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They Made Me a Criminal

They Made Me a Criminal

Crime · Drama · 1939

A boxer flees, believing he has committed a murder while he was drunk.

Movie details

They Made Me a Criminal

“I am a fugitive! I am hunted by the mob! I am wanted by the cops! I am forgotten by decent women!”

1939 Crime · Drama 1h 32m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A boxer flees, believing he has committed a murder while he was drunk.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over They Made Me a Criminal?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Stanley manages his boxer brother Lion but when a devastating loss in the ring leaves the pair in debt, an opportunity to recoup the cash leads to a series of misadventures that threaten to break the bond between them.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Busby Berkeley

Written by

Sig Herzig

John Garfield

John Garfield

Johnnie Bradfield, aka Jack Dorney

Claude Rains

Claude Rains

Det. Monty Phelan

Ann Sheridan

Ann Sheridan

Goldie West

May Robson

May Robson

Grandma Rafferty

Gloria Dickson

Gloria Dickson

Peggy

Billy Halop

Billy Halop

Tommy

Bobby Jordan

Bobby Jordan

Angel

Court is in session

Put They Made Me a Criminal on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.