Just because it's not THE PUBLIC ENEMY or SCARFACE it's often looked down on. That's so unfair - this is not just typical of Zanuck's Warner Bothers, it's one of their best - certainly one of the best films from that year. After just a few magic minutes you are there yourself in 1931. You are tasting the dust of the streets.
If like me when you see that a film is directed by Archie Mayo you're predisposed to expect something lifeless, slow and pedestrian, you will be pleasantly surprised by this. This is actually directed remarkably well - he really brings this to life and gets you engaged with the story. With its naturalistic acting, excellent fluid camerawork and great use of sound effects, you'd never guess that this is a year older than PUBLIC ENEMY. You don't expect something this good from Archie Mayo!
It's less explicitly violent than it's contemporaries, like THE GODFATHER decades later it uses your own imagination to fill in the gaps because a lot of the action is implied or happens off-screen. That's a clever and subtle approach which really works.
The plot itself also has some similarities to Copola's epic inasmuch that it focuses on the characters rather than the action. You care about these people. Lee Ayres' character Louie who becomes the boss of all the gangs could almost be a prototype for Al Pachino's Michael Corleone.
And that brings us to Lew Ayres. He is both the best and worst thing about this picture. Worst because he's so young. He looks like he's just graduated from law school rather than a hardened criminal. It makes no sense that such a pleasant young man could evoke such fear and dread in the other gang leaders in the city. Whereas in THE GODFATHER we're told why the rival gang leaders grow to respect Corleone, in this they just do and it seems weird.
But I also said that Lew Ayres is the best thing about this film too. Once you've become absorbed into this you somehow overlook this gaping credibility chasm because he's such a fabulous actor. Just because the actor is only 22 doesn't mean his character is only 22. He is utterly believable. He's both engaged, likeable but also genuinely menacing as well and although you know you shouldn't, he makes you root for his character completely. This is one of the great performances of that year.
Finally of course there is another familiar actor in this ... yes that famous gangster actor ..... Noel Madison playing Ricarno's rival Rocco. He reprised this role in the brilliant Jessie Matthews comedy GANGWAY and stayed in England for a while making a little niche for himself playing the sort of American which we over here used to think all Americans were like.
If like me when you see that a film is directed by Archie Mayo you're predisposed to expect something lifeless, slow and pedestrian, you will be pleasantly surprised by this. This is actually directed remarkably well - he really brings this to life and gets you engaged with the story. With its naturalistic acting, excellent fluid camerawork and great use of sound effects, you'd never guess that this is a year older than PUBLIC ENEMY. You don't expect something this good from Archie Mayo!
It's less explicitly violent than it's contemporaries, like THE GODFATHER decades later it uses your own imagination to fill in the gaps because a lot of the action is implied or happens off-screen. That's a clever and subtle approach which really works.
The plot itself also has some similarities to Copola's epic inasmuch that it focuses on the characters rather than the action. You care about these people. Lee Ayres' character Louie who becomes the boss of all the gangs could almost be a prototype for Al Pachino's Michael Corleone.
And that brings us to Lew Ayres. He is both the best and worst thing about this picture. Worst because he's so young. He looks like he's just graduated from law school rather than a hardened criminal. It makes no sense that such a pleasant young man could evoke such fear and dread in the other gang leaders in the city. Whereas in THE GODFATHER we're told why the rival gang leaders grow to respect Corleone, in this they just do and it seems weird.
But I also said that Lew Ayres is the best thing about this film too. Once you've become absorbed into this you somehow overlook this gaping credibility chasm because he's such a fabulous actor. Just because the actor is only 22 doesn't mean his character is only 22. He is utterly believable. He's both engaged, likeable but also genuinely menacing as well and although you know you shouldn't, he makes you root for his character completely. This is one of the great performances of that year.
Finally of course there is another familiar actor in this ... yes that famous gangster actor ..... Noel Madison playing Ricarno's rival Rocco. He reprised this role in the brilliant Jessie Matthews comedy GANGWAY and stayed in England for a while making a little niche for himself playing the sort of American which we over here used to think all Americans were like.