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The Doorway to Hell is a american film of genre Drama directed by Archie Mayo released in USA on 18 october 1930 with Lew Ayres
The Doorway to Hell (1930)
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Add to a movie listReleased in USA 18 october 1930
Length 1h18
Directed by Archie Mayo
OriginUSA
Themes Gangster films
Rating64%
The Doorway to Hell is a 1930 American Pre-Code crime film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Lew Ayres and James Cagney, in his second film role. The film was based on the story A Handful of Clouds, written by Rowland Brown. The film's title was typical of the sensationalistic titles of many Pre-Code films. It was marketed with the tagline, "The picture Gangland defied Hollywood to make!"
Synopsis
Lew Ayres plays as a young Chicago gang leader who is so successful that he becomes the underworld boss of the entire city. He meets Dorothy Mathews and immediately falls in love with her. Unfortunately, Mathews is a gold-digger who is secretly in love with Ayres's best friend, played by James Cagney. Ayres ends up marrying Mathews, who continues to be unfaithful to him during her marriage. Ayres eventually gets tired of being a gangster and attempts to go straight. Against the advice of all his underworld friends, Ayres buys a house in the country in Florida and brings along his wife. Cagney is left in charge of the gangsters and through his ineptitude things quickly become chaotic. Although his former friends plead for Ayres to return he ignores them and spends his time in the country writing his autobiography. In order to force Ayres to come back, some of the gangsters kidnap his younger brother, played by Leon Janney. Unfortunately, Janney is accidentally killed by a truck. Swearing revenge on the men who killed his brother, Ayres returns to the city.Actors
Lew Ayres
(Louie Ricarno)
James Cagney
(Steve Mileaway)
Charles Judels
(Sam Marconi - Florist (scenes deleted))
Leon Janney
(Jackie Lamarr)
Dwight Frye
(Monk, Gangster)
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