Dead End
1937 · Movie · NR · 93 min · ★ 7.1 · 86% critics
On one volatile day in a New York City slum, lives collide as a notorious gangster returns home, a troubled young couple wrestles with their hopes, and a group of street kids causes trouble. Their stories intertwine, spotlighting the sharp divide between everyday hardship and nearby wealth.
Based on Dead End
Also known as Dead End: Cradle of Crime
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Details
- Years
- 1937
- Release date
- 1937-08-27
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 86/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.1/10 (149 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy Dead End if you want a hard-edged Depression-era crime/social drama with strong performances and a tense class divide; Not for you if gritty hardship and moralizing social commentary feel too heavy, or if you dislike the abrasive street-kid energy found in Angels with Dirty Faces.
Pros: gritty East Side drama; strong social contrast; memorable performances | Cons: some clunky moralizing; kids may irritate; weaker character focus
Themes
- plastic surgery
- mobster
- gunfight
- class differences
- dead end kids
- deep focus
- juvenile delinquent
- knifing
- doorman
- street urchin
- reward
- tenement
- +7 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography · 1938 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1938 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1938 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 1938 · nominated
Cast & crew
Sylvia Sidney
as Drina
Joel McCrea
as Dave
Humphrey Bogart
as "Baby Face" Martin
Wendy Barrie
as Kay
Claire Trevor
as Francey
Allen Jenkins
as Hunk
Marjorie Main
as Mrs. Martin
Billy Halop
as Tommy
Huntz Hall
as Dippy
Bobby Jordan
as Angel
Directed by William Wyler