They Made Me a Criminal (B&W)

They Made Me a Criminal (B&W)
Customer Review: For John Garfield fans...
...this is enjoyable viewing. Not essential Garfield---I'd reserve that phrase for "Body and Soul," "Humoresque," and "Force of Evil"---but he's always worth watching, even in his lesser films (as is Claude Rains). The Dead End Kids are up to their usual shenanigans. The revelation here is Ann Sheridan (she's on the screen for only eight minutes). Although the aptly tagged "Oomph Girl" usually struck sultry, seductive poses in her publicity photos, she almost always played girl- next-door types in her films. Here she's something different---Garfield's floozy girl friend---and well worth a look. Other reviewers have ably summarized the plot, so I'll conclude by saying that this movie (directed by, of all people, Busby Berkeley) is half of the answer to a trivia question: name two movies in which the same actor played two different boxers. Answer: this, and the afore-mentioned "Body and Soul."
Customer Review: East Side Kids Outshine Garfield
John Garfield stars as Johnnie, a prize figher with a distinctive style of fighting. He unfortunately takes it too far and accidentally kills a reporter, forcing him to take action. However, two of his friends (including the beautiful Ann Sheridan) die in an automobile accident, and the cops mistake one of them for Johnnie. In an attempt to save his skin, Johnnie flees to the countryside where he stumbles upon a home for wayward boys (The East Side Kids). He becomes a role model for the boys and eventually learns not to be so selfish. Suprisingly, Garfield is not the big attraction for this film. Instead, The East Side Kids take presidence over the star. They have their own brand of talent stemming mainly from truth. Here, none of them stand out above the other, both a good and a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Leo Gorcey shoots his mouth off, but he is hardly the leader he came to be in later films. Huntz Hall is the goofy comic relief. Bobby Jordan is the innocent little brother type. The boys work exceptionally well in a tense swimming scene in a water silo, the most memorable part of the film. This movie has all the makings of a b-movie, but it's cast makes it highly enjoyable.