mark.waltz There is something very John Barrymore-ish about Lowell Sherman, the middle-aged star of this movie who later played a Barrymore like star in "What Price Hollywood". It is ironic that in real life, they were once married to the Costello sisters and would co-star together in one movie, "General Crack". Sherman seems to be taking on a Barrymore persona here as the suave head of a racket of jewel thieves. He ain't no Ronald Colman of "Raffles" or William Powell of "Jewel Robbery", but a slightly portly lothario who seems to have forgotten that he's past the era of seducing young girls and taking them away from their same-aged boyfriends, which he attempts to do here with Marian Nixon and her fiancée, William Janney."If it wasn't for men like me, there wouldn't be a necessity for men like you", he tells a detective out to bust up his racket, and you know he's dead serious. Even if he runs a seemingly legitimate nightclub, frequented by the well-dressed social set, he's uncontent in his lot, and continues to knock off jewelry shops when the right moment comes along. Hugh Trevor is the handsome but rather amoral pal who goes too far in Sherman's eyes when he robs the struggling Janney right after Nixon has agreed to marry him. This puts Sherman into a sort of George Arliss style plot; He takes the down on their luck lovers into his home, yet plans to steal Nixon for himself until Trevor takes matters into his own hands to get revenge for being humiliated by being exposed for what he claims was just a practical joke.Slightly creaky and extremely stagy, this early talkie crime drama with elements of drawing room comedy manages to entertain in spite of its constant shift in moods. It certainly isn't a rival to the big crime dramas of the time ("Little Cesar", "Public Enemy", "Scarface") yet isn't without merit. Sherman also directs this film which he would do for a few later films he starred in, which brings into question the man's ego, one seemingly as huge as Barrymore's yet without that unforgettable profile and over-sized personality.

classicsoncall Unbelievable and convoluted story elements make this a tough one to struggle through. It looks like I might be in the minority on this board, but I don't see a lot here to recommend the picture. Lowell Sherman provides about the only competence the film offers in his portrayal of crime boss Gene Fenmore. He has a great comeback to would be challenger Rocky (Hugh Trevor) for kingpin status - 'jealousy implies equality'. That's the way to put a guy in his place, and I think Rocky pretty much knew it too.As for the young couple at the heart of the story (Marian Nixon and William Janney), how clueless would you have to be to try and rob some high rollers in their own apartment? OK, they were trying to get their own money back, but Tommy (Janney) recognized the goon who robbed him, so why not just go to the cops? On second thought, that didn't always work out in these era stories either. Especially with an idiot District Attorney like the one here.With the old lights out trick used not once, but twice in the story, this one sort of muddles along until it finally peters out with Fenmore's confession. Which sort of defies credibility, because even though he was ultimately behind the jewel store robbery, a good lawyer would have gotten him off scot free with the inept Rocky calling the shots. But then again, he shot Rocky with no witnesses, even if it was self defense. Like Rocky said - "You can't be in this racket and have a code of ethics".

Ralph Michael Stein Another Alpha Video $4.99 DVD bringing a forgotten pre-WWII second (or third?) matinee feature to the DVD player.A young couple sits in a faux Central Park late at night contemplating their marriage the next day. Fortunately the lad has saved $260 towards their life together. But a real nasty bad guy overhears them and holds them up taking every dime.But...the almost groom recognizes the creep as a guy who hangs out in the building where he's a super's schlepper (that's NYC talk). So he and fiancee attempt to regain the money by armed robbery and blow it. They're captured by the gang.The gang, which does high values burglaries and robberies, is headed by a suave guy, Gene Foreman, played actually with some insight by Lowell Sherman who was at the tail end of his acting career. Perhaps he knew that: he seems genuinely sad throughout the film.Foreman eschews violence-he's a dapper dan in tails who gets leads to promising heists through wining and dining the rich. Foreman sort of adopts the young couple and the girl really likes him. Her boyfriend worries about losing this gem who intones "squeeze me" whenever she's scared, needs affectionate reassurance or both.The really nasty dude, Rocky, is murdered and the couple are the suspects. Foreman magnificently rises to the occasion, his acting transcending the limitations of predictable plot, sets less realistic than those on "The Honeymooners" and a supporting cast of deservedly unknowns.Fun flick from the past.5/10

tmpj The film is interesting more on account of its vintage than its plot. The acting is campy,stagey, hammy. The idea that a bunch of rowdies pillage and rob with no guns and no killings was probably just as absurd then as it seems today. However, this was likely the last appearance for Lowell Sherman in front of the camera. His style of acting seems to have become obsolete with the advent of talkies,possibly before. I am not certain who plays the role of Nancy. Incidentally, this film was remade a couple of years after Sherman's death with Richard Dix and an oily, villainous Eduardo Cianelli. That one was better, but even the acting and slightly better tech weren't enough to salvage the much outdated script and concept. However, if you just dig old celluloid, as I do, it's a worthwhile watch.