csteidler Quintessential Irish-American movie mother Mary Gordon lives in a hectic apartment with her three "boys": Pat O'Brien is a cop, Frank McHugh is a fireman, and James Cagney— well, Cagney has no real job apparently but he fancies himself a fight manager and is his mother's favorite. It's a sentimental and predictable setup and while the dialog early on is certainly not great, the actors hang in there and make it work —particularly O'Brien and Cagney, who show a knack for taking exchanges that look absolutely awful on the page and giving them real bite: O'Brien: "Say, let me tell you something, there's lots worse things than being a cop." Cagney: "But I don't wanna be a cop!" The plot eventually adds Allen Jenkins as a streetcar conductor Cagney tries to turn into a boxer. Olivia de Havilland is fine as a police commissioner's daughter—she catches O'Brien's eye but Cagney catches hers, causing family complications. It's all pretty dated, I guess, but the picture does pick up steam as Cagney spends more time on the screen, and you'd have to be a hardboiled viewer indeed not to enjoy seeing Cagney suit up and step into the ring himself as an emergency sub when Jenkins gets drunk just before the big fight.... Not a classic but the cast certainly makes this one worthwhile. Also, Allen Jenkins' character has a truly great name: Carbarn Hammerschlog.

John T. Ryan WELL NOW AFTER an opening like that, we wish to play Devil's Advocate today. What we are doing and the dissertation that follows are not the opinions of anyone employed by our writing staff (namely me). WELL WARNER BROTHERS Studios really had nerve and expressed some inner dislike for those of us who are descended from our ancestors from the "Emerald Isle." What we are referring to is their depictions of the Irish in America. We're referring, of course, to the likes of their pictures such as THE FIGHTING 69th, MY WILD IRISH ROSE and YANKEE DOODLE DANDY. BUT MOST OF all, we mean this THE IRISH IN US. How dare they portray a family of 3 grown-up brothers, all still living at home with their heavily brogue accented, widowed Mother (Mary Gordon). Next they put them in a blue collar, working man's neighborhood and in a tenement building yet!ADDING INSULT TO the already extremely injured reputation of the "Narrow Backs"*, the 3 sons are portrayed as Pat a NYPD Cop (Pat O'Brien), Mike a NYC Fireman (Frank McHugh) and Danny aspiring Prizefighter Manager (James Cagney). Why there's not a Brain Surgeon, a Rocket Scientist or even a Real Estate Agent among them!OKAY, THAT'S QUITE enough of our lampooning a "Politically Correct" reviewer. We hope that our extensive number of readers enjoyed it and we thank you for extending the opportunity to us this opportunity to "let it all hang out!"NOW AS FOR this Warners Pot Boiler from 1935, we found it to be as good an enjoyable comedy that it was when we saw it while in Junior High, circa 1958. It was one of those many Warner Brothers productions &cartoons that were packaged for television through Associated Artist Productions. Collectively they taught the Baby Boomer generation just who were Cagney, Bogart, O'Brien, Raft & Flynn were and what they meant to the audiences of the 1930's and '40's.THE MOVIE IS an excellent blend of several elements; but it still qualifies as being classified as a 'Comedy'; especially in the Classic sense. Although there are some serious moments here and there, the overall effect and tone are light and very enjoyable.AN ELEMENT THAT one wouldn't expect in an otherwise comic story is that of what has long been called "the Eternal Triangle." And this yet is between two brothers over one Lucielle Jackson! This was a portrayal by Miss Olivia de Haviland that was unusual; for she most often was a character of high upbringing and wealth even. her character was daughter of the Police Captain Jackson (J. Farrell Mac Donald).ANOTHER FEATURE INCORPORATED into the film is that of the work turned in by Allen Jenkins as "Car-Barn" the Boxer. He provides so much of the genuine screen laughs even though his part was that of a second banana funny man. So much of the comic business was done by Frank McHugh. BUT IT CAN be said that Mr. Jenkins really did have the "Last Laugh"; that coming in the final fade-out Knowing how to end a comedy is a most important skill. If not handled properly it can greatly diminish a film's effectiveness. WHILE THIS FILM is certainly not any that the American Film Institute will be honoring with an inclusion on one of their Top 100 lists, it is still worth viewing; as it does a fine job of showcasing early Cagney, de Havilland & O'Brien work.NOTE: * The term "Narrow Back" is slang used by native born Irish to describe one of us born here in the USA> (Origin unknown).

bkoganbing The Irish in Us has Mary Gordon as a buxom Irish-American mother with three proud sons. Pat O'Brien a cop, Frank McHugh a fireman, and James Cagney a man with big ideas. The O'Hara family is built along the lines of the Beebe family in three years later in Paramount's Sing You Sinners that had Elizabeth Patterson as Mrs. Beebe with her three sons, Fred MacMurray, Donald O'Connor, and Bing Crosby. The only difference between the O'Haras and the Beebes is that the O'Haras aren't musical.But they are a charming bunch even though Olivia DeHavilland comes between Cagney and O'Brien. As in the Crosby and Hope films, guess who she winds up with in the end?Cagney's latest idea is to be a boxing promoter and he's got this punch drunk fighter played very endearingly by Allen Jenkins on whom he pins his hopes. Cagney's done a little boxing in the past himself, a fact that stands him in good stead at the climax.This is the only time in the Cagney/O'Brien series of films that the two of them ever were blood relations and they even get Frank McHugh in there as well. Olivia DeHavilland has very little to do in this film, but sit around and look pretty. She does that very well, but it was films like this for her that made her fight for better parts that she knew she was capable of. This film while entertaining is strictly a testosterone affair.The Irish In Us if it ever comes out on VHS and/or DVD should be seen back to back with Sing You Sinners if that ever comes out on VHS or DVD. You can't go wrong with either.

tim_smit1836 "The Irish in Us" is a fine Cagney venue. He is surrounded by a good supporting cast with Pat O'Brien (Patrick O'Hara), Frank McHugh (Mike O'Hara) and Allen Jenkins (Carbarn Hammerschlog). Olivia de Havilland (Lucille Jackson) gives a solid and steady performance in only her second movie of her career. Veteran actress Mary Gordon (Ma O'Hara) lends a strong presence as the tough but caring Irish mother. The chemistry between the two women is very believable. The boxing scene between Harvey Parry (Joe Delancy), the champ and Cagney is non-stop action packed and shows Cagney at his best. I highly recommend this movie for all.