Bloodhounds of Broadway

"Bloodhounds of Broadway", which is set in 1928 New York, is actually a film ahead of its own time (1989) in some aspects; with its interlocking stories of tough guys, beautiful dames, underworld figures, bars, gambling, all taking place in a dark megacity, it reminded me of an early "Sin City"! But the filmmakers have put a lot more care in getting the "look" of the film right than in engaging us in the stories and the characters, some of whom are even difficult to keep straight in the first half. The all-star cast is not used to its full potential, although Madonna looks great with a dark bob haircut and has a brief and PG-rated but still hot "strip" number. ** out of 4.