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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Doorway to Hell remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old black-and-white movies that don't waste a single second, then yes. You should watch this. It is especially great for people who want to see where the whole 'gangster movie' thing started before it got all polished and fancy.
You might hate it if you can't stand that old-timey 1930s sound quality where everyone sounds like they are talking through a tin can. Or if you expect James Cagney to be the main guy. He isn't! Not yet, anyway.
So, the main guy is Lew Ayres playing Louie Ricarno. It is honestly hilarious casting. He looks like a polite college kid who just got out of bed, but the movie tells us he is the most feared man in the city. 🏒
The best part is his obsession with golf. He’s got this little putting green in his office. There is something so strange about watching a mob boss worry about his swing while people are getting rubbed out in the hallway.
It reminded me a bit of the vibe in Forbidden where everything feels just a little bit too dramatic for its own good. But in a fun way!
Even though he isn't the star, James Cagney steals the whole show. He plays the second-in-command, Mileaway. You can see it in his eyes even back then—he’s like a coiled spring waiting to go off. 💥
Whenever he is on screen, the energy just spikes. When he’s not there, the movie slows down a lot. Especially the parts where Louie is trying to be a 'gentleman' in Florida. Those scenes feel like they belong in a totally different movie, maybe something like Time to Love.
There is this one scene where a kid gets hit by a truck. It happens so fast and it’s actually super dark. I wasn't expecting that from a movie this old. It really hits you in the gut because it feels so sudden and random.
Also, the way they handle the 'rival gangs' is kind of messy. There are all these guys in hats sitting around tables, and I honestly couldn't tell half of them apart. They all have the same raspy voice and the same grumpy look on their faces.
The lighting in the final act is incredible though. Lots of long shadows. It makes the ending feel way more serious than the rest of the movie. 🌑
It’s not a perfect movie. It’s kind of clunky in spots. Some of the edits are so jarring it feels like a frame is missing. But it has this raw energy that you just don't get in modern films.
It feels like a rough draft for better movies like The Public Enemy, but sometimes the rough draft is more interesting to look at. It’s like looking at someone's private sketchbook. 🎨
I'd say give it a watch if you're bored on a Sunday night. It's short, it's punchy, and it has a very cynical heart. Just don't expect a happy ending. This is 1930, and the 'doorway' in the title isn't leading to a vacation home.
Anyway, I liked it more than Beyond the Rockies, which I watched last week and already forgot half of. This one sticks with you a bit more because of how weird the casting is.
IMDb 6
1926
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