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May 11, 2017Onewhoissaved rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Unlike most people, I first saw this film with my parents while vacationing in California in 1958 and now it is almost 60 years later than I see it through the eyes of an adult. The two real stars are, of course, are James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Both men were small of stature but they came across as giants on the screen. I think the film falls apart on at least three levels. I don't see Cagney as the kind of I-will-kill-if you-cross-me hoodlum. I don't see him as going broke from not foreseeing the stock market crash of 1929. And, I don't see him as a former racketeer winding up as a cry-me-a-river drunk and driving a cab. Now, look at Humphrey Bogart who would shoot your dog for just peeing on on a dying bush on his hard. He comes across as a tough guy on the screen but in real life he was a scrawny guy who smoked so much it killed him. Still, the film is entertaining overall and I think most people will recognize good acting when they see it, no matter if it is in black and white and a nearly 80-year-old film.