Smart Money (1931)

Immigrant Greek barber has uncommon skills in playing poker and soon rises in the seedy world of illegal gambling, but pretty blondes remain his Achilles' heel.

Director:

Alfred E. Green

Writers:

Kubec Glasmon (screen story and dialogue), John Bright (screen story and dialogue),

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Evalyn Knapp

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward G. Robinson	...	Nick Venizelos
James Cagney	...	Jack
Evalyn Knapp	...	Irene Graham
Ralf Harolde	...	Sleepy Sam
Noel Francis	...	Marie
Margaret Livingston	...	District Attorney's Girl
Maurice Black	...	Greek Barber
Billy House	...	Irontown Salesman (as William House)
Paul Porcasi	...	Alexander Amenoppopolus
Gladys Lloyd	...	Second Cigar Stand Clerk
Polly Walters	...	Lola

Storyline

Nick Venizelos, an immigrant Greek barber, has an uncommon affinity for poker and other sorts of wagering and a group of his friends bankroll him in a big game, where his weakness for pretty blondes is taken advantage of by sleazy operator Sleepy Sam who cleans him out in a rigged game. Nick accepts help from his buddy Jack as they turn the tables on the grifters, but triumph soon changes to tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

barber | poker | blonde | gambling | revenge | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Mulheres Enganam Sempre

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Charles Lane.

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Goofs

According to video commentators Ursini and Silver, Robinson starred as Luis Pasteur, a role that was played by Paul Muni. Also they credit "Scarface" as a Universal picture. It was actually a Caddo Picture released by United Artists.

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Quotes

Nick 'The Barber' Venizelos: [leaving the poker game a winner] Suntan, my hat, my cane, and my gloves. I heard that in a play once.
[buttoning and tipping him]
Nick 'The Barber' Venizelos: Oh, here. Go with that as far as it'll take yuh.
Sundown: Thank you, suh.
Nick 'The Barber' Venizelos: [to Sleepy Sam] Well, Nick the Barber gave you a trimmin', hunh? Well, I'll be seein' you boys!

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Auld Lang Syne"
(uncredited)
Traditional Music
Played on accordion by a blind man at the end

User Reviews

She Done Him Wrong

The only film ever to star both Edward G and Jimmy Cagney together. Made in 1931 during the Warner Bros heyday of gangster blood and guts, it represents a slight departure for them both.

Eddie G plays a small town gambler - a big fish in a little pond so to speak

• with big ideas. His friends put a 10K poke together and send him off to

the city to try his luck with the big boys. He is soon sucked into a crooked game by a sexy blonde at the hotel cigar counter. The scam artists soon take him to the cleaners. He is then humiliated by the sexy blonde and Sleepy Sam, played with delicious menace by Ralf Harolde.

He is joined by his pal Jimmy Cagney, and they put together another grubstake. This time, they outcon the cons, humiliate the blonde and he becomes the biggest gambler in town. It becomes clear throughout the movie, that Eddie is learning on the job, but his one very big blind spot is his attraction to blondes. Gee, I can't understand it - a short, dark, rather unattractive guy falling for some of the sexiest females on celluloid.

Well, the results are predictable,though I have to admit, the final blonde was a genuine surprise. It was the process that was interesting.

The pairing of Robinson and Cagney was a masterpiece. They played off each other like dueling banjos. It is too bad that they both got so big they couldn't fit on the same screen together again.