The Mayor of Hell
Rips the Lid from an Inferno of Human Passions!
CrimeDramafirejudgenurseyouth ganggangsolitary confinementjuvenile delinquentreformatorypre-codereform schoolrevoltsick child
A pre-Code reformatory drama that pits a progressive reformer against institutional cruelty, driven by ideological conflict and the mistreatment of vulnerable youth.
Members of a teenage gang are sent to the State Reformatory, presided over by the callous Thompson. Soon Patsy Gargan, a former gangster appointed Deputy Commissioner, arrives and takes over the administration to run the place on radical principles. Thompson needs a quick way to discredit him.
Essence
Ensemble
James Cagney
Richard 'Patsy' Gargan
Madge Evans
Dorothy Griffith
Frankie Darro
James 'Jimmie' Smith
Dudley Digges
Thompson
Arthur Byron
Judge H.J. Gilbert
Allen Jenkins
Mike
Sheila Terry
Blonde with Mike
Robert Barrat
Fred Smith
Allen 'Farina' Hoskins
Joliet "Smoke" Hemingway
Harold Huber
Joe
Dorothy Peterson
Mrs. Smith
G. Pat Collins
Brandon
Closest match
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same mood
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Go darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Something gentler
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Hidden gem
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
