White Heat backdrop
CRIME . 1949 . 1h 54m . 7.7/10

White Heat_

"Pick up the pieces folks, Jimmy's in action again!"

A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.

Starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien
Box Office $3.5M
7.7/10
Rating
$3.5M
Box Office
1h 54m
Runtime
1949
Year
BLOCKBUSTER
+168% ROI
Profitability
Updated Feb 16, 2026
White Heat poster
Pick up the pieces folks, Jimmy's in action again!

A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.

WHERE TO WATCH

No streaming data available yet.

Check availability

DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Box office
White Heat earned $3.5M worldwide on a $1.3M budget — a 168% return on investment.
Cast
James Cagney stars as Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett in White Heat.
James Cagney →
Year context
White Heat was released 77 years ago in 1949.
White Heat is a Crime, Drama, Thriller film with a runtime of 1h 54m.

CAST (20)

James Cagney
James Cagney
Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
Virginia Mayo
Virginia Mayo
Verna Jarrett
Edmond O'Brien
Edmond O'Brien
Vic Pardo
Margaret Wycherly
Margaret Wycherly
Ma Jarrett
Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran
'Big Ed' Somers
John Archer
John Archer
Philip Evans
Wally Cassell
Wally Cassell
'Cotton' Valletti
Fred Clark
Fred Clark
Daniel Winston
Paul Guilfoyle
Paul Guilfoyle
Roy Parker (uncredited)
Ford Rainey
Ford Rainey
Zuckie
Robert Foulk
Robert Foulk
Payroll Guard at Chemical Plant
Ian MacDonald
Ian MacDonald
Creel
Robert Osterloh
Robert Osterloh
Ryley
JA
Joel Allen
Operative (uncredited)
Claudia Barrett
Claudia Barrett
Cashier (uncredited)
Ray Bennett
Ray Bennett
Guard (uncredited)
MB
Marshall Bradford
Chief of Police (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
Chet Brandenburg
Convict (uncredited)
JB
John Butler
Motorist at Gas Station (uncredited)
RC
Robert Carson
Agent at Directional Map (uncredited)

BOX OFFICE

$1.3M
Budget
$3.5M
Revenue
+168%
ROI
BLOCKBUSTER
Verdict

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
114 min (1h 54m)
Country
Rating
7.7/10 (523 votes)
Budget
$1,300,000
Box Office
$3,483,000
Profit
+$2,183,000

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is White Heat about?
A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.
How long is White Heat?
White Heat has a runtime of 114 minutes (1h 54m).
Who stars in White Heat?
The cast of White Heat includes James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran.
How much did White Heat make at the box office?
White Heat earned $3,483,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $1,300,000.
What is the rating of White Heat?
White Heat has a rating of 7.7 out of 10 based on 523 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (3)

Crime Drama Thriller
SHARE