In just the first two minutes you know exactly what is going to happen: nothing could be more typical of an early 30s Cagney film than this.
As always he's the wisecracking cheeky chappie this time a gangster trying to go straight.....in the newspaper business! However hard he tries to stay on the level, there's something in him, a naive unappreciation of what's acceptable which just pushes him too far. His character is a little darker than usual, he's not a particularly nice person, he's rude, arrogant, dishonest and is a borderline thug so not easy to like but the skill of Cagney is that he makes you want to get to know him and once you do....you're still not quite sure whether you like him.
It's no classic but it is a very entertaining hour and a bit and that's not just because of Cagney. Although 'conveyor belt' director Lloyd Bacon was always more about speed rather than style (a Lloyd Bacon movie was not a leisurely experience) but he knew what he was doing and builds up the tension in this leaving you on the edge of your seat. Also Ralph Bellamy is surprisingly pretty decent in this - I'm more used to seeing him play the wet lettuce reading his lines as if seeing them for the first time but he can act!
As always he's the wisecracking cheeky chappie this time a gangster trying to go straight.....in the newspaper business! However hard he tries to stay on the level, there's something in him, a naive unappreciation of what's acceptable which just pushes him too far. His character is a little darker than usual, he's not a particularly nice person, he's rude, arrogant, dishonest and is a borderline thug so not easy to like but the skill of Cagney is that he makes you want to get to know him and once you do....you're still not quite sure whether you like him.
It's no classic but it is a very entertaining hour and a bit and that's not just because of Cagney. Although 'conveyor belt' director Lloyd Bacon was always more about speed rather than style (a Lloyd Bacon movie was not a leisurely experience) but he knew what he was doing and builds up the tension in this leaving you on the edge of your seat. Also Ralph Bellamy is surprisingly pretty decent in this - I'm more used to seeing him play the wet lettuce reading his lines as if seeing them for the first time but he can act!