White Heat 1949 Film Noir with James Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien

Quintessential Cagney gangster/prison movie, directed by Raoul Walsh.

Cagney is Arthur "Cody" Jarrett, a ruthless, psychotic criminal and leader of the Jarrett gang. Although married to Verna, he is overly attached to his equally crooked and determined mother, "Ma" Jarrett.

Cagney's character is a psychopathic criminal with a mother complex who makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist

One of several iconic scenes is when Cody puts one of his enemies into a car truck, and when the man says he needs air, Cody unloads his pistol into the trunk.


Edmond O'Brien plays an undercover FBI agent who goes into prison to nail Cody for multiple murders.

Virginia Mayo is Cody's wife, Verna, attempts to double cross Cody while he is in prison.