They Made Me a Criminal (1939)
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- Approved
- 1h 32min
- Crime, Drama
- 28 Jan 1939 (USA)
- Movie
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| John Garfield | ... |
Johnnie Bradfield
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| The Dead End Kids | ... |
The Reform Kids
(as The 'Dead End' Kids)
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| Claude Rains | ... |
Detective Monty Phelan
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| Ann Sheridan | ... |
Goldie West
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| May Robson | ... |
Grandma Rafferty
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| Gloria Dickson | ... |
Peggy
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| Billy Halop | ... |
Tommy
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| Bobby Jordan | ... |
Angel
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| Leo Gorcey | ... |
Spit
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| Huntz Hall | ... |
Dippy
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| Gabriel Dell | ... |
T.B.
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| Bernard Punsly | ... |
Milt
(as Bernard Punsley)
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| Robert Gleckler | ... |
Doc Ward
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| John Ridgely | ... |
Charlie Magee
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| Barbara Pepper | ... |
Budgie Massey
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| William B. Davidson | ... |
Chief Insp. Ennis
(as William Davidson)
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| Ward Bond | ... |
Lenihan
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| Robert Strange | ... |
Malvin
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| Louis Jean Heydt | ... |
Smith
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Frank Riggi | ... |
Gaspar Rutchek
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Cliff Clark | ... |
Manager
(as Cliff Clarke)
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| Dick Wessel | ... |
Collucci
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Raymond Brown | ... |
Sheriff
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| Sam Hayes | ... |
Fight Announcer
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Jack Austin | ... |
Cop #1 (uncredited)
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| Irving Bacon | ... |
Speed (uncredited)
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Arthur Berkeley | ... |
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
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| Clem Bevans | ... |
Second Fight Ticket Taker (uncredited)
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| Richard Bond | ... |
Reporter at First Fight (uncredited)
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Edwin Brian | ... |
Newsboy (uncredited)
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| Mushy Callahan | ... |
Schwimmer (uncredited)
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| Nat Carr | ... |
Haskell (uncredited)
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| Eddy Chandler | ... |
Detective #2 (uncredited)
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Georgie Cooper | ... |
Elderly Lady (uncredited)
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Hal Craig | ... |
Detective #3 (uncredited)
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Joe Cunningham | ... |
Columnist (uncredited)
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| John Dilson | ... |
Doctor (uncredited)
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Mike Donovan | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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| Tom Dugan | ... |
Man Behind Grandma (uncredited)
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| John Harron | ... |
First Fight Radio Announcer (uncredited)
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| Leyland Hodgson | ... |
Mr. Williamson (uncredited)
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| Stuart Holmes | ... |
Second Fight Timekeeper (uncredited)
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| Arthur Housman | ... |
Drunk Next to Grandma (uncredited)
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Donald Kerr | ... |
Man in Ring After First Fight (uncredited)
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| Reid Kilpatrick | ... |
Radio Sports Commentator (uncredited) (voice)
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Harry Leroy | ... |
Spectator at Second Fight (uncredited)
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Al Lloyd | ... |
Man in Front of Spit (uncredited)
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| Doris Lloyd | ... |
Mrs. Williamson (uncredited)
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| Frank Mayo | ... |
Man at First Fight with Top Hat (uncredited)
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| Sam McDaniel | ... |
Splash (uncredited)
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Larry McGrath | ... |
Second Fight Referee (uncredited)
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Frank Meredith | ... |
Cop #2 (uncredited)
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| Jack Mower | ... |
Man in Locker Room After First Fight (uncredited)
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| Jimmy O'Gatty | ... |
Rutchek's Handler (uncredited)
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| Paul Panzer | ... |
Jim (uncredited)
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| Bob Perry | ... |
Cawley (uncredited)
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Charles Randolph | ... |
First Fight Referee (uncredited)
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| John J. Richardson | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Cyril Ring | ... |
First Fight Ringsider (uncredited)
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| Bert Roach | ... |
Hendricks (uncredited)
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Dave Roberts | ... |
Police Announcer (uncredited) (voice)
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Sally Sage | ... |
Girl Entering Locker Room (uncredited)
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Cliff Saum | ... |
Man in Front of Tommy (uncredited)
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| Janet Shaw | ... |
Girl Entering Locker Room (uncredited)
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| John Sheehan | ... |
Man in Front of Grandma (uncredited)
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| Ronald Sinclair | ... |
J. Douglas Williamson (uncredited)
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| Charles Sullivan | ... |
Second Fight Trainer (uncredited)
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Elliott Sullivan | ... |
Mel (uncredited)
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Dorothy Varden | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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| Tom Wilson | ... |
Kid Tacoma (uncredited)
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Jack Wise | ... |
Second Fight Ticket Seller (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Busby Berkeley | ||
Written by
| Sig Herzig | ... | (screen play) |
| Bertram Millhauser | ... | (from a novel by) and |
| Beulah Marie Dix | ... | (from a novel by) |
Produced by
| Benjamin Glazer | ... | associate producer (uncredited) |
| Hal B. Wallis | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Max Steiner | ||
Cinematography by
| James Wong Howe | ... | (photography) |
Editing by
| Jack Killifer | ||
Art Direction by
| Anton Grot | ||
Costume Design by
| Milo Anderson | ... | (gowns) |
Production Management
| Jack L. Warner | ... | executive in charge of production (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Arthur Lueker | ... | first assistant director (uncredited) |
| Russell Saunders | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Oliver S. Garretson | ... | sound |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Ben Colman | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Leo F. Forbstein | ... | musical director |
| Hugo Friedhofer | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Warner Bros. (presents) (A Warner Bros. Picture)
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1939) (United States) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
- Vitagraph Limited (1939) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers Pictures (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as Warner Brothers Ltd.)
- Warner Bros. (1939) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1939) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1939) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1944) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Warner Bros. (1944) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Distributing Company, Ltd.)
- Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (for Associated Artists)
- Associated Artists Productions (AAP) (1956) (United States) (tv)
- Image Entertainment (1990) (United States) (video) (LaserDisc)
- VCI Entertainment (2000) (United States) (VHS)
- Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Reel Media International (2004) (World-wide) (VHS)
- Vértice 360 (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
- Reel Media International (2007) (World-wide)
- Film Detective (2015) (United States) (DVD)
- Penteo Films S.L. (2018) (Spain) (restored)
- Studio Hamburg Enterprises (2019) (Germany) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A southpaw with a distinctive boxing style, New York based Johnnie Bradfield has just won the world boxing champion title. While he, to the public, portrays himself as wholesome, doting on his mother, he, in reality, lives a hard and fast life in stark contrast to that public persona. While passed out in a drunken stupor, a reporter, poised to expose Johnnie's true lifestyle, dies in Johnnie's apartment. Knowing that he did not kill the reporter but that he is implicated in doing so, Johnnie, with a few hundred dollars of his several thousand dollars amassed wealth in his pocket, goes on the run in learning that the authorities also believe that he died in a fiery car crash. Not by plan or choice but rather circumstance and need, Johnnie, using the alias Jack Dorney, ends up at the Rafferty Date Farm in Arizona run by elderly, widowed Grandma Rafferty, whose husband, before his passing, took in a group of six reform school kids from New York City to give them a better chance at life in that reform. Despite initial animosity between Johnnie and Grandma, the six reformees and Peggy, the sister of one of the reform kids who accompanied her brother to the farm in feeling she may be a grounding influence for him, all end up having a reciprocal positive influence on the other, especially Johnnie and Peggy, who start to fall for each other. There are two problems potentially to upset Johnnie's new life. First, he may turn to the only way he knows how to earn a living, namely boxing, which may expose him as still being alive. Second, NYPD Detective Monty Phelan, whose career took a nosedive ten years prior in a grave error of judgment, believes Johnnie is indeed alive and will do anything to prove his case in needing to restore some legitimacy to his career. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | I am a fugitive! I am hunted by the mob! I am wanted by the cops! I am forgotten by decent women! (re-release print ad) See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Claude Rains at first turned down the part, feeling he would be miscast and look ridiculous as a tough New York City cop. Only after being threatened by the studio with suspension did he reluctantly accept it, but he always considered this one of his least favorite pictures. See more » |
| Goofs | 38 minutes into the film, Gloria Dickson's "Peggy" calls John Garfield's character "Johnnie" when he in fact is still under the guise and alias persona of "Jack Dorney." She could not know this since he has not told anyone at that point of the film. Later at 1:14:00, Smith (Gaspar Rutchek's second opponent) also calls Jack "Johnnie." Even Jack's own corner man, at 1:15:58, calls Jack "Johnnie." See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Classic Comedy Teams (1986). See more » |
| Soundtracks | M-O-T-H-E-R, a Word That Means the World to Me See more » |
| Quotes |
J. Douglas Williamson:
You think you're smart, don't you? Spit: They call us "The Six Geniuses." See more » |