The Last Gangster (1937)

A gangster is jailed for ten years after his wife becomes pregnant. He becomes bitter when she divorces him and remarries.

Director:

Edward Ludwig

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screen play), William A. Wellman (original story)

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, James Stewart, Rose Stradner

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward G. Robinson	...	Joe Krozac
James Stewart	...	Paul North
Rose Stradner	...	Talya Krozac
Lionel Stander	...	'Curly'
Douglas Scott	...	Junior Krozac
John Carradine	...	Casper
Sidney Blackmer	...	Newspaper Editor
Grant Mitchell	...	Prison Warden
Edward Brophy	...	'Fats' Garvey (as Edward S. Brophy)
Alan Baxter	...	Frankie 'Acey' Kyle
Frank Conroy	...	Sid Gorman
Louise Beavers	...	Gloria

Storyline

Gangster Joe Krozac is in prison for ten years. Reporter Paul North is fired by his newspaper for writing articles sympathetic to Krozac's wife and young son. She divorces Krozac and marries North. When Korzac gets out he goes looking for his former wife and son.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | prison visit | penitentiary | murder | reporter | 

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Taglines:

Greatest thrill drama since "Little Caesar"!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Another Public Enemy

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney were both Warner Brothers actors known for gangster or tough guy roles, around the same time, and in this movie, Robinson couldn't escape Cagney's fame as his infant son is deemed by the newspaper, "Public Enemy No. 2" which is taken from Cagney's game-changing role in The Public Enemy, which was directed by this movie's co-writer, William Wellman.

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Goofs

When the train pulls into the stop where Joe learns about the birth of his son, the film has been reversed as evidenced by the numbers on the front of the locomotive are backwards.

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Quotes

Joe Krozac: I ain't goin' to no Federal pen! There isn't one big enough to hold Joe Krozac!

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Crazy Credits

Credits appear as news headlines.

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Connections

Featured in The First Gangster and the Last Gangster (1937)

User Reviews

A weird hybrid

Made at MGM but starring a Warner Brothers icon, and this strange gangster pic has ample ingredients reeking of both studios. Edward G. Robinson, clanking on all cylinders, is a Capone-like capo who gets rich during Prohibition, is sent up the river for a decade, and becomes obsessed with the little boy his wife (Rose Stradner, unknown to me and quite interesting) bore. She's an immigrant and utterly, somewhat implausibly unaware of her husband's dirty business, but she gets educated by a newspaperman (James Stewart, not very compelling here, except for an uncharacteristic Cesar Romero mustache) who falls in love with and eventually marries her. The Warners influence is evident not just in Robinson's snarling and grimacing but in the stepped-up violence, quicker-than-usual editing, and hilariously overblown musical score, by Edward Ward. But the ideal home life of Stewart, Stradner, and their adorable little boy, complete with suburban trimmings and Louise Beavers doing maid things, are utterly MGM. There's some excitement, and a good supporting cast, notably Lionel Stander as Robinson's henchman, but it's all kind of predictable. And when you want it to settle down, another Edward Ward blast assaults the senses. But what's really interesting, and still timely, is how Robinson's character, Joe Krozac, is self-centered, not as smart as he thinks he is, used to getting his own way, outraged when he doesn't... he's Donald Trump!