When a movie theater usher is fired, he takes up with criminals and finds himself quite adept at various illegal activities. Eventually though, the police catch up with him, and he runs to ... See full summary »
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
If your account is linked with Facebook and you have turned on sharing, this will show up in your activity feed. If not, you can turn on sharing
here
.
When a movie theater usher is fired, he takes up with criminals and finds himself quite adept at various illegal activities. Eventually though, the police catch up with him, and he runs to hide out in Los Angeles. There he stumbles into the movie business and soon rises to stardom. He has gone straight, but his newfound success arouses the interest of his old criminal associates, who are not above blackmail... Written by
Ken Yousten <kyousten@bev.net>
Both George Blackwood as "Escort" and John Marsden as "Kendall" are listed in studio records/casting call lists, but they did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. A modern source lists 'Sam Ash' as "Hood,' but that role was played by Lew Harvey. See more »
Goofs
When Cagney's character asks film reviewer "Mr. Blair" into the men's room at The Cocoanut Grove to "discuss" his latest review, all of the stall doors are closed. After Cagney forces him to eat his review, the third stall door is open (no one enters or exits the room during this scene). See more »
Quotes
Lois Underwood:
How long have you been in the business?
Dan Quigley:
Four days... which just about makes me a supervisor.
See more »
If you like James Cagney, and I sure do, you'll love this comedy melodrama from the pre-code years at Warner Brothers. Cagney portrays a cheap hoodlum who falls in with a gang of petty con artists, gets wrapped on the knucklesl by the long arm of the law, and winds up becoming a movie matinee idol. It's fun all the way, with enough wise-cracking dialogue, rapid action, car chases, gunfire, and double-dealing to satisfy any fan of the early gangster films, yet it's a lively, tongue-in-cheek comedy from start to finish. Enjoy!
18 of 20 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
If you like James Cagney, and I sure do, you'll love this comedy melodrama from the pre-code years at Warner Brothers. Cagney portrays a cheap hoodlum who falls in with a gang of petty con artists, gets wrapped on the knucklesl by the long arm of the law, and winds up becoming a movie matinee idol. It's fun all the way, with enough wise-cracking dialogue, rapid action, car chases, gunfire, and double-dealing to satisfy any fan of the early gangster films, yet it's a lively, tongue-in-cheek comedy from start to finish. Enjoy!