A pretty snappy Warner Bros. Gangster movie that manages to overcome the terrible decision to cast Lew Ayers in the lead role of a crime boss kingpin.
Ayres isn't menacing at all, which means much of the plot, which depends upon us believing that a bunch of rival gang bosses would be scared of him, makes no sense. But the film is pretty well constructed and quick moving for such an early sound film, and it has the huge bonus of featuring James Cagney in an early supporting role. Of course we all know now that Cagney should have played the lead in this film, but whatever. He steals the show from Ayres whenever they're on screen together.
"Doorway to Hell" received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing (Original Story) at the 1930-31 Academy Awards. I don't fully understand the eligibility rules from back then, but I believe the nomination could, and did in this case, go to the person who wrote a story that the film's actual script was based on rather than the writers responsible for the screenplay. So Rowland Brown received the nomination for his story "Handful of Clouds" even though George Rosener is credited with the screenplay and dialogue. Strange....
Grade: B.
Ayres isn't menacing at all, which means much of the plot, which depends upon us believing that a bunch of rival gang bosses would be scared of him, makes no sense. But the film is pretty well constructed and quick moving for such an early sound film, and it has the huge bonus of featuring James Cagney in an early supporting role. Of course we all know now that Cagney should have played the lead in this film, but whatever. He steals the show from Ayres whenever they're on screen together.
"Doorway to Hell" received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing (Original Story) at the 1930-31 Academy Awards. I don't fully understand the eligibility rules from back then, but I believe the nomination could, and did in this case, go to the person who wrote a story that the film's actual script was based on rather than the writers responsible for the screenplay. So Rowland Brown received the nomination for his story "Handful of Clouds" even though George Rosener is credited with the screenplay and dialogue. Strange....
Grade: B.