In what appears to be a snappy 1930s crime-comedy, Edward G. Robinson plays a Greek barber and gambler actually named Nick the Greek. He has a perpetual smile on his face and has the unwavering support of his friends, including his effeminate sidekick James Cagney. Everyone contributes to his gambling fund on the understanding that he's going to go to the big city and make a fortune for all, but a terrible thing happens: he gets beaten, literally and physically.
What starts as a light gambling movie takes a dramatic turn for the worse. It's one cynical event after another, with tragedy, struggle, and heartache around every corner. I was pretty unsettled by the end, and I watched another Eddie G movie afterwards to cheer myself up. Eddie G has such a happy expression on his face when he smiles, with his twinkling eyes and warm chuckle, that I hate to see him sad. When terrible things happen to him, it makes me far sadder than if the same events would have happened to another actor. On a cute note (the only one in the film), the brunette cigarette counter clerk whom Eddie speaks to for ten seconds was his wife at the time!
What starts as a light gambling movie takes a dramatic turn for the worse. It's one cynical event after another, with tragedy, struggle, and heartache around every corner. I was pretty unsettled by the end, and I watched another Eddie G movie afterwards to cheer myself up. Eddie G has such a happy expression on his face when he smiles, with his twinkling eyes and warm chuckle, that I hate to see him sad. When terrible things happen to him, it makes me far sadder than if the same events would have happened to another actor. On a cute note (the only one in the film), the brunette cigarette counter clerk whom Eddie speaks to for ten seconds was his wife at the time!