Dead End 1937 DVD - Sylvia Sidney / Joel McCrea

Set in the grimy slums of New York, "Dead End" explores the stark contrast between the city's impoverished tenements and the opulent luxury apartments erected nearby for their view of the East River. The story follows the Dead End Kids—a small gang of streetwise boys led by Tommy Gordon (Billy Halop)—who are drawn toward a life of crime. Besides Tommy, the gang includes Dippy (Huntz Hall), Angel (Bobby Jordan), Spit (Leo Gorcey), T.B. (Gabriel Dell), and newcomer Milty (Bernard Punsly). Despite initial bullying, Milty is eventually accepted into the group and forms a loyal friendship with Tommy. Tommy's sister, Drina (Sylvia Sidney), longs for a way out of their impoverished existence and hopes to save her brother from a criminal fate. She is wary of Tommy following in the footsteps of Baby Face Martin (Humphrey Bogart), a notorious mobster who returns to the neighborhood. Dave Connell (Joel McCrea), Drina's childhood friend, is an unemployed architect caught in a doomed affair with Kay Burton (Wendy Barrie), the mistress of a wealthy man. Tensions rise as the kids target a wealthy apartment resident's son, leading to Tommy stabbing the boy's father and fleeing from the police. Meanwhile, Baby Face Martin faces rejection from his mother (Marjorie Main) and his ex-girlfriend Francie (Claire Trevor), who is suffering from late-stage syphilis. Despair drives Martin to kidnap the rich child for ransom, but Dave intervenes and ultimately kills Martin. When the authorities arrive, Spit betrays Tommy to the police, leading to a confrontation within the gang. Dave convinces Tommy to surrender, vowing to use Martin's reward money to defend him in court. Cast: - Billy Halop as Tommy Gordon - Huntz Hall as Dippy - Bobby Jordan as Angel - Leo B. Gorcey as Spit - Gabriel Dell as T.B. - Bernard Punsly as Milton 'Milty' - Sylvia Sidney as Drina Gordon - Joel McCrea as Dave Connell - Humphrey Bogart as "Baby Face" Martin - Wendy Barrie as Kay Burton - Claire Trevor as Francie - Allen Jenkins as Hunk - Marjorie Main as Mrs. Martin - Charles Peck as Philip Griswald - Minor Watson as Mr. Griswald - James Burke as Mulligan - Ward Bond as Doorman - Elisabeth Risdon as Mrs. Connell - Esther Dale as Mrs. Fenner - George Humbert as Pascagli - Marcelle Corday as Governess Runtime: 93 minutes.