Special Sub-Topic: Classic Gangster Movies, Part 1 Click Here To Play: Classic Gangster Movies, Part 1

What was the movie that kicked off the gangster film era in the 1930's in Hollywood?

'Little Caesar'. Released in 1930, this movie made Edward G. Robinson a star, but he was long typecast as a hard-boiled gangster type. Robinson was actually an art lover who was said to be terrified of guns.

What were Rico Bandello's famous dying words?

'Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Rico?'. Broke and a fugitive from the law, Bandello finally goes down in a hail of police bullets, uttering the famous sentence.

What is the title of an early silent film that was directed by the great film pioneer, D.W. Griffith, and is considered the first gangster movie ever made?

Musketeers of Pig Alley. The movie was filmed in 1912 and shows 'proto-gangsters' (in derby hats) shooting it out with the police. The first time urban crime was depicted in the movies, according to film historians.

In 'Angels with Dirty Faces,' what reason does Rocky Sullivan (James Cagney) give for not being afraid to die?

He has no heart. O'Brien tries to talk Cagney into feigning fear, so the Dead End Kids, who idolize Rocky Sullivan, will be disillusioned and will not follow in the criminal's steps.

What is the famous last line (spoken by Gladys George) in 'The Roaring Twenties' (1939)?

'He used to be a bigshot'. This was the last, and definitive gangster movie of the thirties.

What maverick director helmed the 1931 movie 'Public Enemy'?

William Wellman. This film is uneven, but it has several great scenes, among them Cagney squeezing the grapefruit on Mae Clarke's face, and Cagney, in the rain, all shot to pieces and collapsing in the gutter, muttering: 'I ain't so tough.'

What was the name of the character James Cagney played in 'White Heat,' his last (but one) great gangster movie? "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," filmed the following year, has a cult following.

Cody Jarrett. This movie was directed by Raoul Walsh and has one of the most famous finales in motion picture history.

At the end of 'White Heat,' what was Cagney's famous exit line?

"Ma! Top of the World!'. 'And it blew up in his face.'

In 'Petrified Forest' (1936), who played the role of Duke Mantee, the brutal fugitive gangster?

Humphrey Bogart. This is the role that stereotyped Bogart as a gangster for years.

Who played the role of the giggling psychotic, Tommy Udo, in the original version (1947) of 'Kiss of Death'?

Richard Widmark. He pushed an old lady in a wheelchair down the staircase. Big man...

What is the name of the hunted criminal portrayed by Charles Boyer in the movie 'Algiers' (1938)?

Pepe Le Moko. The movie was actually a shot by shot version of the French original, titled 'Pepe Le Moko,' which had been released the previous year and starred Boyer's compatriot, Jean Gabin.

What is the title of the 1970 French movie in which Jean Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon play two gangsters in Marseilles?

Borsalino. This film is an entertaining homage by the French to the American gangster film. The film score is a standout.

What was the name of Paul Muni's character in the original 1932 version of 'Scarface'?

Tony Camonte. The first version is not always the best, although this is a cult film. I prefer Pacino's.

Where in Bolivia does Tony Montana first meet Mr. Sosa?

Cochabamba. Major mistake in the movie: Coca paste at that time was indeed grown and produced in Bolivia, but the refining into cocaine powder and its distribution originated in Colombia.

After Paulie Gatto is shot in 'The Godfather Part I,' what does Clemenza tell the gunman?

'Leave the gun, take the cannoli'. While Paulie is shot sitting at the wheel of the car, Clemenza stands on the roadside relieving his bladder.