You might wonder why I would gave the film a rating of "7" when titling my review "Worst I've Ever Seen". Well, that's because what the worst I've ever seen are most of the reviews of this movie. The main complaint seems to be that the movie asks us asks the viewer to suspend disbelief. Along with virtually ever other fictional film (and many non-fictional films) ever made. This film is no more guilty of demanding that viewers suspend disbelief than is common in virtually all films.
Don't get me wrong. This is not a great film. But it's "okay" considering that we are talking 1937. And, I think we have to understand that this film was making a point. It's a morality play. You have a policeman (Pat O'Brien) who only cares about regulations while having no concern for human beings. And on that basis, O'Brien -- hardly one of my favorites -- plays the role well. In comes Humphrey Bogart, a husband and father down on his luck who, because of a faulty muffler, ends up in prison. Again, that may seem like a stretch; but haven't you ever watch things unfold where a seemingly minor event just seems to spiral our of control? The crux of the movie is -- how do we get a basically good man out of prison while also teaching a cop the concept of "the greater good".
It's an interesting role for Bogart -- a basically good man who makes some mistakes...not the kind of role he was particularly noted for in the mid-1930s. And he does reasonably well here, although no one would say this is one of his best roles. Ann Sheridan has a shallow, though decent role here, too. Donald Crisp has one of his more so-so roles here, too.
Again, not a great film, but so much better than the typical cops and robbers fare that was so common in the 1930s. Not one you'll probably want to see more than once, but worth sitting down for once if you enjoy this era of American film-making.
Don't get me wrong. This is not a great film. But it's "okay" considering that we are talking 1937. And, I think we have to understand that this film was making a point. It's a morality play. You have a policeman (Pat O'Brien) who only cares about regulations while having no concern for human beings. And on that basis, O'Brien -- hardly one of my favorites -- plays the role well. In comes Humphrey Bogart, a husband and father down on his luck who, because of a faulty muffler, ends up in prison. Again, that may seem like a stretch; but haven't you ever watch things unfold where a seemingly minor event just seems to spiral our of control? The crux of the movie is -- how do we get a basically good man out of prison while also teaching a cop the concept of "the greater good".
It's an interesting role for Bogart -- a basically good man who makes some mistakes...not the kind of role he was particularly noted for in the mid-1930s. And he does reasonably well here, although no one would say this is one of his best roles. Ann Sheridan has a shallow, though decent role here, too. Donald Crisp has one of his more so-so roles here, too.
Again, not a great film, but so much better than the typical cops and robbers fare that was so common in the 1930s. Not one you'll probably want to see more than once, but worth sitting down for once if you enjoy this era of American film-making.