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7.0/10
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When Prohibition ends, a beer baron sees the writing on the wall, quits the rackets, and tries to break into California society.When Prohibition ends, a beer baron sees the writing on the wall, quits the rackets, and tries to break into California society.When Prohibition ends, a beer baron sees the writing on the wall, quits the rackets, and tries to break into California society.
Don Dillaway
- Gordon Cass
- (as Donald Dillaway)
Loretta Andrews
- Society Girl
- (uncredited)
Bonnie Bannon
- Society Girl
- (uncredited)
Joan Barclay
- Society Girl
- (uncredited)
Max Barwyn
- Headwaiter
- (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey
- Butler
- (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley
- Harry S. Winter
- (uncredited)
Lynn Browning
- Society Girl
- (uncredited)
Joe Caits
- One of Bugs' Mugs
- (uncredited)
Maxine Cantway
- Society Girl
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia"Al" recounts a job where he shot up a stuffed Polar Bear. The same plot scene was depicted in The Public Enemy (1931) with "Tom" doing the shooting.
- GoofsThe image of the single-engine plane carrying Ahern's "boys" appears empty except for the pilot.
- Quotes
James Francis 'Bugs': The toughest mug in Chicago comes out here and gets trimmed by a lot of fags with handkerchiefs up their sleeves.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (2008)
- SoundtracksChicago (That Toddlin' Town)
(1922) (uncredited)
Written by Fred Fisher
Played during the opening credits
Reprised when the gang comes to Santa Barbara
Reprised at the end
Featured review
Shrewdly Done
When I think comedy, Eddie Robinson doesn't jump to mind. Here, however, he's fairly amusing in a muted comedy of manners. Most importantly, he doesn't mock his iconic tough guy image. Instead he plays an out-of-work bootlegger at prohibition's end eager to transition into upper class society with his ill-gotten gains. Trouble is he can't leave his tough guy ways behind, especially his streetwise lingo and muscle men. That makes for some amusing situations when he mixes with the refined upper crust. The comedy's pretty restrained on the whole, neither of the popular madcap nor screwball of the time. The production's also pre-Code which means some mild innuendo and bra-less gowns (Vinson).
Note too how the upper class Cass's are implicated in crime, but of a different type than Ahearn's gangster sort. Instead, the ruthless family markets worthless bonds to unsuspecting customers, bilking them of needed moneys. Thus, we get a glimpse of white-collar larceny at a time,1933, when the topic was an especially live one. Compared to Ahearn's competition among bootleggers, the Cass's white-collar variety appears less violent but more vicious, a not accidental feature, I suspect.
All in all, the WB flick's a shrewdly done, amusing departure for one of their stable of 30's tough guys. My only gripe is the nutzoid finale on the polo field. It's an effort, I expect, to provide a bang-up climax, one that's unfortunately way out of sinc with the rest of the intelligent restraint. Still, Robinson gets something of an amusing showcase, proving again what a fine actor he was and remains.
Note too how the upper class Cass's are implicated in crime, but of a different type than Ahearn's gangster sort. Instead, the ruthless family markets worthless bonds to unsuspecting customers, bilking them of needed moneys. Thus, we get a glimpse of white-collar larceny at a time,1933, when the topic was an especially live one. Compared to Ahearn's competition among bootleggers, the Cass's white-collar variety appears less violent but more vicious, a not accidental feature, I suspect.
All in all, the WB flick's a shrewdly done, amusing departure for one of their stable of 30's tough guys. My only gripe is the nutzoid finale on the polo field. It's an effort, I expect, to provide a bang-up climax, one that's unfortunately way out of sinc with the rest of the intelligent restraint. Still, Robinson gets something of an amusing showcase, proving again what a fine actor he was and remains.
helpful•10
- dougdoepke
- Apr 22, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Der kleine Gangsterkönig
- Filming locations
- Hotel Del Monte, Monterey, California, USA(Polo field location)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $197,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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