Picture Snatcher (1933)

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Daniel Ahern (based on a story by)
Allen Rivkin (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 May 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Tagline:

His camera takes 'em from love nests to Page One before they can bat an eye---or put on a negligee!

Plot:

Ex-convict Danny Kean decides to become honest as a photographer for a paper. He falls in love with Patricia...

Plot Keywords:

Execution | Photographer | Pool Game | Demotion | Editor

Cast

James Cagney	...	Danny
Ralph Bellamy	...	McLean
Patricia Ellis	...	Patricia
Alice White	...	Allison
Ralf Harolde	...	Jerry the Mug
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Lieutenant Casey Nolan
Robert Barrat	...	Grover - Graphic News Owner
G. Pat Collins	...	Hennessy the Fireman (as George Pat Collins)
Arthur Vinton	...	John - the Head Keeper
Tom Wilson	...	Leo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maurice Black	...	Speakeasy Proprietor (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Hood (uncredited)
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	James Peters - Drunken Reporter (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Cora Sue Collins	...	Jerry's Little Girl (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Barber (uncredited)
George Daly	...	Machine Gunner (uncredited)
Jill Dennett	...	Speakeasy Girl (uncredited)
Mike Donlin	...	Poolroom Proprietor (uncredited)
Dick Elliott	...	Editor (uncredited)
Jack Grey	...	Alec - Police Officer (uncredited)
Sterling Holloway	...	Journalism Student (uncredited)
John Ince	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Joe Chase - Record Editor (uncredited)
Alice Jans	...	Colleen (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Mike - Man with Colleen (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Reporter Outside Prison (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Sick Reporter at Execution (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Bookie (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Sergeant Handing Out Guns (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Reporter Witnessing Execution (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Barbara Rogers	...	Olive - Jerry's Moll (uncredited)
Cliff Saum	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Reporter Witnessing Execution (uncredited)
Philip Sleeman	...	Hood (uncredited)
William H. Strauss	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Vaughn Taylor	...	Editor (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Reporter F.L. Strange (uncredited)
Billy West	...	Reporter Stacy (uncredited)
Renee Whitney	...	Connie Rowland (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	Reporter Witnessing Execution (uncredited)

Directed by
Lloyd Bacon

Writing credits
Daniel Ahern		(based on a story by) (as Danny Ahern)
Allen Rivkin		(adaptation) &
P.J. Wolfson		(adaptation)
Ben Markson		(dialogue)
William Keighley		uncredited

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(photography)

Film Editing by
William Holmes		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gordon Hollingshead	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra
Ray Heindorf	....	composer: title music (uncredited)
Cliff Hess	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
William Keighley	....	dialogue director
Raymond Griffith	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (presents) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (presents) (as The Vitaphone Corp.)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

First cinema film of Vaughn Taylor.

Goofs:

Continuity: Cagney's suit goes from dirty to clean to dirty again during the car chase from Sing Sing and the subsequent subway ride.

Quotes:

[Danny is giving a tour of his newspaper's printing room]
Journalism Student:Yes, here it is - white wood pulp, plain white... Why, today it's raw, but tonight it's cooked with printer's ink, photographic art, the sweat of creative effort. Tomorrow it goes out and hundreds of thousands of men and women feed their starving, mediocre souls on the indiscretions and adventures of others. And then, a little while later, what is it?
Danny Kean:Don't you know? They use it to wrap herring.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Brother Can You Spare a Dime (1975)

Soundtrack:

Young and Healthy

Good fun with Cagney trying to go straight.

At seventy-seven minutes in length, "Picture Snatcher" contains just enough action and comedy to support this little trifle.

Cagney is terrific as a former mobster who gets released from prison and tries to make a go of it as a photographer for a local newspaper rag, which is edited by Ralph Bellamy.

This film is from the first scene, where Cagney shows affection for the guards and warden, has a ridiculous story line all the way thru to the end. But it moves along at a breakneck pace and has several very good performances, so although we might know it's ridiculous, we really don't care.

Alice White is terrific as a gun moll on the make for Cagney. Bellamy is good as Cagney's drunken editor.

But the film belongs to Cagney, who turns in another terrific, under - appreciated performance.

7 out of 10