Wallace Beery was once one of MGM's biggest box office draws, but by the mid Forties he was reduced to B pictures of which Barbary Coast Gent is an example.
Barbary Coast Gent finds Beery a genial con man who has to flee San Francisco and his long time lady love Binnie Barnes and head for Nevada and the alleged precious metals that are to be found there. There's nothing alleged about the gold mine he accidentally finds. But what to do about it.
He certainly needs money and for once he uses his persuasive conning powers to get investors in on a real deal. But he's a guy who usually takes the money and runs and the real problems of mining prove to be formidable.
When former associate John Carradine blackmails him, Beery is forced to real outlaw ways robbing all kinds of places to make him the money that Carradine took. Rather stupidly he takes to using poetical verses left at every scene to identify him as a literate bandit known as Jingle Bill.
It all works out for him though, somewhat in the end. Think of the John Ford Three Godfathers and you'll know what happens to Beery.
MGM did provide Beery with some great players for a supporting cast with Henry O'Neill. Paul Hurst, Ray Collins and the best being Chill Wills as a laconic sheriff. Fans of Wallace Beery should enjoy this.
Barbary Coast Gent finds Beery a genial con man who has to flee San Francisco and his long time lady love Binnie Barnes and head for Nevada and the alleged precious metals that are to be found there. There's nothing alleged about the gold mine he accidentally finds. But what to do about it.
He certainly needs money and for once he uses his persuasive conning powers to get investors in on a real deal. But he's a guy who usually takes the money and runs and the real problems of mining prove to be formidable.
When former associate John Carradine blackmails him, Beery is forced to real outlaw ways robbing all kinds of places to make him the money that Carradine took. Rather stupidly he takes to using poetical verses left at every scene to identify him as a literate bandit known as Jingle Bill.
It all works out for him though, somewhat in the end. Think of the John Ford Three Godfathers and you'll know what happens to Beery.
MGM did provide Beery with some great players for a supporting cast with Henry O'Neill. Paul Hurst, Ray Collins and the best being Chill Wills as a laconic sheriff. Fans of Wallace Beery should enjoy this.