Italian immigrant. Scarface brought together themes of excess, the American Dream, and the destructive effects of power better than anything else seen in that era of filmmaking. This is a typical gangster film from the 1930s and 1940s. Scarface set the visual template for the genre for decades to come and boasts a legacy almost unmatched by any Hollywood production.