MovieChat Forums > White Heat (1949) Discussion > Verna Got Away With Murder!

Verna Got Away With Murder!

posted 16 years ago by joeparkson
25 replies | jump to latest

Spoilers!!

I just watched this again, and I learned that Verna shot Ma Jarrett in the back because she was about to kill Big Ed.

Verna cleverly lets Cody 'force her' to tell him how Ma died.

Cody kills Big Ed, the only person besides Verna who knows the truth.

At the end of the movie, Verna is the only member of the Jarrett Gang left alive, and she was not a full participant in any of the gang's crimes. She'll probably get a light sentence, since the police will assume that Big Ed killed Ma.

Verna never got the punishment she deserved. When you think about it, Verna was the most cunning, wicked member of the Jarrett Gang.

[–] jswarlos 16 years ago

i went online after asking the same question. I discovered that Ed actually killed Ma, and framed Verna, and making Verna believe that she did it. I don't know how, maybe they both shot the mom, idk. But, Ed did kill Ma, I know that.

"You're not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi."- Humphrey Bogartn

[–] eric-1501 16 years ago

I'd die for Verna any day.

"Could be worse."
"Howwww?"
"Could be raining."

[–] latinese 16 years ago

How did you find that? It's not in the film, where we're not shown the death of Ma... we're only told about it. My impression is that Verna actually killed the old woman and then shrewdly persuaded Jarret that Big Ed did it. This makes you understand what sort of poisonous snake Verna can be.

[–] pac52 15 years ago

I'd fall for Verna, anyplace anytime. God, she was such a sexy bad girl. And the way she humped up on Cody's back when it was "bedtime" drove me nuts.

[–] TheCinephiliac 15 years ago

Ed most certainly did NOT kill Ma. It was Verna, that's why he threated to tell Cody and she said "I did it for you."

But OP is right she did get away with murder. I'm sure she got some time for being an accomplice but the murder no. I'm kind of surprised though considering the codes Hollywood had for criminals receiving punishment but then again this film broke all the rules especially when Cody decided his own fate.

RIP Paul Newman 1925-2008. Words can't express how much you will be missed.

[–] scottythefield 15 years ago

Yeah, that 10-second scene at the end where she unsuccessfully tries to bargain for her freedom ("Lousy copper!") always did feel a little tacked-on, as if the screenwriters totally forgot that she had to be punished, and added it at the last minute during filming. (Or maybe even after principle photography was done, who knows?)

[–] cabbageboy316 15 years ago

She is certainly in police custody at the end of the film, but it's up in the air exactly what they will charge her with. It would be pretty hard to convict her of killing Ma though, unless she had a total Ida Lupino style meltdown on the stand.

[–] joeparkson 15 years ago

Verna got off scot free, changed her name to Flaxy Martin, hooked up with another mobster, and continued her wicked wicked ways. They even made a movie about it called Flaxy Martin.

[–] oldblackandwhite 14 years ago

Though they never spelled it out in the movie, I got the impression that Verna distracted Ma's attention so Big Ed could give it to her in the back. She was guilty of murder one either way. You are right, nfchick, Verna did not get punished enough. All they could have made stick on her was accessory before the fact for the attempted robbery, and maybe not even that, since the undercover G Man would be the only witness against her. One of the few disappointments of the movie for me was that two-timing, doublecrossing, gold digging, dumb floozy not ending up on the floor with a couple of .38 special slugs through her pointy bra. Not to detract from Virginia Mayo's underated acting talent and special beauty.

He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45

[–] ecavuto 12 years ago

Who got punished enough in WHITE HEAT??? After all the murders and nastiness Cody gets off easy, in my book, by being shot a few times and going up in a blast. I'd have liked to see him get a good thrashing sometime during the film. I agree that Verna deserved more than what she seemed likely to get, but so did Cody--and he wasn't nearly as gorgeous as Virginia Mayo. LOL

[–] Ironman54 14 years ago

"...Cody decided his own fate." As many times as I've scene this movie over the past 50 years or so, tonight was the first time I noticed that it was Cagney who
touched off the explosion(s) with his pistol rather than the cop sharp shooter !
The shots were almost simultaneous and I think I was always so wrapped up in Cagneys performance that this one significant detail always managed to escape me.
One of my all time favorites, this film.

[–] Errington_92 9 years ago

I'm kind of surprised though considering the codes Hollywood had for criminals receiving punishment but then again this film broke all the rules especially when Cody decided his own fate.

Verna and Cody did not escape punishment. While Verna may not be punished for murder, she has lost out on materialistic wealth Cody provided. Verna will be forced to wander round and find another perverse man to seduce. As for Cody, although he died on his own terms, his final words show his delusional state. Hence Fallon's closing remarks.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

[–] AliciaHuberman59 9 years ago

Thank you, particularly for pointing out Jarrett's "choice". 

"No, I don't like to cook, but I have a chicken in the icebox, and you're eating it."

[–] vestdennis 12 years ago

Yeah but Verna (Mayo) was quite a looker! I'd share a cell any day with her!

[–] screen14 15 years ago

I loved how cold and blunt the copper was to Verna: "No deal. Lock her up." lol

[–] xylonian-1 15 years ago

"She'll probably get a light sentence, since the police will assume that Big Ed killed Ma."

Plus, when on trial she will do a "jazz and liquor" number as in "Chicago" :)

It's Getting Dark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGeDE3sMi9w

[–] timmy_501 14 years ago

She was nowhere near as evil as Cody. She had to deal with that psycho and everything she did came from trying to get away from him.

Dear Mom, I put a couple of people in Hell today...

[–] dbdumonteil 14 years ago

and let's not forget to praise Virginia Mayo who was a beautiful talented actress;she was also great in "Colorado territory" by Walsh.

[–] ShakespearesSister 14 years ago

I’m amazed that anyone would suggest that Verna is somehow more evil than Cody or the other thugs in this movie. Fans of Casino claim the same thing regarding Sharon Stone’s character versus Joe Pesci’s and Robert DeNiro’s characters. These men have the savage tenacity to kill over and over in the most vicious ways yet you claim the women are worse just because they’re manipulative. The stupid men allow themselves to be manipulated because they predictably think with their little heads. The evil bitch in White Heat was "Ma" not Verna.

The "magical Negro" label criticizes black characters for being colorblind & kind to white people.

[–] Henry_Framus_Valentine 8 years ago

Colorado Territory

Oh, man, is she amazing in that. Virginia Mayo just got better looking as she matured. In Colorado… she kisses Joel McCrea and it looks like she slips him the tongue. It makes me light-headed every time.

🇺🇸 Liberty • E Pluribus Unum • In God We Trust 🇺🇸

[–] eric-1501 12 years ago

It's okay that Verna got away with murder, cuz she was hot.

"Could be worse."
"Howwww?"
"Could be raining."

[–] oldmovies 11 years ago

Spoilers!

Even though it appears that Verna will not be prosecuted for shooting Ma in the back would it be considered murder when Ma was possibly going to shoot Big Ed? This is similar to what happened at the end of "The River of No River" with Mitchum's son for those that remember the movie.

[–] marktayloruk (2502) a year ago

All the authorities would have known was that the rest of the gang were dead. Verna was hardly going to incriminate herself.

[–] ridge-m-1 10 years ago

Read all of the posts from the men (boys) that would do anything for Verna. This is one of the human factors that makes film noir so relevant even today, the fact that a gorgeous femme fatale has the power to induce men to perform actions injurious to their own well being. Big Ed learns that fact the hard way as have many other men in the world of noir. Cody was impervious to Verna's charms since he was dealing with an Oedipus complex of his own.

Virginia Mayo is regarded today as a Hollywood Bombshell. For some men, her 5'5" tall and her 34-24-34 measurements represent perfection of form in the female of the species. Her career started slowly. She was a victim, like Marilyn Monroe, of her ravishing beauty since the old men that controlled the studios at the time thought that any girl as stunningly beautiful as Ms. Mayo could not possibly be able to act. However, starting with small bit parts she eventually proved her talent. Her role as "Verna" in "White Heat" is considered to be one of her best performances.

Because of the Hays Code, a script could not be written at the time whereby a bad guy or woman could get away with performing crimes. However, the picture leads the viewer to believe that Verna got away with first degree murder.