Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Mayor of Hell

 The Mayor of Hell
type
TVTItem
 The Mayor of Hell
label
The Mayor of Hell
 The Mayor of Hell
page
TheMayorOfHell
 The Mayor of Hell
comment
The Mayor of Hell is a 1933 crime drama film directed by Archie Mayo.Jimmy Smith (Frankie Darro) is a teenaged delinquent and the leader of a gang of teenaged delinquents. When an attempt at a snatch-and-grab robbery of a candy shop gets Jimmy and his gang arrested, most of them get sent to reform school. The judge seems to be under the idea that reform school is a place where troubled youth can get turned around, but Peaktown State Reformatory is a brutal, vicious place. The warden, Thompson (Dudley Digges), is a cruel martinet who whips misbehaving kids and feeds them gruel while embezzling the funds for their food.Enter Patsy Gargan (James Cagney), a gangster who doubles as a ward heeler (a turn-out-the-vote guy) for a corrupt political machine. Patsy is named deputy commissioner of the reformatory, in what is meant to be a no-show job. But when Patsy pays what was supposed to be his only visit to the reformatory, he is both startled by the brutal conditions, and attracted to the lovely Dorothy Griffith (Madge Evans), the reformatory nurse. Partly out of a sincere desire to improve the reformatory and partly to impress the reform-minded Dorothy, Patsy institutes a whole raft of changes that greatly improve life at the reformatory. But when Patsy accidentally shoots another gangster during a fight, it seems as if his reforms might gets swept away.
 The Mayor of Hell
fetched
2023-06-22T22:30:10Z
 The Mayor of Hell
parsed
2023-06-22T22:30:10Z
 The Mayor of Hell
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Mayor of Hell / int_165d6f53
type
Punishment Box
 The Mayor of Hell / int_165d6f53
comment
Punishment Box: Solitary confinement in the reformatory is a drafty outdoor cabin that affords almost no protection against the cold. Jimmy survives, but when sickly and possibly tubercular Johnny is put in the box overnight, he dies.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_165d6f53
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_165d6f53
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_165d6f53
 The Mayor of Hell / int_19da8a03
type
Incurable Cough of Death
 The Mayor of Hell / int_19da8a03
comment
Incurable Cough of Death: Johnny Stone, one of Jimmy's boys, has a persistent hacking cough. It's hinted to be TB, but under the care of Nurse Dorothy during Patsy's more enlightened regime, Johnny improves. When Thompson comes back and locks Johnny in a Punishment Box, he dies.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_19da8a03
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_19da8a03
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_19da8a03
 The Mayor of Hell / int_1fb4d915
type
The Stool Pigeon
 The Mayor of Hell / int_1fb4d915
comment
The Stool Pigeon: One of the boys, Charlie, is an informant for Thompson. Thompson gets him to encourage Jimmy into an escape attempt, but Jimmy doesn't take the bait.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_1fb4d915
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_1fb4d915
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_1fb4d915
 The Mayor of Hell / int_4720744e
type
Cut Phone Lines
 The Mayor of Hell / int_4720744e
comment
Cut Phone Lines: The boys do this towards the end when they riot and take control of the prison; Warden Thompson can't make a call to the outside.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_4720744e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_4720744e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_4720744e
 The Mayor of Hell / int_48cffdb7
type
I Want My Mommy!
 The Mayor of Hell / int_48cffdb7
comment
I Want My Mommy!: Played for Drama. Poor Johnny calls "Ma...Ma...Ma," right before he dies after spending a night in the Punishment Box.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_48cffdb7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_48cffdb7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_48cffdb7
 The Mayor of Hell / int_59af9477
type
Delinquents
 The Mayor of Hell / int_59af9477
comment
Delinquents: Jimmy and all his gang members, although the film demonstrates how most of them come from difficult backgrounds. Jimmy's own father doesn't give a rat's ass about him.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_59af9477
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_59af9477
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_59af9477
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7b0b0907
type
All Jews Are Cheapskates
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7b0b0907
comment
All Jews Are Cheapskates: Some bigoted humor when Isidore's father agrees that the boy can go to reform school once he's told that it's free. (This is undercut when Mr. Horowitz tells his son in Yiddish that he loves him and gives him a kiss.)
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7b0b0907
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7b0b0907
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_7b0b0907
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7eebe99c
type
The Alcoholic
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7eebe99c
comment
The Alcoholic: Tommy's father shows up drunk when Tommy and the other kids have their trial. He falls asleep in court.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7eebe99c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_7eebe99c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_7eebe99c
 The Mayor of Hell / int_98f22e5f
type
Wardens Are Evil
 The Mayor of Hell / int_98f22e5f
comment
Wardens Are Evil: Thompson regards his prisoners as subhuman. He feeds them swill while stealing from prison funds, and he inflicts brutal punishments, including whipping. When he locks sickly Johnny outside in solitary confinement, Johnny dies.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_98f22e5f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_98f22e5f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_98f22e5f
 The Mayor of Hell / int_9e622f84
type
Stealing from the Till
 The Mayor of Hell / int_9e622f84
comment
Stealing from the Till: Thompson the scumbag feeds the kids swill while stealing from the money meant to pay for food.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_9e622f84
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_9e622f84
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_9e622f84
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a6ec25e4
type
Protection Racket
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a6ec25e4
comment
Protection Racket: Jimmy and his fellow delinquents run such a scam. When people park their cars in Jimmy's neighborhood, the gang offers to watch their cars. If they refuse, the kids vandalize the cars, puncturing tires and stealing radiator caps.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a6ec25e4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a6ec25e4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_a6ec25e4
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a8556a04
type
Video Credits
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a8556a04
comment
Video Credits: Of all the main players at the start of the film, as was Warner Brothers house style in this era.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a8556a04
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_a8556a04
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_a8556a04
 The Mayor of Hell / int_add931af
type
I Choose to Stay
 The Mayor of Hell / int_add931af
comment
I Choose to Stay: The ending has Patsy putting ward heeling and gangsterism behind him, and deciding to stay and run the reformatory full-time.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_add931af
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_add931af
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_add931af
 The Mayor of Hell / int_af70c7b0
type
Prison
 The Mayor of Hell / int_af70c7b0
comment
Prison: The judge makes the reformatory sound ok, but it's a terrible place filled with brutality. This film is basically The Big House with teenagers.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_af70c7b0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_af70c7b0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_af70c7b0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_c514fdda
type
Sizable Semitic Nose
 The Mayor of Hell / int_c514fdda
comment
Sizable Semitic Nose: Jimmy's gang includes a Jewish kid names Isidore whose dad talks Yiddish to him in court. The other kids call Isidore "Schnoz", and the actor does in fact have a prominent nose.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_c514fdda
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_c514fdda
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_c514fdda
 The Mayor of Hell / int_d73ecb18
type
Gun Struggle
 The Mayor of Hell / int_d73ecb18
comment
Gun Struggle: Patsy comes back to the city after his time at the reformatory, only to find that another hoodlum named Joe has attempted to replace him as leader of the gang. A brawl ensues which winds up with Joe getting accidentally shot and Patsy going on the lam.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_d73ecb18
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_d73ecb18
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_d73ecb18
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e07d3d72
type
Uncle Tomfoolery
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e07d3d72
comment
Uncle Tomfoolery: Jimmy's gang has one black kid, Joliet. There's some horribly racist humor when Joliet's father shows up in court and engages in stereotypical uneducated speech, like addressing one of the judges with "Who is you?"
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e07d3d72
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e07d3d72
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_e07d3d72
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e529d5c3
type
Torches and Pitchforks
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e529d5c3
comment
Torches and Pitchforks: The boys in the reformatory are carrying torches as they grab Thompson and put him on trial for murder, and they're still carrying torches as they chase Thompson to the roof of the barn, where he falls to his death.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e529d5c3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_e529d5c3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_e529d5c3
 The Mayor of Hell / int_eb8856
type
The X of Y
 The Mayor of Hell / int_eb8856
comment
The X of Y: The Mayor of Hell
 The Mayor of Hell / int_eb8856
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_eb8856
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_eb8856
 The Mayor of Hell / int_ed503b22
type
Match Cut
 The Mayor of Hell / int_ed503b22
comment
Match Cut: There's a cut from Thompson, with his arm around Charlie's shoulders as he encourages Charlie to lure Jimmy into a fake escape attempt, to Charlie with his arm around Jimmy's shoulders as he's doing the same.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_ed503b22
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_ed503b22
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_ed503b22
 The Mayor of Hell / int_f36c4f98
type
Easily Forgiven
 The Mayor of Hell / int_f36c4f98
comment
Easily Forgiven: The judge says that "It's clear this tragedy was Thompson's own fault." So that's how the audience knows that the boys will face no punishment for rioting and murdering the warden.
 The Mayor of Hell / int_f36c4f98
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_f36c4f98
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_f36c4f98
 The Mayor of Hell / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Mayor of Hell / int_name
comment
 The Mayor of Hell / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
The Mayor of Hell / int_name
 The Mayor of Hell / int_name
itemName
The Mayor of Hell

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
Prison Films / int_1c5be6a5
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
Protection Racket / int_1c5be6a5
 The Mayor of Hell
hasFeature
Sizable Semitic Nose / int_1c5be6a5