G-Men (1935)

I've recently been watching another 1935 James Cagney movie, G-Men, but not for the first time. It puts James Cagney on the side of the law, but you still sympathized with him and it was also one of his best films.
Of course, I think the movie is similar to the recent Johnny Depp movie Public Enemies, which is about the case of John Dillinger; the similarity is only because both movies reenact the real shootout event from 1933 or '34 between federal agents and gangsters at a Wisconsin lodge, which involved Dillinger. However, there are differences between the two reenactment scenes of the two movies: one was done in a studio and one was done at the actual location. (You can decide for yourself which one is which. Fun fact: there is a reference to Cagney in Public Enemies, but it's a reference to another movie of his. ) James Cagney was great as James "Brick" Davis, a lawyer-turned-FBI agent who knows the underworld well because of his background. The only problem with this movie is that it doesn't have very familiar actors, except for Robert Armstrong, who was in the RKO movie, King Kong (1933); Margaret Lindsay, who was in Lady Killer (1933), another James Cagney movie; and Ann Dvorak, who was in The Crowd Roars (1932), which is also a James Cagney movie. (I've seen all three movies, but when I first saw this movie, I hadn't seen The Crowd Roars yet.)

Once again, real bullets were used in the shooting scenes, just like in The Public Enemy; the reason was because special effects hadn't yet perfected the explosive squibs that simulate bullets. It scared James Cagney to death and he swore that he wouldn't go through with it again; however, he had to go through with it later in Angels with Dirty Faces.

J. Edgar Hoover, who then head of the FBI, personally approved the script of this movie and was proud of the publicity. I didn't really watch the shooting scenes, but as for the ending, I thought it was pretty sweet. This movie was a pretty big hit back in the 1935, which means that was a big box-office hit.

I didn't really mind it when James Cagney flirted with the ladies in the film. This film is must for any James Cagney fan because it's one of his important roles as it puts him on the right side of the law, but he's still a sharpshooter (yes, I'm surprised I know that word too).

The Irish in Us (1935)

I just finished watching The Irish in Us (1935), also on YouTube, and I actually found it very funny (especially the dinner scene). The O'Hara brothers were played by real-life best friends James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, and Frank McHugh (and their friendship towards each other was pretty obvious).
James Cagney was oh sooooooooooo good as Danny O'Hara and Olivia DeHavilland was so young in her pre-Gone with the Wind role (she would play a similar role in another James Cagney movie The Strawberry Blonde [1941]). Pat O'Brien sounded different, voicewise, but what do I know; I've never seen a pre-1938 James Cagney-Pat O'Brien film until now.

James Cagney made this film worth watching and what fun this film was! He seemed to be really big compared to his on-screen mother. This film also made me feel sorry that I wasn't alive during the 1930s to meet James Cagney; I would've really wanted to meet him.

As well as finding the film funny, I also found it a little sad, especially the scene where James Cagney moves out. Who knew that a romance could rip a family apart!? But I don't think James Cagney's and Pat O'Brien's fighting over the same girl is exaggerated. The same thing could happen between sisters who like the same guy! It's amazing what love can do to people.

Most of the dialogue of this film was improvised and the pace was fast. It's very sad that James Cagney films like this aren't on DVD yet. James Cagney made this film at the peak of his stardom. I think he was popular around this time and was possibly one of the top box office stars of the year. I would definitely recommend this film for any James Cagney fan like myself. Also, please chime in with your own comments about this film.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

I just recently watched the 1935 James Cagney/Mickey Rooney movie A Midsummer Night's Dream, and it was very weird. James Cagney was quite a character as Bottom the Weaver. The funny thing is, I watched this movie only because of him. Shameful, yes, but I find Shakespeare hard to understand and therefore boring. (I couldn't understand a word of dialogue in this movie. No offense to you Shakespeare fans.) Sure, James Cagney may have been a little dramatically unbearable towards the end of the movie (even I can admit that) but he was pretty good in the scene where he rehearses the play for Theseus's wedding day in the forest with Joe E. Brown and the rest of the theatrical guild (which includes Frank McHugh). What's more is that you don't really get to see Jimmy's face during some of the movie since it's covered by a donkey's head. I think there was a bit of miscasting in the movie; James Cagney should have played Puck, which was played by Mickey Rooney, since he has that mischievous quality about him and because Mickey Rooney got annoying and uncontrollable after a while. James Cagney didn't even wanna play Bottom in the first place since he had no experience or background in doing Shakespearean dramas. Besides, he doesn't really give one the impression of being a Shakespearean actor (thank God). And he kind of looks like Kenneth Branagh in this film. Anyway, I sort of found this movie funny, especially the play scene towards the end of the film, even if it was histrionically overdone by James Cagney and semi-homosexual. (The "girl" in the little play was played by Joe E. Brown.) Apart from the scenes with James Cagney, I didn't really like the movie. The public didn't really go for this movie—and I could see their point if some of them were James Cagney fans. The cinematography and the special effects were good, though. I would recommend this film for James Cagney fans who are also Shakespeare fans or who just likes watching him in all of his movies.

(Next blog: The Mayor of Hell [1933])

Warners Brothers' Breakdown of 1935 bloopers reel, which includes some of this movie (apparently, this movie was made on Soundstage 8 of the Warners Brothers Burbank studio lot):
















Cagney on Crack, aka Cagney being weird in A Midsummer Night's Dream (This is not my video, though I do know a couple of Andrews):