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They made me a criminal...dust be my destiny...dangerously they live...the fallen sparrow...he ran all the way..,the breaking point...the difficult years...under my skin...force of evil...body and soul...nobody lives forever...Just the titles of John Garfield's films gives you some idea of his screen persona. He was the outsider - tough, streetwise and alone in the world.John Garfield's years in cinema coincided with those of Bogart and Cagney but unlike these two American heroes Garfield was different. |
The "beautiful loser" character that Garfield most often portrayed had more in common with the anti-heroes who appeared in American films during the 1950's - Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando and James Dean. |
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My John Garfield Film Reviews |
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Four Daughters - |
Charming film- unfortunately I saw the Frank Sinatra remake before I saw this one so the surprises were spoiled for me but nonetheless, a most celebrated birth of the anti-hero in American cinema. Garfield is wonderful in this! |
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They Made Me a Criminal - |
Garfield is on the run from the law in this remake of a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. film "The Life of Jimmy Dolan". |
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Blackwell's Island - |
Garfield is once again locked away in prison, this time as a reporter who is out to take down a crime boss. |
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Daughters Courageous - |
Once again, Priscilla Lane is Garfield's costar. He is the outsider, once again. |
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Dust Be My Destiny - |
Paired again with Priscilla Lane (from Four Daughters) this is the best of Garfield's typical early films in which he played a man on the run from the law. |
| Saturday's Children - | Charming comedy costarring Claude Rains (who appeared in most of Garfield's early films. |
| Castle on the Hudson - | Garfield is a cocky gangster who gets thrown in the slammer. He eventually escapes and reunites with his girl played by Ann Sheridan. |
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| Flowing Gold - | Garfield costars with Frances Farmer. |
| East of the River - | Yet again, Garfield is on the wrong side of the law. |
| The Sea Wolf - | Excellent nautical adventure on the high seas. Spooky and intelligent. Ida Lupino is Garfield's love interest. |
| Out of the Fog - | Ida Lupino costars again with Garfield who this time plays a (big surprise!) a criminal |
| Tortilla Flat - | Terrible adaptation of the Steinbeck novel. Only worthwhile for the sparks that fly between Garfield and the lovely Hedy Lamarr. |
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| The Fallen Sparrow - | Fascinating pre-film noir film about a Spanish Civil War veteran and a Nazi conspiracy |
| The Postman Always Rings Twice - | Classic film noir costarring the gorgeous Lana Turner. Probably the best chemistry with any costar. Dark, funny, lovely to look at, one of his best films. |
| Nobody Lives Forever - | So-so film, doesn't stand out especially as it was released between two of Garfield's best films. |
| Humoresque - | Joan Crawford costars in this movie that was written for Garfield by one of his best friends. It's a mythological look at Garfield's own life. Great Crawford role too! |
| Force of Evil - | Ultimate film noir, very dark look at life in America. It's unforgettable. They don't make them like this anymore. Garfield has some of his finest moments in this film. |
| The Breaking Point - | The accurate interpretation of the Hemingway novel, it hasn't lost its impact over time - it's thoroughly modern. If they rereleased it today it'd be a huge hit. |
| He Ran All The Way - | The last Garfield film. Shelley Winters is a fine costar, they are great together. It's a classic amalgamation of all the Garfield films we've seen before. |
My favorite of Garfield's screen characters |
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