Joan Blondell and Jimmy Cagney appeared in an undistinguished Broadway play "Penny Arcade" and it closed after only a couple dozen performances. However, according to IMDb, Al Jolson saw the play and liked it--particularly because of performances by the unknown Blondell and Cagney. So, he bought the rights and then sold them to Warner Brothers--and insisted the pair reprise their roles. However, it's very hard to see what Jolson saw in this play--and Cagney's performance didn't seem all that distinguished. And, if Cagney and Blondell hadn't gone on to become stars, I'm sure this film would have long been forgotten.
This is the rather earthy story about a woman and her grown kids. She insists that her sons should not get involved with the bootlegging racket. Naturally, Cagney doesn't listen and soon gets in over his head. This leads to an argument with his boss and ends up with Cagney killing the man. So, it's up to Mama to try to save his sorry butt--and she's more than willing to pin it on an innocent man instead.
Seeing Cagney in this film is interesting. He's certainly NOT the confident hood like he'd soon play in "The Public Enemy" or other gangster films. Here, he's really spineless and annoying--and you wonder how this role led to better things. It just wasn't that distinguished and the overall film looked like a very ordinary B-movie. The only standouts were Blondell (who was quite good in her relatively small role) and Lucille La Verne as the rather soul-less Mother.
Is the film worth seeing? Well, if you are a huge fan of classic films and you are the type (like me) who wants to see all the films of a particular star, then this one is worth your time. Otherwise, it's just not all that good and it's just a time-passer...at best. And, I think its current score is a bit overrated.
This is the rather earthy story about a woman and her grown kids. She insists that her sons should not get involved with the bootlegging racket. Naturally, Cagney doesn't listen and soon gets in over his head. This leads to an argument with his boss and ends up with Cagney killing the man. So, it's up to Mama to try to save his sorry butt--and she's more than willing to pin it on an innocent man instead.
Seeing Cagney in this film is interesting. He's certainly NOT the confident hood like he'd soon play in "The Public Enemy" or other gangster films. Here, he's really spineless and annoying--and you wonder how this role led to better things. It just wasn't that distinguished and the overall film looked like a very ordinary B-movie. The only standouts were Blondell (who was quite good in her relatively small role) and Lucille La Verne as the rather soul-less Mother.
Is the film worth seeing? Well, if you are a huge fan of classic films and you are the type (like me) who wants to see all the films of a particular star, then this one is worth your time. Otherwise, it's just not all that good and it's just a time-passer...at best. And, I think its current score is a bit overrated.