He Was Her Man (1934)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Tom Buckingham (writer)
Niven Busch (writer)

Release Date:

16 June 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Dan Curly sends two hitmen to kill double-crossing Flicker Hayes, who retreats to a small village with ex-prostitute Rose to hide.

Plot Keywords:

Fisherman | Portuguese | Revenge | Self Sacrifice | San Francisco California

Cast

James Cagney	...	Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen
Joan Blondell	...	Rose Lawrence
Victor Jory	...	Nick Gardella
Frank Craven	...	Pop Sims, aka Jim Parker
Sarah Padden	...	Mrs. Gardella
Harold Huber	...	J.C. Ward, Curly's Hitman
Russell Hopton	...	Monk, Curly's Hitman
Ralf Harolde	...	Frank 'Red' Deering
John Qualen	...	Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
Bradley Page	...	Dan 'Danny' Curly
Samuel E. Hines	...	Gassy
George Chandler	...	Highway Service Station Counterman
James Eagles	...	Whitey, the Driver (as James Eagle)

Also Known As:

Without Honor (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Monterey, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Soundtrack:

MY ONLY ROMANCE

Cagney and Blondell in a mediocre screenplay, but still fun to watch.

With James Cagney and Joan Blondell headlining the cast, what more can you want? A good screenplay, that's what! The disappointing ending had me shaking my head, especially after I finally got used to Cagney in a mustache. And I never figured out who the "he" in the title was. Either Cagney, with whom Blondell falls in love after he seduces her in San francisco and in Victor Jory's house, or Jory himself, who was going to marry Blondell knowing she used to be a prostitute. Jory plays a Portuguese fisherman, but his accent is very phony, and none of the supporting cast was exceptional. There's some good suspense at the end but the film let me down. Still, I did like watching the two stars.

The film was released a few weeks before the production code was more rigorously enforced. Blondell's character caused the Catholic Church to place the film on its "condemned" list.