One of the early Warner Bros. gangster films, THE DOORWAY TO HELL opened at Warner theaters in Los Angeles and Hollywood in December 1930.  While not on the level of quality and importance of the following year's Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, it's still a good picture, and noteworthy as being just the second film appearance of James Cagney, who has a major (and memorable) supporting role.  Here are several photographs from the film, many of which are new scans that came from Jack Warner's personal leather-bound copy of the script.

The original one-sheet poster art (note the early WB shield at upper right).

Lew Ayres as mob boss Louie Ricarno.  Ayres had just played the lead in the classic All Quiet on the Western Front earlier in the year.  He is perhaps best known for playing  Dr. Kildare in nine films for MGM, and for his Oscar-nominated role in WB's Johnny Belinda in 1948.  He returned to WB nearly half a century after Doorway to Hell with a major role in the 1979 miniseries Salem's Lot.

Police Chief O'Grady (Robert Elliott) interrogates Steve Mileaway (James Cagney).

An extraordinary photo of director Archie Mayo and crew reflected in a mirror while filming Lew Ayres and Dorothy Mathews.

Dorothy Mathews, Leon Janney, Lew Ayres, and Kenneth Thomson.

James Cagney and Robert Elliott visiting Lew Ayres in prison.

A view looking West down Hollywood Blvd. in December 1930.  Believe it or not, The Doorway to Hell is playing at the Warner Hollywood Theatre in this photo!

Maximum zoom on the previous photo - check out the banner!