... that being because the players here, although characterized well in a gangster film that moves at a good pace, are all over the map as to the actions they take and their motivations.
The film opens with Bugs Raymond (Spencer Tracy), a truck driver, smashing another driver's fender over a spat that amounts to nothing at all, then jumping a cop over really nothing at all, and after being hauled in to court and fined, suddenly decides to become a gangster - a job that takes brains - after committing a series of stupid brainless stunts that his hot temper got him into in the first place.
Bugs starts small, going to gangster 'Nails' Markey (Warner Richmond) and offering to bring in revenue via a protective organization that gets cash from garages in return for smashing up cars parked nearby overnight, thus increasing their business. He soon has all the truckers in his back pocket - how this happens is never explained - and holds up the construction of a high rise building by Kenneth Stone (John Wray) if he doesn't pay up. Bugs has done his homework and knows Ken has all of his money in this project. Why is Bugs suddenly so smart when at the beginning of the film he would jump a cop in broad daylight? Bugs then muscles in and makes himself a partner to Ken's building concern, thus making himself legitimate, but although he has been telling EVERYBODY just how tough and unruly his "mugs" are, Bugs then gives them the high hat and tells them to get lost. What did Bugs think they were going to do, form an "out of work gangsters therapy group", meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, talk over their glory years and cry?
No, they get together with Nails, proclaim Bugs is out, and start doing seriously violent and obvious shakedowns and racketeering across the whole city, giving gangsters the publicity that Bugs wanted to avoid by breaking with them in the first place! And when a crusading radio reporter starts saying that the public should take action, what do they do? They kill the guy in obvious gangland style, which angers the public and public officials even more. What were they thinking? What does Bugs do? Nothing really, he is too busy being in love with Ken's sister Dorothy, whom he considers pure class. Now Ken is afraid of Bugs, and has told his sister to be nice to him, yet she is constantly patronizing him, and when he proposes, she tells him he is a parasite with a big smile on her face, completely unafraid and playing a grand piano. Bugs is the kind of guy who will beat up a cop, beats up his old girlfriend when she won't leave him alone, but does nothing about his former underlings who are in open rebellion or this insult from the girl of his dreams?
Well finally, Bugs gets mad, not because of the thousand cuts of Dorothy's insults, but because he is told to move aside by a society photographer whose object is Dorothy and her fiancé, back from South America. Bugs' solution? Take his underlings (who have actually been Nail's underlings for months), march into the church in broad daylight on Dorothy's wedding day and kidnap the bride! Not for ransom, but in a "Me Tarzan, You Jane" kind of way! What does he plan to do with her IF he gets her? Keep her in the basement? Well, don't worry because Nails and friends put an end to Bugs in the limo on the way to the wedding. Why didn't they do that months ago, that's how long they've NOT been his associates!
The reason I am spoiling this film completely is to show how many goofy left and right turns there are in this movie and the fact that the motivations and actions of the characters are constantly changing and make little sense - yet I really enjoyed it. I guess that is primarily because of Spencer Tracy, who after his first credited role as "The Hard Guy" spent the next four years playing "the hard guy" at Fox Films. The parts were often goofy people whose actions did not make sense, but it was fun watching the characters on their journey and Tracy honing his craft. Then there is George Raft as Jimmy, Bugs' best pal who seems to come out of nowhere. He is practically mute here, but just watching him move so confidently and gracefully - at one point doing one of his trademark dances - is as satisfying as watching Tracy act. The only bad thing I can say is Sally Eilers is pretty much wasted as Bugs' first girlfriend whom he discards on the way up, but is the only one to truly stay loyal to the end. I'd recommend this one if it comes your way.
The film opens with Bugs Raymond (Spencer Tracy), a truck driver, smashing another driver's fender over a spat that amounts to nothing at all, then jumping a cop over really nothing at all, and after being hauled in to court and fined, suddenly decides to become a gangster - a job that takes brains - after committing a series of stupid brainless stunts that his hot temper got him into in the first place.
Bugs starts small, going to gangster 'Nails' Markey (Warner Richmond) and offering to bring in revenue via a protective organization that gets cash from garages in return for smashing up cars parked nearby overnight, thus increasing their business. He soon has all the truckers in his back pocket - how this happens is never explained - and holds up the construction of a high rise building by Kenneth Stone (John Wray) if he doesn't pay up. Bugs has done his homework and knows Ken has all of his money in this project. Why is Bugs suddenly so smart when at the beginning of the film he would jump a cop in broad daylight? Bugs then muscles in and makes himself a partner to Ken's building concern, thus making himself legitimate, but although he has been telling EVERYBODY just how tough and unruly his "mugs" are, Bugs then gives them the high hat and tells them to get lost. What did Bugs think they were going to do, form an "out of work gangsters therapy group", meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, talk over their glory years and cry?
No, they get together with Nails, proclaim Bugs is out, and start doing seriously violent and obvious shakedowns and racketeering across the whole city, giving gangsters the publicity that Bugs wanted to avoid by breaking with them in the first place! And when a crusading radio reporter starts saying that the public should take action, what do they do? They kill the guy in obvious gangland style, which angers the public and public officials even more. What were they thinking? What does Bugs do? Nothing really, he is too busy being in love with Ken's sister Dorothy, whom he considers pure class. Now Ken is afraid of Bugs, and has told his sister to be nice to him, yet she is constantly patronizing him, and when he proposes, she tells him he is a parasite with a big smile on her face, completely unafraid and playing a grand piano. Bugs is the kind of guy who will beat up a cop, beats up his old girlfriend when she won't leave him alone, but does nothing about his former underlings who are in open rebellion or this insult from the girl of his dreams?
Well finally, Bugs gets mad, not because of the thousand cuts of Dorothy's insults, but because he is told to move aside by a society photographer whose object is Dorothy and her fiancé, back from South America. Bugs' solution? Take his underlings (who have actually been Nail's underlings for months), march into the church in broad daylight on Dorothy's wedding day and kidnap the bride! Not for ransom, but in a "Me Tarzan, You Jane" kind of way! What does he plan to do with her IF he gets her? Keep her in the basement? Well, don't worry because Nails and friends put an end to Bugs in the limo on the way to the wedding. Why didn't they do that months ago, that's how long they've NOT been his associates!
The reason I am spoiling this film completely is to show how many goofy left and right turns there are in this movie and the fact that the motivations and actions of the characters are constantly changing and make little sense - yet I really enjoyed it. I guess that is primarily because of Spencer Tracy, who after his first credited role as "The Hard Guy" spent the next four years playing "the hard guy" at Fox Films. The parts were often goofy people whose actions did not make sense, but it was fun watching the characters on their journey and Tracy honing his craft. Then there is George Raft as Jimmy, Bugs' best pal who seems to come out of nowhere. He is practically mute here, but just watching him move so confidently and gracefully - at one point doing one of his trademark dances - is as satisfying as watching Tracy act. The only bad thing I can say is Sally Eilers is pretty much wasted as Bugs' first girlfriend whom he discards on the way up, but is the only one to truly stay loyal to the end. I'd recommend this one if it comes your way.