They Made Me a Criminal
They Made Me a Criminal

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- 68/100 based on 2,517 votes

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 in a drunken stupor, Johnnie is passed out while a reporter who was going expose his true lifestyle is found dead in Johnnie's apartment. Knowing that he did not kill the reporter but that... (Full plot summary below)

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Actors in They Made Me a Criminal:

John Garfield
Claude Rains
Ann Sheridan
May Robson
Gloria Dickson
Billy Halop

Full Plot Details

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 in a drunken stupor, Johnnie is passed out while a reporter who was going expose his true lifestyle is found dead 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 in his pockets of his several thousand dollars amassed wealth, 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, it 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. While there is an initial animosity between Johnnie and Grandma, the six reformers and especially 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, they 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 himself as still being alive. And second, NYPD Detective Monty Phelan, whose career took a nosedive ten years ago 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.

Review & Comments

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Movie Reviews

Ozus' World Movie Reviews - 9/10 by Dennis SchwartzMade competently enough and solidly acted so that one might forgive all the plot holes, unconvincing romance and outdated cornball antics.
Goatdog's Movies - 4/10 by Michael W. Phillips, Jr.There's nothing in this material that calls for [Busby] Berkeley's particular talents.
User Review - 8/10 by Jim COne of my all-time favorites. I love Garfield's and Sheridan's performances, as they captured the tough and desperate quality to Depression Era film characters. I also liked Rains as the cop-with-a-heart-of-gold at the end. I mostly like this film because I first saw it with my parents when I was ten--it was a hot summer night and we had all the fans in the house going, which added to the effect of the scenes in Arizona.
User Review - 8/10 by Cassandra MBusby Berkeley directs this drama that features an element of crime mixed with drama and some humor. A feel good flick that holds interest. John Garfield plays a young champion prizefighter that is led to believe he murdered a reporter in a drunken brawl; so he high steps it out of town. He heads west and stops in Arizona taking refuge on a ranch run by Ann Sheridan and staffed by the Dead End Kids featuring Leo Gorcey and Billy Halop. The gang convinces the boxer on the run to enter a prizefight to win stakes for a future gasoline station. But spoiling a good thing is detective Claude Rains, who recognizes the champ and is set to take him back. A nice escape back to days gone by.
User Review - 8/10 by Greg Wgood gritty urban drama like only WB could do
User Review - 8/10 by Dave JWednesday, January 19, 2011 (1939) They Made Me A Criminal CRIME DRAMA/ THRILLER/ SUSPENSE The plot has actor John Garfield as a boxer, and ends up running away from the law for accidently killing someone in the ring! While being pursued he then comes across into an isolated crop field which is really a sanctuary for the law to send rehabilitation juevenile delinquents which some frequent old movie watchers would recognize some as the "The Bowery Boys" who were popular during this time! While there, he falls in love(as movies always do) and befriends the kids at the same time! The only thing I can say is that this movie is very straight forward with a great ending! What's interesting about this film is the fact that although boxing in the underworld or illegal boxing matches were prevalent during The Great Depression, one wouldn't know whether their were any rules or consequences imposed if one to get himself killed as a result of many bouts! And I guess at the particular time during the 30's or during 'The Great Depression' (at least in some urban areas), this is how society dealt with it. 3 out of 4
User Review - 8/10 by Justin MAn enjoyable crime movie starring John Garfield as a champion boxer (Johnny Bradfield), who was framed for a murder by his crooked manager; Johnny then goes on the run and becomes a kind of wise-cracking role-model for a 'gang' of underprivileged delinquents. This 1939 flic is charming, fun to watch, and has a nice twist at the end.
User Review - 6/10 by rocko pI'm a big fan of the "M-YA SHEEE" talk and this movie had plenty to go around. John Garfield reminded me of three actors all crunched into one: Liam Neeson,Charles Bronson and Edward G Robinson, nothing to do with acting styles or anything, his face just reminded me of those guys. The dead end kids were pretty entertaining especially at the end when they were bullshitting their way into the boxing fight at the end. You know I'm not too sure if I'm pinpointing the exact movie but I couldn't help but think of Butch's character in Pulp Fiction but it's completely different that was sort of a pride fucking with you sorta story this is more wrongfully accused type stuff. Enjoyed it.
User Review - 6/10 by Kevin M. WWhile directed by Busby Berkeley there actually is little for him to do but to choreograph a couple of fights in this standard Warner Bros. B-feature about New Yorkers hiding out out-in-the-sticks. Can wise-to-it-all street hustlers give up what they know for some of that folksy middle Americanism old Hollywood loved to pretend it revered? The Dead End Kids do well backing up John Garfield's streetwise tough play, while Ann Sheridan and Claude Rains are advertised but in reality hardly onscreen at all. Still, at least it ain't no cheap gyp of a film.
User Review - 6/10 by Bill TFilm Noir which turns soft see, around the middle act. John Garfield is a champion boxer forced to flee town when he's accused of moidur he didn't commit (the first 1/4 half of this movie is almost impossible to explain, so much backstory and plot... but it's great!) He soon winds up in a Date farm in Arizona (!!?!?!) where he meets the Dead End kids... and well, things start going downhill from there. It starts to lose it's grit. Oh well, has the prerequisite homoerotic touches that curiously infuse the Dead End kids films, and even they can't save this, let alone Busby Berkeley.

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