This sounds like the perfect pairing: James Cagney directed by Roy del Ruth together again doing their follow up to their fantastic Blonde Crazy a few months earlier. This must have been monumentally disappointing back then, especially as this was made during Cagney's golden era.
Inexplicably, this film is a complete non-entity or as my spell checker suggested 'non entity' could be 'non entertainment!' The story is dull, Cagney's character is annoying and not very nice, both the women are especially unlikeable ....and the boxing scenes are so much better in Raging Bull and Rocky.
And yes it can be compared with these newer movies because this doesn't deserve special consideration, it's done nothing earn it and should be better. Even at the height of his fame, this film wasn't considered one of his best back then so why we would want to watch it these days is beyond reason!
But what's wrong with this is the plot. Acting, direction, set design: everything looks good and professional but because you can't engage with any of these people, you can't be interested in them.
Inexplicably, this film is a complete non-entity or as my spell checker suggested 'non entity' could be 'non entertainment!' The story is dull, Cagney's character is annoying and not very nice, both the women are especially unlikeable ....and the boxing scenes are so much better in Raging Bull and Rocky.
And yes it can be compared with these newer movies because this doesn't deserve special consideration, it's done nothing earn it and should be better. Even at the height of his fame, this film wasn't considered one of his best back then so why we would want to watch it these days is beyond reason!
But what's wrong with this is the plot. Acting, direction, set design: everything looks good and professional but because you can't engage with any of these people, you can't be interested in them.