James Cagney's oh-so-bad accent, everyone's oh-so-bad accents, Cagney's over-the-top acting that screams "Look, I am ACTING!", the ridiculous stereotypes, the attempted murder-by-gator scene... this is bad. Really bad. It doesn't look nor feel like the bayou, and it doesn't look nor feel like anything near a good movie. The screen play is as bad as the acting. It's not even campy fun. On the other hand, it's kind of nice to see such a huge star make a huge misstep - Cagney is ALL IN on this. Like Gable with Parnell. It makes the real people, the actors, more real. The only part that I truly, sincerely enjoyed was seeing Ellen Cory on the screen - I love her in anything, whether she has 50 words to say or none at al.
Review of A Lion Is in the Streets
