Quite a few years ago a Thai friend of mine who very much liked American movies was watching a Jimmy Cagney movie with me...I don't recall which one...but one of those where the Cagney performance was over the top. At the conclusion of the film, my friend said, "I don't get it. I thought Cagney was a great actor. No real human acts like that." And, over the years I have come to agree with that assessment. Yes, Cagney was a lion of the early talkies, and over his career he had some stupendous film roles. But we went to see Cagney perform, not usually the story itself. But in recent film years I have come to appreciate the more subtle Cagney that shows up every once in a while.
And this is one of those films where Cagney plays a rather understated role of a man who -- after 20 years -- goes back to find the son he denied. There are no over-the-top moments here...perhaps a few times when he could have been just a tad more subtle. But he plays this as a man might actually behave...he played the story, not Cagney.
On the opposite side of the story is Barbara Stanwyck as the head of an orphanage. She has the key to what Cagney wants...a name. But she balks at providing it, leading to a courtroom scene that is just a little stiff. Ultimately, Cagney does find his son...or should I say the son finds him, but the result is not what Cagney's character had hoped for. Not fireworks...just life. But along the way, Cagney befriends an unwed mother and ends up adopting her...and her baby...and learns about responsibility.
Several reviewers said this was a soap opera or a tear-jerker or a melodrama. I'm not sure I agree. This film is just real life. Every single aspect of the plot happens hundreds of times every day. Yes, such moments are conveniently strung together here to develop a story. But this film seems more real than most.
Walter Pidgeon is here as a high-powered attorney...well past his prime as a leading man, he was developing into an excellent character/supporting actor, and was perfect as a lawyer. There are other faces here you'll recognize. Everyone does their job, but none of the supporting cast stands out...with the exception of Betty Lou Keim as the unwed mother, who does very nicely, but whose movie career never went very far, but she was fairly busy in television.
Well worth watching...at least once, and while Cagney's performance is very believable, it's not very memorable. Perhaps that why I liked it.
And this is one of those films where Cagney plays a rather understated role of a man who -- after 20 years -- goes back to find the son he denied. There are no over-the-top moments here...perhaps a few times when he could have been just a tad more subtle. But he plays this as a man might actually behave...he played the story, not Cagney.
On the opposite side of the story is Barbara Stanwyck as the head of an orphanage. She has the key to what Cagney wants...a name. But she balks at providing it, leading to a courtroom scene that is just a little stiff. Ultimately, Cagney does find his son...or should I say the son finds him, but the result is not what Cagney's character had hoped for. Not fireworks...just life. But along the way, Cagney befriends an unwed mother and ends up adopting her...and her baby...and learns about responsibility.
Several reviewers said this was a soap opera or a tear-jerker or a melodrama. I'm not sure I agree. This film is just real life. Every single aspect of the plot happens hundreds of times every day. Yes, such moments are conveniently strung together here to develop a story. But this film seems more real than most.
Walter Pidgeon is here as a high-powered attorney...well past his prime as a leading man, he was developing into an excellent character/supporting actor, and was perfect as a lawyer. There are other faces here you'll recognize. Everyone does their job, but none of the supporting cast stands out...with the exception of Betty Lou Keim as the unwed mother, who does very nicely, but whose movie career never went very far, but she was fairly busy in television.
Well worth watching...at least once, and while Cagney's performance is very believable, it's not very memorable. Perhaps that why I liked it.