Lady Killer, despite it's tough and sinister sounding name, is actually a thoroughly entertaining Romantic Comedy released at the tail end of 1933, a time when prohibition had just been rescinded, the new FDR administration vowed to lift America from the depression and movie audiences couldn't get enough of James Cagney. Throughout the early '30's, Warner Brother's, keen to give the public what they wanted, kept Cagney busy churning out new Cagney vehicles at an almost exponential rate. These were the formative years for Cagney, long before Pat O'Brien had given him the affectionate nickname 'The Professional Againster' (due to his many fall outs with Warner's), Cagney did as he was told and in this, his fifth and final movie of 1933 he did not disappoint neither his fans nor Jack Warner himself.
Cagney plays Dan Quigley, a theatre usher who is as just as unsuited to his job as he is the white tailcoat and cap he is forced to wear. After receiving several warnings about his rudeness to customers and illegal dice games in the men's room, he is fired, but Quigley's street smarts mean that he won't be out of work for long.
After seeing a beautiful young lady drop her purse he plays the Samaritan by returning it to her apartment, obviously looking for a 'reward' though perhaps not one of the financial kind. the woman Myra (Mae Clarke), at first flirts with him until interrupted by her 'brother in law' Spade Maddock (Douglass Dumbrille). Spade invites Quigley to join the poker game that he and a few friends are having and Quigley, a keen gambler, readily agrees. However, he's soon cleaned out, and after bidding everyone a fond farewell, makes his exit. Upon leaving the apartment, he meets another man on the stairs returning another 'dropped' purse to Myra's home. Realising he's been 'played', he forces his way back into the apartment threatening to tell the cops everything if his money is not returned. The gang, both blackmailed and impressed by him then allow him to join the gang for a share of the take. It's not long however before Quigley is running the show, and Quigley's transformation from Usher to Gangster is complete.
Months later, the gang under Quigley's leadership, own a successful nightclub and carefully choose their next con victims from the wealthy hoy palloy that regularly frequent their joint. After one of his gang critically injures a maid on one robbery and murders a butler on another, Quigley draws the line. By his own admission, he is a thief and a grifter, but not a murderer. With the gang now wanted, Myra and Quigley lam out to California but the police arrest him on arrival. Instead of bailing him out, Myra, thinking she too will be arrested and being prompted by the two faced Maddock, skips town.
After being released due to lack of evidence, a penniless Quigley is left to roam the streets of Los Angeles until a movie talent scout, looking for 'tough guy types' signs him up. After making a suitable impression in a prison movie, his parts start to increase. He meets Lois Underwood, (Margaret Lindsay), a young studio starlet. The chemistry between the two is there from the start, and they are both so down to earth, that neither cannot see a problem with a romance between extra and star.
However, Quigley has no intention of remaining an extra for very long realising that there's big money to be made in this 'picture racket'. After hilariously writing hundreds of his own fan letters and employing a stooge to post them to the studio from various corners of the country, the star roles are not too long in coming and Dan Quigley becomes the new star of Hollywood. Sadly, Quigley's transformation from Gangster to Movie Star was always going to be overshadowed. With his new found fame, comes new found recognition, and Quigley's old gang arrive in town looking to use his shady past as a means to blackmail him into helping them commit robberies of the Hollywood elite. Quigley, determined to go straight, bribes them to leave town but when the homes of several movie stars are robbed, Quigley puts two and two together. The LAPD who, who still aware of Quigley's past, suspect him of guiding the robbers to their targets convinced that 'once a thief, always a thief'. It is only when Lois's house is targeted that Quigley decides enough is enough and with his career, his romance and his very life in danger decides to sort things out once and for all.
Cagney, as always, is a dynamo of energy throughout this movie and he is a joy to watch, as is Mae Clarke as Myra. However, Margaret Lindsay's performance as Lois didn't grab me as it should have. I loved Lindsay as an actress, but found her character here quite two dimensional and slightly annoying. Douglass Dumbrille makes a great villain as no other actor of the time could play the dis likable 'slimy' characters as well as he could. The best scene for me was the unforgettable scene where Cagney drags poor Mae Clarke by the hair through TWO hotel rooms before booting her butt out into the hallway. Mae Clarke was a real trouper and she sure put up with a lot from Cagney in those early years (remember the grapefruit?).
My other favourite scenes are when the critic is made to 'eat his words', and the adorably cute little monkey's. The latter perhaps was a scene that needlessly prolonged the movie but funny all the same.
Of all the movies Cagney made in 1933, this is not the best (I'll reserve that honour for Footlight Parade). But at the end of the day, It's still a Jimmy Cagney movie and his very presence in ALL but two or three scenes means that you're never allowed to forget it either.
Enjoy.
Cagney plays Dan Quigley, a theatre usher who is as just as unsuited to his job as he is the white tailcoat and cap he is forced to wear. After receiving several warnings about his rudeness to customers and illegal dice games in the men's room, he is fired, but Quigley's street smarts mean that he won't be out of work for long.
After seeing a beautiful young lady drop her purse he plays the Samaritan by returning it to her apartment, obviously looking for a 'reward' though perhaps not one of the financial kind. the woman Myra (Mae Clarke), at first flirts with him until interrupted by her 'brother in law' Spade Maddock (Douglass Dumbrille). Spade invites Quigley to join the poker game that he and a few friends are having and Quigley, a keen gambler, readily agrees. However, he's soon cleaned out, and after bidding everyone a fond farewell, makes his exit. Upon leaving the apartment, he meets another man on the stairs returning another 'dropped' purse to Myra's home. Realising he's been 'played', he forces his way back into the apartment threatening to tell the cops everything if his money is not returned. The gang, both blackmailed and impressed by him then allow him to join the gang for a share of the take. It's not long however before Quigley is running the show, and Quigley's transformation from Usher to Gangster is complete.
Months later, the gang under Quigley's leadership, own a successful nightclub and carefully choose their next con victims from the wealthy hoy palloy that regularly frequent their joint. After one of his gang critically injures a maid on one robbery and murders a butler on another, Quigley draws the line. By his own admission, he is a thief and a grifter, but not a murderer. With the gang now wanted, Myra and Quigley lam out to California but the police arrest him on arrival. Instead of bailing him out, Myra, thinking she too will be arrested and being prompted by the two faced Maddock, skips town.
After being released due to lack of evidence, a penniless Quigley is left to roam the streets of Los Angeles until a movie talent scout, looking for 'tough guy types' signs him up. After making a suitable impression in a prison movie, his parts start to increase. He meets Lois Underwood, (Margaret Lindsay), a young studio starlet. The chemistry between the two is there from the start, and they are both so down to earth, that neither cannot see a problem with a romance between extra and star.
However, Quigley has no intention of remaining an extra for very long realising that there's big money to be made in this 'picture racket'. After hilariously writing hundreds of his own fan letters and employing a stooge to post them to the studio from various corners of the country, the star roles are not too long in coming and Dan Quigley becomes the new star of Hollywood. Sadly, Quigley's transformation from Gangster to Movie Star was always going to be overshadowed. With his new found fame, comes new found recognition, and Quigley's old gang arrive in town looking to use his shady past as a means to blackmail him into helping them commit robberies of the Hollywood elite. Quigley, determined to go straight, bribes them to leave town but when the homes of several movie stars are robbed, Quigley puts two and two together. The LAPD who, who still aware of Quigley's past, suspect him of guiding the robbers to their targets convinced that 'once a thief, always a thief'. It is only when Lois's house is targeted that Quigley decides enough is enough and with his career, his romance and his very life in danger decides to sort things out once and for all.
Cagney, as always, is a dynamo of energy throughout this movie and he is a joy to watch, as is Mae Clarke as Myra. However, Margaret Lindsay's performance as Lois didn't grab me as it should have. I loved Lindsay as an actress, but found her character here quite two dimensional and slightly annoying. Douglass Dumbrille makes a great villain as no other actor of the time could play the dis likable 'slimy' characters as well as he could. The best scene for me was the unforgettable scene where Cagney drags poor Mae Clarke by the hair through TWO hotel rooms before booting her butt out into the hallway. Mae Clarke was a real trouper and she sure put up with a lot from Cagney in those early years (remember the grapefruit?).
My other favourite scenes are when the critic is made to 'eat his words', and the adorably cute little monkey's. The latter perhaps was a scene that needlessly prolonged the movie but funny all the same.
Of all the movies Cagney made in 1933, this is not the best (I'll reserve that honour for Footlight Parade). But at the end of the day, It's still a Jimmy Cagney movie and his very presence in ALL but two or three scenes means that you're never allowed to forget it either.
Enjoy.