The Doorway to Hell
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| The Doorway to Hell | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Archie Mayo |
| Produced by | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Screenplay by | George Rosener |
| Based on | Handful of Clouds by Rowland Brown |
| Starring | Lew Ayres James Cagney |
| Cinematography | Barney McGill |
| Editing by | Robert O. Crandall |
| Studio | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | October 18, 1930 |
| Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Doorway to Hell is a 1930 Pre-Code crime film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Lew Ayres and James Cagney in his second film role.[1] The film's title was typical of the sensationalistic titles of many Pre-Code films.[2] It was marketed with the tagline, "The picture Gangland defied Hollywood to make!"[3] Ayres plays a young Chicago man who attempts to go straight, but is continually pulled into the gangster lifestyle.[4] A recent review by Allmovie that was reprinted in The New York Times noted that the picture was "an innovative film and featured a lot of elements that would become standards in the gangster genre including tommy guns carried in violin cases, terrible shoot-outs, and lots of rum-running rivalry."[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Brennan, Sandra. The Doorway to Hell, The New York Times, accessed October 12, 2010.
- ^ Doherty. pg 103
- ^ Doherty. pg. 154
- ^ Doorway to Hell, tcm.com, accessed October 12, 2010.
[edit] References
- Doherty, Thomas Patrick. Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema 1930-1934. New York: Columbia University Press 1999. ISBN 0-231-11094-4
[edit] External links
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