JohnHowardReid (An excellent Warner DVD). Copyright 21 August 1940 by Warner Bros Pictures, Inc. A Warner Bros-First National Picture. An Anatole Litvak Production. New York opening at the Strand: 27 August 1940. U.S. release: 21 September 1940. 12 reels. Running time variously reported as 101, 103 and 105 minutes. SYNOPSIS: The film opens with the lead characters, Danny Kenny (Cagney) and Peggy Nash (Sheridan), portrayed as youngsters. As Forsythe Street pals, Cagney wins the heart of Sheridan and she promises to "always be his girl". By the age of seventeen Cagney has won amateur golden gloves boxing bouts and has a bright future in the sports world, but he wants a steady job to finance the music of his piano-playing brother (Arthur Kennedy). NOTES: Wexley did the bulk of the screen adaptation (under the supervision of William Cagney). Robert Rossen was brought in for revisions. James Cagney himself contributed some additional dialogue. For his fight sequences - none of which were faked - Cagney trained with Harvey Perry under the direction of the movie's technical advisor, Mushy Callahan, ex-world-welterweight champion. Film debut of Arthur Kennedy. Feature film debut of Elia Kazan. COMMENT: Famed Broadway director Elia Kazan wanted to get some movie experience and what better way than to take a leading role in a picture directed by Anatole Litvak! In fact I thought this slum-to-riches-to-slum saga chiefly memorable for Kazan's bravura portrayal. He knows how to steal every scene he appears in, - sometimes just by flicking his eyes. And his fall from grace is a real topper!I don't agree with those critics who say Cagney is more restrained than usual. I think he overdoes the part. The plot is hokey and familiar and corny and over-sentimental and is played rather too broadly. Typical Owen Marks editing - the occasional splices that don't quite match giving the film that jagged texture. Some typical Litvak crane shots and a very realistic and powerfully put across fight sequence. Craven's part in the TV version has been reduced to a walk-on at the beginning of the film.

vincentlynch-moonoi I wasn't expecting much out of this film because I grew tired of all the cops-n-robbers flicks that Warner Brothers pumped out with stars such as James Cagney. In fact, I almost didn't watch it all. But I'm glad I did, because this film stands out over many other such WB films of the era.Cagney plays a truck driver here, who also fools around with amateur boxing...and has a life-long girlfriend played by Ann Sheridan. Cagney also has a brother, a sort of musical prodigy, and Cagney turns to professional boxing in order to help his brother pay for music school. Meanwhile, however, Sheridan falls for a dancer -- Anthony Quinn -- who helps her professional aspirations to be a dancer on the stage. Sheridan and Cagney drift apart. During a title fight, an opponent makes Cagney go nearly blind by putting rosin on his gloves, which he then rubs into his eyes during the fight. After the prognosis of the blindness is permanent, Cagney operates a newspaper stand, while his brother becomes a successful composer. Of course, in the end, Sheridan and Cagney are reunited.There are a number of nice touches which make this film enjoyable for many types of viewers. While it's about boxing, there isn't so much of it in the film that if you dislike boxing that you won't want to watch. It's a nice period piece in terms of the music and dancing of the era. Cagney, Sheridan, and Arthur Kennedy (as the brother) all have their own stories to tell. Years ago a Thai friend was visiting my home and one evening we watched some James Cagney movie, and when it was done my friend said, "Americans think James Cagney could act?" And, Cagney did have a bit of an unreal style of acting, which is more restrained here. I think he was maturing as an actor in this phase of his career, and it wasn't long after this that he starred in "Yankee Doodle Dandy".So, this is a good starring vehicle for James Cagney. Ann Sheridan shines here as Peggy Nash, and it reminded me that she was very pleasing on the big screen, and is not remembered as well as she should be. I've never been impressed with Arthur Kennedy, but he's satisfactory here. Frank Craven as the "Old Timer" is interesting...he sort of narrates, much as he had done very recently in "Our Town". Anthony Quinn is not very pleasant as the dancer...but handsome...and of course, this was in his phase as a bad guy. Interestingly, Elia Kazan is here as a gangster-type. And venerable character actor Donald Crisp shines as a boxing promoter; what a versatile actor he was! Even Frank McHugh, whom I often find irritating, was pretty good here.I enjoyed this film a lot, and I recommend it.

talisencrw I'm unashamedly a James Cagney enthusiast--in fact, he's my very favourite actor (like me, he's at least part-Irish, and he's more versatile than Orson Welles), so yes, I tend to be overly generous when I'm watching his films. But I really enjoyed this gangster/boxing hybrid film from the early 40's that, not only sported great acting by Cagney but also had wonderful performances by Ann Sheridan (I'm rather fond of redheads too), Anthony Quinn and a rare acting role for top-notch director Elia Kazan. Yes, it was melodramatic, a tearjerker and overly predictable--people talk about those qualities as if they were bad things.Also being an aficionado of many types of music, particularly jazz and classical, I found it highly compelling of the filmmakers to utilize music as a way of communicating the inexpressible (the trials and tribulations, dreams and pitfalls). Highly recommended for anyone who likes seeing filmmakers think outside of the box for once, and dare to try something different. Especially if you love Cagney and classic cinema as much as I do, I highly doubt you'll be disappointed.

bluerider521 This was made for an urban immigrant audience, and it must have touched them mightily in 1940. Ultimately, this is about poverty and ambition. It is still great; only a grinch will not tear up at the end. Corny, dated, melodramatic, full of clichés, but played by the most professional cast you can imagine. It touches on basic human emotions and needs which have not changed since 1940.Now and then a 21st century movie comes along which can compete. I go to see them. Most of the time I am part of only a half dozen people in the theater. The great genius of the old studios was that they could make movies which touched on the human condition in such a way that it appealed to a mass audience.