They Made Me a Criminal

A boxer flees, convinced he has committed a murder while intoxicated.

Director(s)

Busby Berkeley

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Cast & Crew

Charles Sullivan

Second Fight Trainer (uncredited)

Cyril Ring

First Fight Ringsider (uncredited)

John Dilson

Doctor (uncredited)

Stuart Holmes

Second Fight Timekeeper (uncredited)

Donald Kerr

Man in Ring After First Fight (uncredited)

Cliff Clark

Manager

Frank Mayo

Man at First Fight with Tophat (uncredited)

John Sheehan

Man in Front of Grandma (uncredited)

Tom Dugan

Man Behind Grandma (uncredited)

Leyland Hodgson

Mr. Williamson (uncredited)

William B. Davidson

Ennis

Mushy Callahan

Schwimmer (uncredited)

Dick Wessel

Collucci

Claude Rains

Det. Monty Phelan

Eddy Chandler

Detective #2 (uncredited)

Nat Carr

Haskell - Reporter at First Fight (uncredited)

John Harron

First Fight Radio Announcer (uncredited)

Reid Kilpatrick

Radio Sports Commentator (voice) (uncredited)

Jack Mower

Man in Locker Room After First Fight (uncredited)

John J. Richardson

Reporter (uncredited)

John Ridgely

Charles 'Charlie' Magee (Reporter)

Cliff Saum

Man in Front of Tommy (uncredited)

Elliott Sullivan

Mel - Hoodlum Stealing $50 (uncredited)

Ward Bond

Lenihan

Paul Panzer

Jim - Assistant Ticket Taker (uncredited)

Doris Lloyd

Mrs. Williamson (uncredited)

Harry Leroy

Spectator at Second Fight (uncredited)

Louis Jean Heydt

Randy Smith

Irving Bacon

Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)

Raymond Brown

Sheriff (uncredited)

Hal Craig

Detective #3 (uncredited)

Larry McGrath

Second Fight Referee (uncredited)

Tom Wilson

Kid Tacoma (uncredited)

Jack Wise

Second Fight Ticket Seller (uncredited)

Huntz Hall

Dippy

John Garfield

Johnnie Bradfield, aka Jack Dorney

Janet Shaw

Girl Entering Locker Room (uncredited)

Bob Perry

Cawley - Jack's Handler (uncredited)

Bert Roach

Hendricks (uncredited)

Robert Strange

Malvin

Ann Sheridan

Goldie West

Sam Hayes

Fight Announcer

Arthur Housman

Drunk Next to Grandma (uncredited)

Sam McDaniel

Splash (uncredited)

Clem Bevans

Ticket Taker (uncredited)

May Robson

Grandma Rafferty

Gloria Dickson

Peggy

Billy Halop

Tommy

Bobby Jordan

Angel

Leo Gorcey

Spit

Gabriel Dell

T.B.

Bernard Punsly

Milt

Robert Gleckler

Doc Ward (Johnnie's Manager)

Barbara Pepper

Budgie Massey

Frank Riggi

Gaspar Rutchek

Jack Austin

Cop #1 (uncredited)

Richard Bond

Reporter at First Fight (uncredited)

Edwin Brian

Newsboy (uncredited)

Georgie Cooper

Elderly Lady (uncredited)

Joe Cunningham

Columnist (uncredited)

Mike Donovan

Policeman (uncredited)

Al Lloyd

Man in Front of Spit (uncredited)

Frank Meredith

Cop #2 (uncredited)

Jimmy O'Gatty

Rutchek's Handler (uncredited)

Charles Randolph

First Fight Referee (uncredited)

Dave Roberts

Police Announcer (voice) (uncredited)

Sally Sage

Girl Entering Locker Room (uncredited)

Ronald Sinclair

Dorothy Varden

Minor Role (uncredited)

Busby Berkeley

Details

GenresCrime, Drama

Runtime1h 32 mins

Released on21 Jan 1939

Languageen

Age RatingNR

Produced InUnited States of America

Reviews

CinemaSerf

7/10

This is one of these films that you need to allow quite a bit of latitude, else you will rule it just too implausible and stop watching. John Garfield ("Johnnie") is a world champion boxer who finds himself embroiled in the death of a journalist. His problem is, he was totally sozzled after his victory so cannot recall what he did, or didn't, do - so absconds to a remote Arizona ranch where he helps the elderly May Robson who runs a refuge for wayward teenagers. That's where he meets, and falls for "Peggy" (Gloria Dickson) and settles down to a respectable life helping teach the boys how to focus their energies on boxing. Thing is, New York plod "Whelan" (Claude Rains) is on his case, and soon this newly found utopia is at risk... Garfield does a fitting job here, he is eminently plausible as the flawed prizefighter and his character's evolution as the story develops is engaging too. Rains features sparingly for much of the film, and I found his efforts a little disappointingly constrained when he did appear. The film really, for me anyway, belonged to the "Dead End Kids" - playing the best game of strip poker I think I've ever seen in a family movie. It's a bit too long, but has good pace, plenty of action, decent dialogue and the romance is kept to a minimum - well worth a watch.