MovieChat Forums > Captains of the Clouds (1942) Discussion > Cagney character=total heel

Cagney character=total heel

posted 11 years ago by Noirkiss_3
8 replies | jump to latest

I always like Cagney whether good or bad because he always has charm. But in this one he's a jerk from the start. Hard to swallow.

When there are two, one betrays-Jean-Pierre Melville

[–] highwaystar50 11 years ago

Yes and it made him a perfect match for Brenda Marshall's character!
KS

[–] wmkingsman 8 years ago

I couldn't agree, more. Cagney even said, in reflection, that he played a Rotter. But it was a good role. His character knew , that Johnny Dutton was determined, to marry Emily, no matter what. Cagney knew this, to be true-so Brian MacLean, deliberately stepped in, to keep his friend from doing so. Cagney recognized her, that she was just like him-he knew that she would have bled him dry, and then moved on, to somebody else. A marvelous film.

[–] mrbizness1 9 years ago

He knew she was looking to get out of the country life anyway she could. Goldigger

[–] wpw100 9 years ago

Agree. The guy steals business behind their backs, almost kills his colleagues, steals his friend's fiancée behind his back, thumbs his nose at the very safety rules he's supposed to be teaching, tries to falsify student performance, gets his best friend killed, and acts like a jerk the entire time. Not a very sympathetic character.

Many entertaining things in this movie, but it's an odd story for a propaganda-era film.

[–] shoobe01-1 8 years ago

You forgot the slander. And how he can't get as good as he gives. Total jerk. There have been worse people in movies, but not a lot who are supposed to be the hero, and really not a lot in this era. Most criminals from this era had more scruples and morals.

Weird, weird movie in many ways.

[–] marktayloruk (2384) 2 years ago

He did what he needed to do to survive He also saved his friend from a lousy marriage.

[–] chrissso 8 years ago

Yet in the end he is the hero ... go figure???

[–] liscarkat (16638) a year ago

He sacrifices $4,000.00 ($80,000.00 in 2022 money) to save his friend from a gold digger, and sacrifices his life to save the other members of the bomber squadron being ferried across the ocean. Not exactly a "total" heel.