The Roaring Twenties (1939)

July 26, 2011

64. The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Gladys George, Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh, Paul Kelly

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Plot: "Three men attempt to make a living in Prohibitionist America after returning home from fighting together in World War I." (from IMDb)

I thought the acting and story were great in this. Everything, really, just made for a topnotch and very engaging production. I can't say that gangster flicks are really my thing, but I enjoy watching Bogart and Cagney. Besides them, I thought Gladys George was exceptional; she was a very expressive actor who was able to convey a great deal of feeling without saying too much. As Panama Smith, she was perfect for the part and rather underrated in general, I think. I also liked the newsreel format of the film. It is a good way to weave the different years together and illustrate the time period. I'm not usually one for sad endings, but this one just works; it’s hard to imagine any other way to conclude it.

I can't really say that this is a film that I'll watch a lot, because it is kind of depressing, but there is no doubt that it is Warner Brothers at its best—and definitely worth a viewing.

I really love the intro credits—the font and how it shimmers a bit against the skyscape.

Cagney plays Eddie, a basically good guy who is driven to crime by some bad breaks.

I never noticed before how Cagney does that thing with his lip. He does it quite a few times in this.

“I do alright, any time, any place.”

Quintessential baddie Bogart, before he hit it big with stardom. I have to say he does make a great bad guy, and adds a lot to the movie.

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Happy Birthday, Priscilla Lane!

Though Priscilla Lane is probably most know today for her role in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), she also worked with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock [Saboteur (1942)], James Cagney [The Roaring Twenties (1939)], Busby Berkley [Men Are Such Fools (1938)], John Garfield [in  his breakthrough role in Four Daughters (1938) and in Dust Be My Destiny (1939)], and Humphrey Bogart [in the aforementioned films Men Are Such Fools (1938), and The Roaring Twenties (1939)].

With Frank Capra and Cary Grant on the set of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

 

More from Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

 

 

She had two other sisters (not pictured) who were screen actresses—Lola and Rosemary (who she costarred with in several movies)—and one, Leota, (also not pictured) who was a stage actress.

 

Possessing a wholesome charm, girlish beauty, and expressive eyes, Priscilla can sometimes fade into the background. But in the roles of hers that I have seen, I find her to be a capable actress and a delightful screen presence.

Short Review: Saboteur (1942)

Jan. 26, 2011

23. Saboteur (1942)

Starring Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, Otto Kruger, Alan Baxter

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Plot: “Aircraft factory worker Barry Kane goes on the run across the United States when he is wrongly accused of starting a fire that killed his best friend.” (from IMDb)

***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*** This is a fairly uneven but always entertaining Hitchcock effort. It is not among his best, yet there are some memorable scenes and certainly a few of the director’s signature trademarks—the wrongly accused man, blonde heroine, road trip, culmination at a national landmark, etc. I thought Priscilla Lane and Robert Cummings were a likable pairing, and the performances by the antagonists were fitting. Yet some parts of the film just felt out of place and kind of odd (like the scene with the circus people). I thought things started to get interesting when the blind man was introduced, but then they left and the film went in a different direction. I can only attribute this to the many screen writers that worked on the story; perhaps that is why certain elements seem incongruous. I read somewhere that Hitchcock himself regarded the script as being the weakness of the film. Some of the war-time propaganda also feels very muddled—like they weren’t quite sure what they wanted to say, and thus end up contradicting themselves somewhat. Despite its faults, this film is entertaining and worth the watch if only for the final scene which featured some cutting edge (for the time) special effects.