You Can't Get Away with Murder

Plot synopsis:
In New York's Hell's Kitchen, young Johnny Stone (Billy Halop) goes against the advice of his sister Madge (Gale Page) and hooks up with mobster Frank Wilson (Humphrey Bogart).
First, Johnny and Frank steal a car, and then hold up a gas station. Later, Johnny takes a gun belonging to Madge's fiancé Fred Burke (Harvey Stephens) and lends it to Frank to use in a pawnshop robbery. This time the owner resists and sounds an alarm; Frank kills him and leaves the gun there, so Johnny cannot return it to Fred's room as he intended. After finding his gun at the scene, the authorities do not believe Fred's alibi and he is arrested and convicted of murder. Meanwhile, based on fingerprint evidence, Frank and Johnny are arrested and convicted of the gas station robbery. All three men are sent to Sing Sing.
Johnny is not a hardened criminal like Frank, and is tortured by the thought that Fred is facing execution for their crime. But Frank repeatedly reminds Johnny that he must continue "playing dumb", as both of them face execution if either confesses. The prison authorities are suspicious of their attitude to each other and transfer Johnny from working in the prison shoe factory alongside Frank to the prison library run by a mild-mannered older convict known as Pop (Henry Travers).
Johnny expects Fred to be cleared on appeal, not knowing that Frank also planted stolen property as evidence against him. When the appeal is denied, Johnny's pangs of conscience increase. By now Madge is convinced that Johnny knows the true killer and begs him to talk, still not suspecting Johnny's own involvement. Pop also appeals to Johnny's conscience. Fred's lawyer, Carey (John Litel), eventually deduces that Johnny took Fred's gun and was responsible for its presence at the murder, but without evidence the district attorney (Herbert Rawlinson) will not request a stay of Fred's execution. Through all this, Johnny continues to "play dumb".
On the day set for Fred's execution, Frank and Johnny join in a jailbreak. In that situation Johnny is finally willing to tell the truth. He produces a written confession that he stole the gun and Frank did the shooting, leaving it for Pop to find after the breakout. But Frank sees him drop the paper and takes it instead. He decides to kill Johnny after the jailbreak.
But the jailbreak fails, ending with Frank and Johnny in a railroad boxcar surrounded by prison guards. Frank has a gun and starts shooting at the guards from concealment. When they return fire, Frank shoots Johnny and puts the gun next to him, then gives himself up, claiming that he was unarmed.
But, although mortally wounded, Johnny survives long enough to tell the truth, implicating Frank for both murders and finally clearing Fred.

Tags: murder

Review:
In this film Bogart plays a small time hood named Frank Wilson whom is followed by Johnny {aka Leader of the Dead End Kids featured in other early Bogart movies}.
Johnny is a teenager heading down the wrong path and gets into big trouble when Frank murders someone at a botched heist job.
"You Can't Get Away with Murder" is a 1939 film starring Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Billy Halop, Henry Travers, John Litel, and Harvey Stephens.
Bogart is still on his way up the star ladder - in his case, it was a long climb to 1941's "High Sierra" with lots of supporting parts, mostly as gangsters.
Bogart plays the meaner than dirt Frank Wilson, a criminal who takes advantage of the young, trusting Johnny Stone (Halop), a basically good kid being raised by his sister Madge.
Beset with marital, alcohol, and financial problems, he died at the age of 56.It's impressive to look at Bogart's pre-stardom career and see how long it took him to break away from the pack - 11 years and 42 films.
I don't know what went wrong, but this film is a good indication of his growing acting ability.It's also a step in the right direction towards breaking Halop away from his silly juvenile roles.
He could easily play more sinister, dark roles, and this movie proves it.The ending could have glossed over the Halop-Bogie clash, but didn't, and I like that.It's a well-made little gangster film that deserves much better accolades..
Better than average gangster/prison film ala 1930's Warner Brothers.
Don't come to this film expecting that much Bogart or that much action, and you'll probably enjoy this 80 minute-long late 30's crime drama.Billy Halop of the Dead End Kids is the real star of this film, made two years before Bogart became a true star at Warner Brothers, but this time Halop is minus the other Dead Enders.
Here he plays John Stone, a kid from Hell's Kitchen who idolizes small-time gangster Frank Wilson (Humphrey Bogart).
John feels replaced by Burke and also resents the guy trying to be a substitute big brother to him.Frank and Johnny pull off one gas station robbery without a hitch, giving Johnny a taste for more, but the second robbery does not go so well, with Frank killing a pawn shop owner.
The problem is that the gun left at the scene was stolen from Burke, is easily traced back to him, and soon Burke is sitting in the death house for a crime committed by Frank and Johnny.
Frank has no problem having someone else fry for his crime, but he can see Johnny is cracking up and he has to come up with some way to keep the kid quiet.Henry Travers has a supporting yet significant part as the prison librarian - Pop - in a role that seems to be a warm-up for playing Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life".
Eddie Rochester Anderson of Jack Benny Show fame lightens the film just a bit as an inmate who comes to the library each day just to read cookbooks aloud.As for Bogart, he's at his nastiest here without a shred of humanity.
Raised on the "Crime School" (1938) streets of New York City's "Hell's Kitchen" (1939), tough teenager Billy Halop (as John "Johnnie" Stone) worries sister Gale Page (as Madge) by hanging out with small-time gangster Humphrey Bogart (as Frank Wilson).
Sucked into joining Mr. Bogart in a gas station robbery, young Halop gets to join his nasty mentor in "Sing Sing" security prison.
There, Halop learns his sister's nice fiancé Harvey Stephens (as Fred Burke) will face the electric chair for murder.
Halop knows what really happened, but it would mean more trouble for himself and pal Bogart..."You Can't Get Away with Murder" isn't considered part of the "Dead End" series of films, but follows similar story situations and could easily be considered one of the early, more dramatic entries from Warner Bros.
There are some familiar faces among the studio stock players, with an especially nice role for Henry Travers (as Pop).****** You Can't Get Away with Murder (3/24/39) Lewis Seiler ~ Billy Halop, Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Henry Travers.
You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939) *** (out of 4) Nice crime flick from Warner has the young Johnny (Billy Halop) looking up to tough guy Frank (Humphrey Bogart) and soon the two are pulling jobs together.
This 78-minute movie features a lot of plot and some might say there's too much plot but there's no denying that this is 100% pure Warner action as not only do we get the best of their crime films but also a pretty good prison drama as well.
Gale Page and Harvey Stephens are good as the sister and fiancé and then we have Henry Travers in a good part of the elder con trying to steer the young kid in the right direction.
The director keeps everything moving at a pretty good pace and I must admit that the film ended a lot differently than I expected.
All in all this movie certainly deserve to be more wildly seen as it contain the some great "tough guy" stuff that film buffs will eat up..
This one stars Humphrey Bogart as a crook who corrupts teenage street tough Billy Halop (sans the rest of the Dead End Kids) into committing armed robbery and framing Halop's sister's boyfriend for murder.
Soon Bogie and Halop are arrested and sent to prison together while the boyfriend (dull Harvey Stephens) faces possible execution for a crime he didn't commit.Bogart is fine in a role he could play in his sleep but he doesn't get as much to do as Halop, who WB clearly had high hopes for.
Halop is alright when he's playing to his Dead End Kids persona but when he gets melodramatic, the result is over the top.
Great character actors like Henry Travers, Harold Huber, John Litel, Joseph Crehan, and Joe Sawyer add color to the cast and liven things up.
Bogart manages to pack a lot of charisma into a stereotype and Halop's ex-Dead End performance is pretty good, as well.
WB Prison Pic Featuring Bogart and Billy Halop in Cautionary Tale.
On the Cusp of His Budding Career as a Major Star, Humphrey Bogart Leads a Strong WB Cast Highlighting Dead End Kid Billy Halop.
It's a Classic Warner's Message Movie that is a bit Heavy Handed at times but Makes it Point.A Youth in the Neighborhood Looks Up to Petty Criminal Bogart and is Quickly Swept Up in an Evil Man's Whirlwind.
It Comes at a Heavy Price, but at Least Now He Can Sleep.Slightly Above Average for This Type of Thing and its Dramatic Story along with Bogart and Halop make this a Rewarding Film for its Iconic Depression Era Study.
Billy Halop led the Dead End Kids in three other films that paired them up with Humphrey Bogart - "Dead End" which gave the gang their name, "Crime School", and the memorable "Angels With Dirty Faces".
Here, Halop co-stars as the conflicted Johnny Stone, a nineteen year old impressionable young man who looks up to petty hood Frank Wilson (Bogey).
It's a fairly typical Warner Brothers era film, taking a dim view of crime and poverty, and makes you stay till the very end to find out whether Johnny can win out over his conscience.Bogart's character is a vile sort, though he takes Johnny under his wing he's really all for himself.
But Johnny's gun was "borrowed" from his sister's boyfriend, cop Fred Burke (Harvey Stephens), so now Burke is framed for the robbery and the murder.
Winding up in Sing Sing prison for an unrelated caper, Johnny spends his entire time agonizing over whether to rat out Wilson or do the right thing.There's a great cast of Warner's B stock players on hand to move the story along.
Henry Travers is "Pop" the prison librarian who tries to help Johnny see things straight.
When introduced to Johnny, the P.K. can't even remember his real name - "Pop will do, I'll never need another name" - one of the first serious hints to Johnny that maybe a life of crime isn't such a good thing.Joe Sawyer, George E.
The one big surprise in the movie, and you'll recognize his voice before you even see him, is Eddie "Rochester" Anderson in an uncredited role as inmate Sam. He provides a touch of comic relief every time he visits Pop in the library for a new dessert recipe.I always get a kick out of these early films for the perspective they give on the value of money.
Though "You Can't Get Away With Murder" winds up being fairly formulaic, it's still a decent film with a lot of screen time for Halop, and Bogie building up a head of steam for his gangster sizzler "High Sierra".
When I say Bogey at his worst I mean that I personally have never Humphrey Bogart a bigger rat on the screen than in You Can't Get Away With Murder.
He also did this god awful film Over the Wall for Warner Brothers also a prison based drama.
You Can't Get Away With Murder falls in between these extremes.This was a B film and Bogart and Gale Page received top billing.
But the real star here is Dead End gang leader Billy Halop.
When Stephens is picked up for the crime because Bogart left Stephen's weapon at the scene deliberately, Halop doesn't say a word, even after both of them are picked up for the filling station heist.As it is in these Warner Brothers melodramas all the dramatis personae meet in the climax as a prison break is timed with Harvey Stephens date with old sparky as the chair at Sing Sing used to be called.
Now how two guys picked up on a New Jersey crime would be in Sing Sing I still haven't figured out.The film was essentially way to melodramatic and contrived for my tastes, nevertheless Bogart did a fine job as a hood who really shows what a rat he is all the way through and at the end.
As that other Warner Brothers icon would say, "What a Maroon".Best job in the film without a doubt is Billy Halop.
His death scene in the finale is very moving and he does a fine job as a kid who just fell in with bad company.I've not seen all of Humphrey Bogart's films, but most of them and I haven't seen him lower and meaner than in You Can't Get Away With Murder..
After all, it stars Humphrey Bogart AND he plays a typically tough and cool gangster.
For old movie buffs like me who adore Warner Brothers gangster films, these sort of films are terrific entertainment--even if they area tad predictable.
The tough-guy dialog, great acting and break-neck pace make these highly satisfying.The film begins with Bogart pulling a penny ante heist---assisted by a teen (Billy Halop) who idolizes him and is sort of like an apprentice gangster.
A bit later, when they are pulling another job, Bogart kills a man using a gun that belongs to Halop's future brother-in-law (Harvey Stephens)!
On the other hand, Henry Travers plays an older prisoner who tries to guide Halop in the right direction.
Interestingly, Halop and other young Warner stars also went on to make similar films with Cagney and John Garfield as well--so apparently the public loved this style of movie.Oh, and in an uncredited bit role, frequent Jack Benny co-star Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson plays one of the inmates.
The very persistent Bogey had not yet gotten to star status, but solid performances in DEAD END (1937), ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1038)THE ROARING TWENTIES & this YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH MURDER (both 1939), all were solid evidence of his progression.IT WOULD BRING to the very threshold of Stardom with HIGH SIERRA (1941), THE MALTESE FALCON (also '41) and ultimately CASABLANCA (1942).
From that point on any Bogart movie was a big, major motion picture.THE SECOND CAREER that was chronicled by this movie was that of Billy Halop's.
Participation in many titles featuring "the Dead End Kids" at both Warner Brothers and Universal followed in productions that varied a great deal from studio to studio.** THE POWERS THAT be at the Warners' lot were determined to jettison young Halop's association with the Kids and launch a solo career.
Johnnie Stone (Halop), is the full time reason for worry of his older sister, Madge(Gale Page); who apparently is his sole support and guardian Young Johnnie is caught between the good influence of her fiancé, Fred Burke (Harvey Stephens) and Frank Wilson (Bogey).FOLLOWING SOME TWO jobs as stick-up men, they wind up in Sing-Sing; but are soon joined by Fred; who was there because he was framed by Frank.
(Frank frames Fred = tongue twister, right Schultz?) IN THE COURSE of some other incredible plot twists: Johnnie is befriended by "Pop" the prison librarian (Henry Travers), is questioned by both Fred's lawyer and the District Attorney in a special deposition, Fred is about to meet "Old Sparky", gets involved in an attempt to break-out, leaves both a written note and oral admission pf how Fred was framed and dies on the surgical table while clearing Fred in a Dying Declaration.***THAT IS A lot to handle, report on and comprehend.
It has some fine performances by a typically crafted Warner Brothers cast featuring people like: John Litel, Joe Sawyer, Henry Travers, George E.
Stone, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Lane Chandler and Juvenile Cagney look-alike, Frankie Burke.NOTE: * It has been said that Halop had a greater salary than the other Dead Enders ever since the days on the Broadway stage.NOTE: ** Whereas the Warner productions were such as ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACRS, THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL, CRIME SCHOOL and ON DRESS PARADE; those at Universal included "B" pictures such as LITTLE TOUGH GUY and Serials like JUNIOR G-MEN and SEA RAIDERS.NOTE *** This "Dying Declaration" term is just what it sounds like, a legal term.
This is a tough gritty intense crime film that stars Humphrey Bogart & Billy Halop both getting top billing even though Halop has more screen time & is the real star & main focus.
The Dead End Kids appeared in 3 other films with Bogart in "Dead End" (1937), "Crime School" & "Angels With Dirty Faces" both in 1938.
Halop plays Johnny Stone who admires & looks up to small time gangster Frank Wilson (Bogart), Frank shows Johnny the ropes on how to be a criminal.First they steal a car & then they stick up & rob a gas station & then Johnny steals his sister Madge's (Gale Page) boyfriend's Fred Burke's (Harvey Stephens) gun from his apartment while they go out on the town.
Bogart shoots the pawnshop owner dead with the gun Johnny stole from Burke.Frank leaves the gun on the floor & subsequently their fingerprints leads the police right to their doorstep & Frank & Johnny are arrested & sentenced to Sing Sing prison.
Burke lands on death-row awaiting the electric chair.Most of the film takes place in the big house as Johnny gets torn between the good & evil forces.
He's given a job in the prison library working with Pop ( Henry Travers) who senses that Johnny's conscience is bothering him & tries to convince him to do the right thing by telling the truth as Burke's fate lies in Johnny's hands.
There is an exciting prison break with Bogart, Halop, Joseph Sawyer, Harold Huber & Joe Downing which ends in disaster & a violent shootout with the prison guards eventually trapping Frank & Johnny in a freight car.
Bogart is typically cast in his familiar tough guy role he so often played in the 1930's.
Billy Halop gives a great solo performance in this movie & it should've skyrocketed him to solo stardom.
But this film " You Can't Get Away With Murder" really has a lot going for it & is really worth seeing & needs a DVD release.
gangster prison crime films of the 30's.
Humphrey Bogart (Frank Wilson), Billy Halop (Johnnie Stone), Gale Page (Madge Stone), John Litel (Attorney Carey), Henry Travers (Pop), Harvey Stephens (Fred Burke), Harold Huber (Scappa), Joseph Sawyer (Red), Joseph Downing (Smitty), George E.
U.S. release: 20 May. 78 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Johnnie Stone embarks on a career of crime under the tutelage of Frank Wilson, a petty crook.
In part this is due to the power of the original stage play (which takes over after about 20 or 30 minutes of commendable "opening up") and in part to the finely communicated nervous agitation Billy Halop works up in his role.
Over and over and over again, Warner Brothers turned out gangster films.
Very few were memorable, although WB certainly had the formula down pat.If there's a real reason to watch this film, it's simply that there are some interesting things about the film...though not about the story.Humphrey Bogart plays the same old gangster character here that he always played before he hit it big.
I have to admit, in his own way, when young, Bogart was quite handsome.Gale Page is good here as the sister of Billy Halop.Billy Halop was another WB stereotype, here with a bit of an acne problem.John Litel is quite good as an attorney.One of the most interesting roles here is beloved Henry Travers as "Pop" -- a prisoner...albeit assigned to the prison library!
Another surprise here -- another much beloved actor -- Eddie "Rochester" Anderson plays a convict.The one place this drama rises above the typical gangster/prison drama is in the conversations between Billy Halop and Henry Travers.
Unfortunately that little bit of class quickly disappears at the end of the film when the writer/directors try to redeem the Halop character through his death confession when he is trying to escape from prison...followed by overly dramatic (and very loud) music.