MovieChat Forums > The Doorway to Hell (1930) Discussion > Ending is a bunch of bull

Ending is a bunch of bull

posted 13 years ago by mercury4
6 replies | jump to latest

That moral at the end about the "doorway to hell" is such bull. Louie tried to go straight. He quit the rackets, retired to Florida, married his girl(he married for love, mind you), had plans to raise his younger brother and was going to do everything he could to make sure his brother went straight. He made peace with all of the gangs and I didn't see him kill anyone in the movie until they got his little brother killed in that botched kidnapping.

Meanwhile, in the end, they give you the impression that Louie was getting just what he deserved in the end. Was he such a villain? Was he the "bad guy?" He truly loved his wife and she was out cheating on him. Even took off her wedding ring. His wife was committing adultery. His right hand man Mileaway was coveting thy neighbor's wife. The cop in the end was as crooked as could be. The cop made himself judge, jury, and executioner. That whole ending with the cop throwing Louie to the wolves was such bull. The cop wanted to let the other gangs rub him out since he figured they couldn't get a conviction. "You're a menace to society," the cop tells Louie. BS. Last time I checked, Louie made peace with the mobs, got married, and retired to live peacefully in Florida. Louie was not the bad guy. Louie was not the villain. Everyone around him was. Louie was a business man. I wouldn't mind if this movie was remade. I also don't believe Lew was miscast because the script was lousy. He got nothing to work with, unlike his big break film, All Quiet on the Western Front. This movie was BS.

I also hated the fact that he went outside in the end smiling. I understand how he wants to go out in the end unafraid. But why did he go outside without his gun? Makes no sense. If he was going down why didn't he take the bastards down with him. In a remake I would change a lot of things. For one, I'd have Louie go out in a blaze of glory.

[–] XLCH1000 11 years ago

I agree with everything you wrote, but I think you have to consider the public mindset of the time. This was 1930. The depression, the limited media and the way the general public percieved guys like Louie. WW2 was still 10 years away and life was still good or bad, black or white, right or wrong.

[–] mdudnikov 11 years ago

You have some points there, but how can you say Louie was not a bad guy. Right at the beginning of the film he has ordered the hit on Whitey Eckhart. He certainly is painted sympathetically, retiring from crime and only coming back upon the death of his brother.

But I think the theme of the film is that the life of a criminal is a cursed one. Louie may seem to have it all, wife, younger brother who idolizes him, lots of money and an early retirement. But he actually has nothing. His wife doesn't love him, only his money and exciting life style. And once he retires she misses the violence she has vicariously shared. His best friend double crosses him in the worst way, romancing his wife and because of that is vulnerable to police pressure. And even the incorruptible cop is willing to feed him to his enemies, unless he confesses, which Louie will not do.

And his brother who he really loves and who is the only one who loves him has his life thrown away just by accident because of the associations Louie has had. A life of crime is the Doorway to Hell and as the adage goes the Road to Hell is Paved with Good intentions.

Finally Louie realizes he has no choices. Either confess and have police protection and 40 years in jail or go out and face the gunmen hired by Rocco and the Midget. And maybe for what he brought upon his brother he deserves it.

[–] YouToober 11 years ago

You made some very good points. I myself didn't understand the ending. But after reading your post, the way the film ended is beginning to make some sense to me now.

And still overall (in my opinion), a very good gangster film.

[–] swojtak 10 years ago

The policeman said he would not take him into custody as he was going to let the mob finish his work for him.

[–] mercury4 10 years ago

The policeman said he would not take him into custody as he was going to let the mob finish his work for him.

He was a crooked cop. He knew Louie was going to die and just let it happen. Who is he to play judge, jury, and executioner? I don't believe Louie deserved to die. He made mistakes and chose the wrong kind of life. But he did everything he could to try and make things right. I also didn't like how Louie never found out about Mileaway's betrayal and never got even. This movie needs to be remade. It's too late to get Pacino or DeNiro. But maybe they can find the next Pacino or DeNiro.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

mercury4 says > He was a crooked cop.

I don't know where you got the impression O'Grady was a crooked cop. He definitely was not. When Louie tried to bribe him, O'Grady would not go for it. Instead he wanted to check the serial numbers on the bills in an attempt to tie Louie to other gangland or mob crimes and arrest him.

Pat also risked his life doing his job. He tried to keep the criminals from killing each other and anyone else who got in their way. He even tried warning Louie to stay away from what he, O'Grady knew were planned hits. Louie wouldn't listen.

O'Grady even arrested Louie to keep him safe but Louie escaped. At that point it was too late for O'Grady to do anything about it; just like he couldn't really stop Louie from killing off the guys who caused his brother's death. Louie assumed that meant O'Grady was paid off by Rocco but that was not the case. As O'Grady told him, while the police knew all the things Louie had done and was involved in they didn't have the proof necessary to make it stick. He let his rivals take care of him as a last resort because it meant he was, at least, going to be off the streets.

he did everything he could to try and make things right.

One can't 'make right' the life of crime Louie had been living. People lost their lives and their livelihood because of him. Saying he had given it all up was a joke because before he left he tried to merge the various factions. He was still on top of the heap; that's why his guys wanted, or rather needed, him back. His own guys are the ones who tried to grab his brother. They wanted him still there running things because others were taking over. That was to show one can't merely walk away and think they are done with that lifestyle.

I also didn't like how Louie never found out about Mileaway's betrayal and never got even.

Louie did see Mileaway and his wife through a mirror at one point while talking to O'Grady. He even acknowledged it. After that he had Mileaway framed for the hit on Midget (or the other guy, can't remember his name). Realizing he'd been wrong and reaffirming his loyalty to Louie, Mileaway played along and plead guilty. That actually saved his life since he was behind bars when all the rest of Louie's gang was gunned down by Rocco's factions.

Also, in the very end, Louie acknowledges again that Mileaway will look after his wife when he gets out of prison. What he realized was the idea of having two separate and distinct lives was not possible; it was all an illusion - just like having it all. He may have wanted the best for his brother and wife but he couldn't shield them from his lifestyle. It had a negative effect on them too.

This movie needs to be remade.

I think this movie has been remade many times; perhaps not an updated version but I have seen many of the same elements in many other movies - with varying success.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]