Daily Dialogue — May 14, 2015

“No! I don’t want to die! Oh, please! I don’t want to die! Oh, please! Don’t make me burn in hell. Oh, please let go of me! Please don’t kill me! Oh, don’t kill me, please!”

— Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), screen play by John Wexley and Warren Duff, story by Rowland Brown

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Famous Last Words. Today’s suggestion by James Schramm.

Trivia: For years, viewers have wonder whether or not “Rocky” Sullivan (James Cagney) really turned yellow as he was being strapped into the electric chair. Some have wondered if he was faking it in order to keep his promise to Father Jerry. When asked about the scene years later, Cagney says he chose to play it in such a way so that the audience could make their own decisions as to whether or not he was faking.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by James: “Did he say this to save the kids or did he turn ‘yellow’ at the end? One of Cagney’s best movies.” I’ll say. And I love the way they shot this scene, Rocky’s pleading all done off-screen.