In the 1930s Warner Bros was the unrivaled home of the gangster picture. These films were so much fun, filled with action and drama with a heaping dose of social commentary on the side. Despite the criminals usually dying in the end of these movies, WB was accused by some of glorifying hoodlums. So, in answer to that, they made this little gem that was designed to glorify the "good guys" instead. How did they do that? They took their main tough guy star, James Cagney, and made him a fed (or G-Man). In this movie, Cagney plays a lawyer who joins the Department of Justice after his federal agent friend is killed.
This is a first-rate gangster picture, directed by William Keighley and written by Seton I. Miller. No matter which side of the law he's on, Cagney is his usual charismatic self, not too far removed from his other gangster roles. He's still the tough runt who would sooner break your jaw or plug you with his gat before he would place you under arrest, but he's got a badge this time and he does follow the rules...for the most part. Fantastic cast backing Cagney up. William Harrigan is a scene stealer as the soft-hearted gangster who helps Jimmy out and pays for it in the end. Perennial heavy Barton MacLane gets plenty of scenery to chew as the main villain. Robert Armstrong is the agent that rides Cagney hard but eventually decides he's a good egg. Margaret Lindsay is Armstrong's sister and one of two dames that fall for Jimmy in this picture. The other being the lovely Ann Dvorak, who shines as she almost always did. She is really one of the more underrated actresses of her time. Despite her appealing performance, though, her first scene is a bit cringeworthy as she's badly lip-syncing and awkwardly dancing around like a wounded chicken. She was a fine dramatic actress but not a great singer or dancer. Others rounding out the cast include Lloyd Nolan, Regis Toomey, Harold Huber, Jonathan Hale, and Edward Pawley as a vicious hood named Leggett.
It's a beautiful-looking picture, courtesy of cinematographer Sol Polito. The big shootout between the feds and the gangsters is one of the film's highlights. The scene where Cagney gets a jujitsu lesson is also a real treat. There's an amusing FBI 'crime does not pay' type of prologue that was tacked on for the 1949 re-release that is present on most prints today. Definitely a must-see for fans of Cagney and WB gangster movies. If you aren't one of those already, you should be.
