This fast speeding drama will appeal to those who love a day at the races. Not horse racing, not greyhounds, and not even the Marx Brothers, but high speed auto racing. Brothers James Cagney and Eric Linden disagree over Linden's getting involved in the sport, with veteran Cagney insistent that the young Linden isn't ready. They are also somehow involved with the same girls throughout the film, Joan Blondell and Ann Dvorak, but the romantic drama is secondary to the racing scenes, often scary, and in one sequence, quite deadly.
Cagney shows why he is still considered one of the greatest screen actors ever, in one scene blubbering dramatically over the memory of a rather tragic accident. One thing this does make clear is how deeply the sport gets under their skin, as if every risk they take in having crack-ups or being charred alive is worth the thrill. The finale ambulance chase is hysterical in a very ironic way. In spite of the lack of a strong plot, this is worth viewing for Cagney's powerhouse performance and the racing sequences that challenge the later "Grand Prix" for suspense.
Cagney shows why he is still considered one of the greatest screen actors ever, in one scene blubbering dramatically over the memory of a rather tragic accident. One thing this does make clear is how deeply the sport gets under their skin, as if every risk they take in having crack-ups or being charred alive is worth the thrill. The finale ambulance chase is hysterical in a very ironic way. In spite of the lack of a strong plot, this is worth viewing for Cagney's powerhouse performance and the racing sequences that challenge the later "Grand Prix" for suspense.