Jimmy the Gent (1934)

I just recently the 1934 James Cagney movie Jimmy the Gent for the first time, and I loved it! James Cagney was great as Jimmy Corrigan, the unscrupulous genealogist--as he liked to call himself but I think the term is too fancy for him--who locates the missing heirs to fortunes, and when he can't find the true heir, he's not above concocting a fake one for a 50 percent cut of the estate. Bette Davis is his erstwhile love interest, a former employee who has gone to work for an outwardly more respectable "genealogist," although it's soon apparent she still carries a torch for Jimmy and it's only his shifty ways that keep them apart. Davis is attractive and appealing in the role, matching Cagney line for line in verbal wit and dexterity. We even get an early glimpse of the trademark Davis intensity, as she clutches her new boss, who has offered to marry her, practically screaming into his ear, "Make me love you, make me love you!" But in this film, Jimmy Cagney has a shaved head (he had it shaved before filming started), and when they said it was the worst haircut in his career, they weren't kidding! I literally couldn't take him seriously with that silly buzz cut; it was like he was cut in half or something.
The stunt likely did not sit well with his leading lady Bette Davis either. She and Cagney were actually on the same wavelength at the time, both determined to get better parts, although apparently they did little commiserating over their common lots during filming. In later years, they would be quick with praise and admiration for each other's work and integrity (and would appear together again, in The Bride Came COD, 1941). But at this point Davis was angry about her studio assignments and eager to get this assembly line "quickie" out of the way so she could honor her loan out to RKO for Of Human Bondage (1934), the film that finally earned her respect as an accomplished actress. With all that on her mind, Davis was not amused by the antics of Warners' bad boy and refused to pose with him for publicity stills. Whatever her attitude may have been during the filming, she had high regard for her co-star, believe it or not.

Seen today, Jimmy the Gent hardly seems the throwaway picture Cagney and Davis considered it, and in retrospect, there is nothing for them to be ashamed of. The picture provides Cagney with the opportunity to demonstrate his comedic skills while still giving audiences the scrappy, shady type of character that brought the actor his early success. Davis, as in all her early Warners films in which she plays a "type," gives a thoroughly likeable performance. Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of her character is the fact that she goes upside Cagney's head, while he (much to his satisfaction during production) breezes through an entire film without striking a woman.

Jimmy the Gent performed well at the box office, and reviewers liked it, too. Variety called it "good for plenty of laughs...at breakneck speed," and even three years after its release, critic Otis Ferguson was writing about it, "If this wasn't the fastest little whirlwind of true life on the raw fringe, then I missed the other one." This was first film Michael Curtiz directed James Cagney in. He would later direct him in Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), Captains of the Clouds (1942), and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).

Like Ceiling Zero, I so desperately wanted to see this Cagney film and once again, I cannot tell you folks how ecstatic I am to have finally seen it!!! I name this film as one of my favorite Cagney films (my other favorites are Footlight Parade and Taxi! and my soon-to-be favorites [as soon as I see them] are Hard to Handle, Here Comes the Navy, and Devil Dogs of the Air [maybe]). It had so many funny scenes, like in the beginning of film, when Allen Jenkins goes into James Cagney's office and the glass in the door immediately breaks since Jenkins arrives late!! (Is it just me or does Allen Jenkins also remind you folks of Gomer Pyle?) And another scene that cracked me up is when Cagney sits in the waiting room of his competitor's office to see his former secretary Bette Davis, he is served tea and he coughs when he first sips it (what's more funny is how awkwardly he drinks it [which just goes to show you how little class he has] and how much sugar he makes the servee put in it). The running gag here is how Jimmy is constantly served tea whenever he has to wait to be called in see his former assistant. And I love how Cagney slaps poor Jenkins around instead of slapping a woman around! I would recommend this film for any James Cagney fan! (Next blog [for sure]: Great Guy [1936])

Clips from Jimmy the Gent:

He Was Her Man (1934)

I just watched the 1934 James Cagney movie He Was Her Man, and it wasn’t very good. James Cagney was kinda boring as Flicker Hayes, the completely reformed safecracker who goes on the lam to San Francisco and its outskirts; he didn’t really yell or punch anybody! Again, he wore that stupid mustache but it didn’t bother me as much as it did in Ceiling Zero. Joan Blondell was also pretty good but she seemed pretty sad throughout the film, like I am when I get preoccupied. Alas, this would be their last film together—and this was kinda a bad excuse of a film to end their seven-film partnership. (I wish their on-screen partnership gained as much recognition as Tracy and Hepburn’s, Astaire and Rogers’, and Bogart and Bacall’s.)
This film was the first to bump off James Cagney since The Public Enemy, and the characters and the endings could not be more dissimilar. Flicker Hayes was Cagney’s first ex-criminal to reform completely. After doing his time, he returns to society to put the finger on mobsters, aid a young woman in distress, act with consideration toward others and—ultimately—sacrifice his love and life. Perhaps Cagney’s constant complaining [for better scripts] finally resulted in this script; and though he again plays a cocky wiseguy, he achieves true redemption by the film’s end. James Cagney actually commits no real criminal acts in this film; he only flees to San Francisco since the gang he formerly worked with conspires to kill him.

At least He Was Her Man worked a few changes on the gangster formula. Much of the film is set in a California fishing village where Cagney hides out and much of the action revolves around his flirtation with a reformed streetwalker engaged to one of the fishermen. At least Cagney made his character, Flicker Hayes, noticeably different from the cocky gunmen who had made him a star. Since Hayes spends much of the film in hiding, Cagney toned down his performance, only allowing the occasional sneer to remind viewers that he was playing a man living outside the law. He also grew a mustache for the role.

Providing strong support in He Was Her Man was Victor Jory, who had moved into character roles after being unsuccessfully groomed for stardom at Fox (where, admittedly, he played leading roles primarily in low-budget films). Jory’s role as the decent fisherman who almost loses Blondell to Cagney was different from the more villainous roles, like Jonas Wilkerson in Gone with the Wind (1939), for which he would be best remembered.

Despite the talent assembled, He Was Her Man was not among Warner’s or Cagney’s most successful films. Critics were decidedly mixed, many complaining that Cagney’s new mustache was far from flattering. He Was Her Man would fade from public view quickly, though not because of the mixed reviews. It was released in May 1934, just three months before the industry agreed to stricter enforcement of their self-censoring Production Code. The film’s clear depiction of Blondell’s character as a prostitute was a violation of the Code, which would keep Warner Bros. from re-issuing the picture after its initial run. It also kept the film off television for years, depriving fans of a chance to see Cagney in a different type of gangster role. I wouldn’t really recommend this film for any James Cagney fan since it’s so bleak and depressing and a real turkey. Happy commenting!!

(Next blog: Something to Sing About [1937])

He Was Her Man trailer:

Blonde Crazy (1931)

I just recently watched the 1931 James Cagney movie Blonde Crazy, and it was very fun! James Cagney, who had just burst into major stardom around the time this film was made, was terrific as Bert Harris, the bellboy/racketeer who is nuts over Joan Blondell. And as usual, he makes his rogue character lovable. James Cagney and Joan Blondell are always great as a pair (they made seven films together), especially in this movie. I absolutely loved it when they were together in Footlight Parade. In fact, overall, I love it when they are paired together; the chemistry between them is excellent.

This film would easily give one the impression of being a Pre-Code film , especially the scene where James Cagney is turned-on by the dancing ladies' butts and the scene where he barges in on Joan Blondell in the bathtub. I also love the scene where Cagney puts Blondell's bra over his eyes like a mask and then does a long, impressed whistle while getting the money out of the bra—very risquè! What really turned me on by Cagney in this film was his mannerisms and facial expressions, especially that voice (I can't describe the voice but it's a very happy, low-in-tone voice and Cagney uses it flirtatiously).
The first half of the film is very funny in comparison to the second half, which is very melodramatic and my least favorite part; however, I did like the end of the film, which I found sweet and cute. But I didn't really watch the shooting/car chase scene because it was too dramatic. I also felt sorry for the heartbroken James Cagney as he watched Joan Blondell getting married. I also found it interesting that Jimmy Cagney achieved hi dream of going to Europe one year later, but I didn't exactly like his opinion of it ("It stinks!"); however, his opinion was probably because of his resentment by Joan Blondell dumping him. (I'm guessing that if Joan Blondell joined him on his voyage to Europe, his opinion would've been less harsh.)

This is definitely a film from the Great Depression, and since it's from the early 1930s, the quality of the film is kinda grainy. (I kinda found that strange because, in comparison, The Public Enemy, which is from the same year as Blonde Crazy, has an excellent picture quality.) At first,there was some schemes I didn't understand, but after watching this film a couple times, I quickly got them (like the phony 20 dollar bill scheme). The movie isn't one of James Cagney's best or well-known films, and I wouldn't say that I very much enjoyed it (I enjoyed Footlight Parade and Taxi! more). This film was also a quickie in production and was a hit at the box office as well as with critics. I would recommend this film for James Cagney fans who enjoy seeing him in comedy/dramas. Again, you folks may comment with your own opinions about this film, but you don't have to.

Clips from Blonde Crazy (ignore the French subtitles):

Picture Snatcher (1933)

I recently just watched the 1933 James Cagney movie, Picture Snatcher, and it was both fun and dramatic. James Cagney was great as Danny Kean, the jailbird turned tabloid reporter who falls in love with a college student. You enjoy every line he says. Of course, I thought the love story interfered with James Cagney, or maybe that's the jealousy talking because the actress was younger than me (she was younger than me when she made this movie). Ralph Bellamy was great as the hard-drinking newspaper editor. (Note: he was another good friend of James Cagney. I saw him in another newspaper-related [more famous] movie, His Girl Friday, with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.)

The scene where James Cagney sneaks his camera into the electric chair ceremony at Sing-Sing where they were frying a murderess (did I spell that right?) was inspired by a real-life event; a reporter for the New York Daily News snuck his camera into a Sing-Sing frying ceremony the same way James Cagney does in this film—hiding it in his pant leg at the ankle—and probably caused a scandal with the picture (the person who was being friend in the electric chair during that event was also a murdress). I really loved the scene where James Cagney is so bored while hiding out in Ralph Bellamy's girlfriend's apartment while hiding out from the police because of the scandalous photography; it was like something out of my imagination story, only the character would be Bart Simpson! (In a scene preceding this scene, James Cagney gave the newspaper people his account of the frying event in his usual fast-talking way, which I found annoying.)

I also like the scene where James Cagney gives the college journalist students a tour of the newspaper office and makes fun of the nerdy journalist student; it was something I could relate to because I'm a college student. (But again, those hands ! They drive me crazy!) I also found it clever that when James Cagney tries to woo the female college student, he has the typist write messages asking the college student out on the typewriter and using the hot metal thingies as stamps. I also enjoyed the slugfest scenes but was distressed to find out that while filming the slugfest (which is later in the movie) between him and James Cagney, Ralph Bellamy sent the latter flying across the set, causing the poor guy to break a tooth. I also found it funny that James Cagney would hide in the ladies' bathroom from the firefighter whom he stole the picture that made him top dog of the newspaper from.

This film has so many Pre-Code scenes, including the one where Bellamy's girlfriend throws herself onto James Cagney and he tries to wrestle her off of himself. Talk about having a good time and bad intercourse! (They weren't really having intercourse! Sorry if the inappropriateness offends you folks!) I didn't really watch the shootout scene near the end of the film because it was too dramatic. This movie was filmed in 15 days and runs at a breakneck speed which keeps in tone with the story. Fortunately, this obscure James Cagney movie is on DVD, which is what they should be doing with the rest of his obscure movies! I recommend this movie for James Cagney fans who love watching him in comedy/drama movies. Once again, you guys can comment on this movies with your own opinions but you don't have to.

The Crowd Roars (1932)

I recently watched the 1932 James Cagney movie The Crowd Roars, but not for the first time, and it was full of thrills and chills! It's wasn't one of James Cagney's best (or memorable) films but then again, it wasn't one of his worst films. He was on his way to major stardom when he was making this movie, but he was still good as Joe Greer, the hard-drinking hotshot racecar driver who is revered by his kid brother. Joan Blondell was also good as the loose slut whom Cagney hates and Frank McHugh was pretty fun as Cagney's friend. (In fact, it was during the production of this film that Cagney and McHugh became dear lifelong friends. Read the "gory" details in TCM's article about this film .)

I found the race scenes very thrilling and action-filled but they weren't my favorite scenes. In fact, my favorite scenes were the romantic drama scenes where James Cagney acts like a jerk towards his girlfriend. I actually felt very sorry for him when I saw him as a disheveled hobo near the end of the film. He and his brother were split from each other— relationship-wise—halfway through the film, but they were reunited while racing in the climax of the film and they ride away in an ambulance together after the race (they are injured but alive).

It was while shooting The Crowd Roars that Jimmy Cagney had the first of his many bouts with Warner Bros. about his ridiculously insufficient salary; he was only making $400 a week, and we all know that he was worth than that! So Cagney's bout with Warner Bros. was pretty reasonable. He certainly had the guts to fight against the overbearing studio system of the day!(Besides him, Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis also fought against the studio overlords.)

There were actually real accidents during the filming of this movie, and the Warner publicity department publicized them in American newspapers. Also, the racing scenes in this film were later edited into the film Indianapolis Speedway (1939), which starred actors who have also co-starred with James Cagney: Pat O'Brien & Ann Sheridan. And another thing: I actually based the James Cagney character in my sneak preview blog on the Cagney character in this movie. (For some reason, I find a hard drinker charismatic.)

The first time I saw this movie was back in May; it was among the many racing movies that TCM was showing (it was right before Memorial Day weekend, which is when the Indy 500 is usually held, so that's why they were showing car racing movies).

I would recommend this film for any James Cagney fan who loves watching him in melodramatic, action-packed adventure/thriller films. Once more, comments and opinions on this film are encouraged. (A few notes before I go: Because of the car racing, this film reminded me of the Disney Pixar movie Cars [2006]; for some reason, I thought James Cagney's character was from Los Angeles when in fact he is from Phoenix, AZ; and James Cagney is supposedly living with his girlfriend [which was almost unheard of back in 1932] in this movie, even though it doesn't seem that way when u actually see the movie.)

Lady Killer (1933)

I've been recently watching the 1933 James Cagney comedy Lady Killer recently, but not for the first time. It's a really funny movie; I can't believe only a few people know of its existence. Hollywood always seems to parody itself, and this film is one of the examples. James Cagney was terrific as Dan Quigley, a con-man who runs away to LA from a crime beat in NYC and quickly establishes himself as a movie star—after appearing as extras in a couple of movies.

What I really found extremely hilarious in this movie is the scene where James Cagney drags Mae Clarke—the same lady whose face he smashed a grapefruit into in The Public Enemy—across the room by the hair and kicks her out the door after he spots her in his apartment or hotel suite or something when coming home with a lady one night.

James Cagney seems to get himself set up in Hollywood really well; he writes his own fan mail (that's one to way to get started in Hollywood, if you're as dishonest and clever as Cagney) and falls in love with an actress plus gets married to her at the end of the movie. He meets her one day on the set of a Western—or more specifically, he meets her in her dressing room. (Of course, he's dressed up as an Indian when he meets her. And seeing Cagney in an Indian headdress is nothing spectacular.)

And for some reason, in the middle of the movie, Cagney gets a mustache. As it seems to me, he gives the impression of being different with a mustache, not to mention looks different and silly . He looks better without it. I mean, Cagney just isn't Cagney with that silly, curious little piece of facial hair on his upper lip. What's interesting is that he later wears the mustache in movies like He Was Her Man (1934), Ceiling Zero (1936), and Torrid Zone (1940), but only as an act of rebellion against Warner Bros. That's our Jimmy!

I didn't really watch the car chase near the end of the film because I thought it was a little dramatic. And there's a scene other than the hair-pulling-and-dragging that I find funny: it's the scene where Cagney is acting in scene for a movie with his love interest. He's dressed up as a ridiculous-looking Italian and eats pieces of garlic to simulate bad breath. And of course, his co-star is humorously overwhelmed by his breath—and then she pushes him into the nearby fountain, which is hilarious but he laughs about it, so we're laughing with him, not at him.

This film was a critical success at the time of its release. I would recommend this film for any James Cagney fan who likes to see the fellow in romantic comedies/ganster films. Again, opinions and/or comments about this film are encouraged!