weezeralfalfa Immigrant Nick(Eddie Robinson) runs a barber shop in a small town, but there's a gambling operation in the back room. Nick is an adrenalin junkie. He doesn't mind risking all his savings and that of others in a high stakes poker game with the acknowledged king of high stakes gambling: Hickory Short. Losing all his stake to an imposter doesn't convince him that his lucky star has set. He raises another stake and returns to play Sleepy Sam(the imposter) and gang again. He wins this time, but the gang beats him up when he wants to run with his earnings. Nick raises another stake and, bravely, returns to Sleepy's lair once more. He plays Sleepy alone this time, in a winner take all arrangement, and wins. When the gang goes to beat him up again, two accomplices with guns burst through the door at a signal, and he leaves with his earnings. His deed is written up in the newspaper, which pleases him. He now tracks down the real Hickory Short, and wins in an even high stakes game. Now, he really feels like the king of the hill. But the police are being pressured by the public to reign him in, now that he has several casinos in the city. He somehow fixes it so that technically, he's not the owner of any of these illegal casinos, thus the police can't arrest him. Nick rubs the head of an African American for luck, has Cigars made in Cuba to his specification, always dresses smartly, takes pride in his manicured finger nails, has a weakness for cute blonds, is pleasant to everyone except those who cross him, and likes to be recognized as a famous hood who always outsmarts the cops.Nick and his pall Jack(James Cagney) are out riding when they are asked to take care of a nearly drowned young woman(Irene) who has been fished out of the river. Instead of taking her to the hospital, they take her home to revive her, and suggests she stay there until fully recovered. She tells them that she tried to kill herself because she's wanted by the police for blackmail. Nick's right hand man, Jack(Jimmy Cagney), doesn't trust her and wants her to leave. But Nick overrules him, and even hints at giving her an engagement ring. The police devise a scheme where they will capture Irene and offer her a reduced sentience if she will cooperate in a sting operation.(Sort of a legalized blackmail). At first, she nixes that idea, since Nick has been so kind to her. During the raid on one of Nick's casinos, Irene slips a horse racing card into Nick's jack pocket. Nick is not aware that there is an obscure law against possessing such a card. Thus, he thinks nothing of it when he discovers it. But, Jack saw her do this, and argues she must be working for the police... I will stop here, and let you discover the ending. Although this is the one film that includes both Eddie and Cagney, it's pretty much Eddie's film. Cagney's best scene is when he does a pantomime for Nick describing who's at the front door. After this very early film for both future stars, they were considered too "hot" to be cast in the same film.... Noel Francis plays Marie. Initially she's Sleepy Sam's moll. But after Nick impoverishes Sleepy, apparently she becomes Nick's moll, although we don't see too much of her any more... I don't believe anyone was killed by bullets, and guns are brandished only during the casino raid, and the one poker game.I have a few questions: It appears that Sleepy's gang usually only gamble among themselves. So, how do they, as a group, make any money at gambling?When Sleepy's gang beat up Nick when he wants to run with his earnings, Nick only shows a small cut on his forehead and a sore jaw. Seems like he should have had more extensive injuries. Not clear to me how Nick built several casinos around the city, yet technically didn't own any, so the police couldn't arrest him.Unclear to me whether Nick is uncommonly lucky all the time, or if he has some tricks to insure his winning. Maybe some of both?

JLRMovieReviews Robinson is a barber who owns his own barbershop, but who goes off to gamble with some real card-sharks. He goes to the hotel where the action is and meets the girl at the magazine counter who tells him what room the game is in, after the desk clerk tells him nothing like that is allowed in this hotel. Little does Edward know what's in store for him. Of course Robinson, as the barber, is great, and James Cagney is a secondary character with not much development to make him really interesting. But, it's Robinson that makes this film worth watching. He has such presence, and this is only a sample of what is yet to come in his career. The only problem I have with it is that its ending is rather anti-climatic. But as usual Robinson has the flair to take it all in stride and he makes the viewer feel honored to watch a master of his craft at work.

lastliberal The same year that he starred in Little Caesar and Five Star Final, Robinson made the Oscar-nominated film that shows the rise of a small-town gambler that goes to the big city and gets suckered. Six months later he is back vowing to never let that happen again and he rises to the top of the gambling world.With James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy, Angels With Dirty faces)at his side to watch out for him, he manages to elude capture by the authorities - mainly because he has bought off most of them. But, as he says, he has a weakness for women - especially blonds. That will prove his down fall.It was not the "Little Caesar" Robinson, but a happy-go-lucky guy that just seemed to take things as they come. he was smiling and laying odds as they carted him off to prison. A funny film that is only marred by the racism that was typical of the time.

stuman-2 It seems that several cast members sneak a lot of Yiddish within some of the quick dialog. I know that Cagney, brought up in the lower East Side, did actually insert Yiddish into some of his finished product. Seems odd that this would happen. Appreciate it if someone might elaborate as to if mixtures of different languages/dialects were actually permitted in final takes. Obviously this would save funds on retakes and let a well done scene pass through. Perhaps since this film was done in '31,it didn't matter too much. Yet, much of the dialog is hard to decipher in spots. I enjoyed the film. A cute piece of height of the depression era entertainment.