Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Tockinit not horrible nor great

GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . and other times the bacon gets to eat you. That's Warner Bros.' moral of its MAYOR OF HELL story. Government grafter (sorry for using an oxymoron) Reform School Commissioner Thompson initially is the one eating all the decent bacon at Peakstown while the juvenile delinquents incarcerated there are being fed the slop rejected by the fatted pigs (with the taxpayers being billed for caviar, as Thompson himself pockets the difference with the help of his crooked auditor henchman). MAYOR OF HELL is one of the most influential films in American history, as most subsequent public "servants" (including many if not all of the top administrators of the 100 largest U.S. urban school districts) adopted Thompson's "business model." Thompson's personal Principles of Microeconomics have been expanded to include America's taxpayer-funded for-profit Charter School Movement, as they've been applied on a Macroeconomics scale in the head-long rush to "Privatize" ALL government functions. Now that greedy corporations largely owned and run by One Per Center thieves have replaced the cadre of friendly "lunch ladies" of Yesteryear, kids are served the scrapings from the bottom of the lowest bidders' heaps. All the sprawling state psychiatric hospitals of the past are long gone, with their former patients currently being force-fed maggot-infested fare by "private contractors" along side penitentiary gangsters. But MAYOR OF HELL also predicts what Warner thinks the future will look like for the fat cat Thompsons controlling today's America. One night we 99 Per Centers will be pushed too far, as are the boys here, who run Thompson down with flaming torches and literally feed his corpse to the source of all his ill-gotten bacon.

wes-connors Juvenile delinquent Frankie Darro (as James "Jimmy"' Smith) and his street gang are sent to reform school. There, they are abused by sadistic warden Dudley Digges (as Thompson). Deputy commissioner James Cagney (as Richard "Patsy" Gargan) arrives and takes an interest in the boys, since he grew up in the slums and overcame his life as a hoodlum. Mr. Cagney falls in love with nurturing nurse Madge Evans (as Dorothy Griffith). Cagney clashes with Mr. Digges by allowing self-responsibility at the reformatory, and young Mr. Darro is elected "The Mayor of Hell". Undaunted, Digges gets cocky George Offerman Jr. (as Charles "Charlie" Burns) to tempt Darro with sex and freedom, but Cagney smells a rat...Eventually, his former criminal ways get in Cagney's way. A blazing confrontations heats up the deadly climax...This nonsensical, but nonetheless entertaining story became a "Dead End Kids" staple; it was remade as "Crime School" (1938) et al. Cagney's best film of this type is, arguably, "Angels with Dirty Faces" (1938), which seems to receive part of its "Dirty Faces" title herein. The cast above is complimented by Cagney pal and future "Bowery Boys" guest star Allen Jenkins (as "Uncle" Mike). Darro also had several run-ins with various incarnations of the Dead End and East Side Bowery groups. The young toughs are fun, but beware of painful ethnic stereotypes. Strangely, coughing young Raymond Borzage (as Johnny "Skinny" Stone) did not become a star, despite a strong performance here, and his family name.****** The Mayor of Hell (6/23/33) Archie Mayo ~ James Cagney, Frankie Darro, Dudley Digges, George Offerman Jr.

shoolaroon I just saw this movie on Turner (thank God for Turner or there'd be nothing to watch!) and really, surprisingly, enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting much, but it's hard to miss with early Cagney and pre-code Warners Brothers.This movie is about a gang of slum kids who are sent to a cruelly run reformatory. There are several ethnic stereotypes - the Jewish father more interested in his business than his kid, the Black father who can barely speak coherently, etc., but I think the movie overcomes the stereotypes with its depictions of the kids' lives in the prison school. I especially liked how the black kid, Farina from the Our Gang comedies, is allowed to be a real person who comforts one of the white kids on their first scary night there, and then is allowed to become a lawyer in the all juvenile run courtroom that Cagney allows them to create. There are many touching scenes here about how the boys relate to each other and develop solidarity and understanding, while facing their common enemy in the evil warden.The movie puts a lot of faith in the socially progressive ideas that Cagney's gangsterish character, and the school's nurse profess. Basically they think that if the kids can recreate an actual society for themselves in the school, complete with all the necessary functions of a political system, police force, court system, store, etc, that they would learn through practical experience how society should function, and be able to learn and apply these lessons directly. I think this idea is actually correct, and it would probably be a good idea in some of our own prisons! Really interesting, enjoyable movie with some excellent performances, notably Frankie Darro as the head delinquent - what a great actor he was, and it's obvious that Cagney saw himself in the kid. Dudley Digges is great as the evil warden, and Cagney...is Cagney, always charming and forceful. Wish they would show this one more often.Pre-Code Warners Brothers....does it get any better!!!

MartynGryphon At first viewing, The Mayor Of Hell seems like a step backwards for Cagney after his successes in films such as The Public Enemy and Taxi, because it feels so low budget.It feels more like a showcase for Frankie Darro than anything else, with Cagney just drafted in to a supporting role to give the movie some box office appeal.Frankie Darro plays Jimmy Smith, the leader of a street gang sent to a reform school for petty crimes. The courtroom scene where he is sentenced, tries to define the characters of these boys by explaining the cause of their delinquent ways, Smith is no good because his dad is no good and so on.In the Reform School, the boy's soon find out that it is the most inappropriately named institution ever, as there is virtually no schooling and even less reform, as the treatment dished out to them is just as bad as the food they are forced to eat, courtesy of cruel Warden Thompson, (Dudley Digges). In fact the only person that seems to care about the welfare of these boys is Nurse Griffiths, (Madge Evans), who is always vocal in her protests regarding the treatment.Enter Deputy Commissioner, Patsy Gargan (Cagney), although he himself is not the paragon of virtue that you would expect of a man in such a position. He is in fact an gangster on the payroll of a mob run political machine. He reluctantly goes to the school on a mandatory fact finding mission, and within minutes of his arrival, Jimmy Smith is bought before the warden, and Gargan witnesses first hand the brutality that the 'inmates' endure. In a vain attempt to escape, Smith leaps at the barbed fence but is yanked down by the guards and is sent to the medical block.It is in the infirmary, that Gargan meets Nurse Griffiths and though the course of their conversation and by seeing some of the other boy's that have had the same brand of 'treatment', he comes to realise that he has in fact come to a torture chamber as opposed to a house of correction.He appeals to his 'superiors' to take over the school full time, although his main motivation at this stage is to gain the affections of Nurse Griffiths. Together they start to instigate some much needed changes, such as better food, no beatings and no guards. The boy's are also instructed to install their own justice system, whereby, the boy's will learn tolerance and reform by governing themselves in their own mock court.The new 'Mayor' of what was formerly known as 'Hell' (hence the movie's title), is Jimmy, to whom Gargan has developed a genuine liking. It is through these new conditions that Jimmy and the other boys start to learn about right and wrong and the first seeds of reform are planted and the boys develop endearing personality traits such as responsibility, adulthood and friendship.Warden Thompson, however, disapproves of the new approach and wants to expose Gargan as a crook. Gargan himself hands him the ammunition, as after heading back to the city to sort out problems with his 'less legal' businesses, he accidentally shoots one of his disloyal goons.Although the shooting was not fatal, Gargan flees for the state line just in case the guy dies and he's wanted for murder. He telephones Warden Thompson, and gives strict instructions that no changes are to be made while he's out of town on 'business', but the resourceful Thompson finds out the real reason why Gargan has fled, and convinced he won't be returning, reverts the school back to the house of horrors it once was, only this time and with revenge in mind, it's twice as bad.Unable to cope with the return of Thompson's harsh regime, Nurse Griffiths resigns and with his last obstacle out the way, Thompson's punishments become more severe, with tragic consequences.After one of the boy's dies of exposure after a spell in 'The Cooler', the other boys, led by Jimmy, revolt and overthrow the guards. They put Thompson on trial for murder in their own courtroom.Nurse Griffiths visits Gargan and explains what has happened to the school in his absence. Fuming with rage, Gargan risks arrest by driving back to the school to stop Thompson once and for all. However, the boy's have done the job for him, as after being found guilty of Murder, Thompson is chased by the frantic mob of delinquents, taking sanctuary on the roof of a barn, the boy's have no second thoughts about setting the barn on fire, forcing Thompson to choose between death by fire or death by falling, it is the latter that transpires, and minutes later Gargan arrives at the school and is determined to stop the boy's from spending the rest of their lives in jail by quashing further unrest. It is only when the boy's realise that Gargan has taken a huge personal risk to save them that he is successful.The conclusion made by the authorities, is that Thompson's death was bought about by his own vicious actions, and nobody else will be made accountable. Gargan is also in the clear as his shooting victim is expected to make a full recovery. Gargan get's his girl, and thrilled at the difference he has made to the boy's lives, he quits the rackets for good and becomes the school's Governor full time.The movie is very entertaining indeed especially considering Cagney is playing 'second banana' to Frankie Darro despite having top billing. Allen Jenkins is great as Cagney's right hand man, although it's a shame he was not given more to do as he could have given the movie some much needed comic relief, although the subject matter may have deemed that slightly inappropriate.Not the best of Cagney's early picture's. but enjoyable nonetheless.Enjoy.