The most intriguing part of this film to me is when Cagney tells Luther Adler that Ralph Cotter is not his real name. When Adler asks what it is, Cagney obliquely replies, "If you knew, you would die."
Is this a veiled refernce to "White Heat"? Is Ralph Cotter supposed to be the reincarnation of Arthur Cody Jarrett?
Of does anyone have a different interpretation?
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All right, Murphy.
I think that Ralph Cotter is a far worse guy than Cody Jarrett. As pointed out by Big Ed, "Cody is nuts just like his old man." He's a psychotic who really has no chance.
Conversely, Ralph Cotter, is engaging, clever, and sadistic. He is smart enough to know better, but he simply flat out enjoys criminal behavior, particularly violence.
Think of some of his lines.
(1) When Inspector Webber tells him that Vic Mason was seriously hurt during an assault, the exchange goes like this:
Cotter: "Kill him?"
Webber: "No."
Cotter: "Pity."
(2) And after he pistol whips the store owner during the robbery of Hartfords, Cotter sneers:
"I had to slug Mr. Hartford. Hit him a little hard. Very regrettable."
Not to mention his gratuitous murder of his crime partner during the prison break in the beginning of the film.
But his personification of sardonic evil is precisely why Cagney is so entertaining in this movie. He seems to be having such a good time with hhis character, particularly when you know how totally opposite to his gangster personna he was in real life.
And, BTW, the word you are looking for is "rogue," not "rouge." "Rouge" is something that women put on their cheeks.
The reply "If you knew, you would die" means that Cotter will kill anyone who knows his real name.
shareNo it doesn't. Watch and listen to the way he says it. It comes across as an inside joke.
shareI think they are two different forms of aberrant personality. Cody Jerrot is a psychotic, a man of uncontrollable impulses that result in at times unplanned violence.
Ralph Cotter is a sciopathic personality, a character who does not believe the laws of society apply to him.
I took it as a threat, light-hearted, for now, but to keep Mandan in line as to how deeply he questions Ralph/Paul.
As we would say today "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."