James Cagney as Rocky Sullivan

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James Cagney as Rocky Sullivan is the iconic portrayal of a charismatic New York gangster whose complex morality and tragic fate became one of classic Hollywood’s defining tough-guy performances.

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Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf acting performance
film character portrayal
appearsInFilm Angels with Dirty Faces NERFINISHED
associatedWithStudioCycle Warner Bros. gangster cycle GENERATED
awardsContext contributed to James Cagney’s status as an Academy Award–winning actor
basedOnStoryBy Rowland Brown NERFINISHED
characterName Rocky Sullivan NERFINISHED
characterOccupation gangster
characterTrait charismatic
morally complex
tough
coStarsWith Ann Sheridan NERFINISHED
Humphrey Bogart NERFINISHED
Pat O'Brien NERFINISHED
The Dead End Kids NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
criticalReputation defining tough-guy role of classic Hollywood
iconic performance
culturalStatus classic Hollywood gangster icon
executionMethod electric chair
fate executed
filmDirector Michael Curtiz NERFINISHED
filmProducer Samuel Bischoff NERFINISHED
filmReleaseYear 1938
filmStudio Warner Bros. NERFINISHED
genre crime film
gangster film
influences later Hollywood gangster portrayals
language English
medium feature film
moralTheme influence on youth
redemption
sacrifice
narrativeArc rise and fall of a gangster
nationalCinema American cinema
notableScene final walk to the execution chamber
portrayalStyle energetic
intense
streetwise
portrayedBy James Cagney NERFINISHED
screenwriterOfFilm John Wexley NERFINISHED
Warren Duff NERFINISHED
settingCity New York City NERFINISHED
studioEra Golden Age of Hollywood NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Angels with Dirty Faces leadActorPlays James Cagney as Rocky Sullivan