Dan Curly sends two hitmen to kill double-crossing Flicker Hayes, who retreats to a small village with ex-prostitute Rose to hide.Dan Curly sends two hitmen to kill double-crossing Flicker Hayes, who retreats to a small village with ex-prostitute Rose to hide.Dan Curly sends two hitmen to kill double-crossing Flicker Hayes, who retreats to a small village with ex-prostitute Rose to hide.
- Whitey - the Driver
- (as James Eagle)
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
- Pico - Cristobol Crewman
- (uncredited)
- Hotel Clerk
- (uncredited)
- Little Girl
- (uncredited)
- Manhattan Turkish Bath Attendant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe seventh and final film of the James Cagney/Joan Blondell partnership, the other six being Sinner's Holiday (1930), Other Men's Women (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), Blonde Crazy (1931), The Crowd Roars (1932), and Footlight Parade (1933).
- GoofsRose said she met Nick in the same hotel when he came to San Francisco to have a good time and he asked her to marry him. But when the Nick character is finally introduced, he's a hardworking fisherman in a small town with little time for leisure. In addition he is religious, moral, and of humble means. He gives no indication of the type of person that would go to an upscale hotel in San Francisco and interact with a prostitute.
- Quotes
Dan 'Danny' Curly: Red Deering got it.
J.C. Ward, Curly's Hitman: The limit?
Dan 'Danny' Curly: 1st degree. Burns on the 28th. That means you guys take care of Flicker Hayes.
J.C. Ward, Curly's Hitman: When do you pay off?
Dan 'Danny' Curly: When Hayes is where he'll never squeal on nobody.
J.C. Ward, Curly's Hitman: That good enough for you Monk?
[Monk raises his shoulders as if he doesn't care]
J.C. Ward, Curly's Hitman: Hayes is as dead as Deering will be when they pull the switch.
- ConnectionsReferenced in East of the River (1940)
Cagney is Flicker Hayes. He tells the police about a robbery attempt so that they can catch the two men who put him in prison. One, Dan, escapes. The other kills a cop and winds up in the electric chair.
Dan orders two hit-man to find Flicker and kill him. Flicker rents a room and meets Rose (Blondell), a young, sad woman who returns to the room to fetch her wedding dress. She is a former prostitute and needs a ride to a fishing village, where her betrothed, a Portugese fisherman (Victor Jory) is waiting to marry her.
Sounds good to Flicker - it's obscure, anyway, so he accompanies her. The two fall for one another, and no doubt have sex when the camera isn't around - it is post-code, after all. Rose doesn't want to marry her boyfriend now, she wants to go away with Flicker. He buys a bus ticket for her and they go to the bus station together.
Unfortunately, Flicker has been discovered by Dan and his thugs, who want to kill him.
A dark film with two subdued performances by the leads, who are both very good. Cagney does a great job, as always - even though he's not a flying high, exuberant criminal, he still plays a confident man, and you can't help noticing him.
Blondell, who did so many comedy roles, is dead serious here and very effective.
Others in the cast, besides those mentioned, are George Chandler, Harold Huber, John Qualen - lots of familiar faces.
Victor Jory is somewhat miscast but pulls off his role as a gentle person who truly cares for Rose.
You're not really sure how this will end. It is a lovely ending, if poignant. Well directed by Lloyd Bacon.
Details
- Runtime1 hour 10 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1