The filmmakers do a great job of capturing the atmopshrere of a rural Florida farming town, and depicting the kind of unrelentening economic pressures that many Americans were still dealing with at the tail end of the Depression. But this is no "Grapes of Wrath." It's still a typically fast and fun Warner Brothers movie, with crackling dialogue and plenty of action.
Anne Sheridan, the Queen of Warners Brothers in that era, is great as always as a woman whose "juke blood" keeps her on the move, living on the fringes of society. But the real revelation is Ronald Reagan. I've never thought much of him as an actor, but here he gives a totally convincing performance as a regular guy who decides to take a stand to help the local downtrodden farmers. He doesn't make any lofty speeches stating his principles. It just seems to him like the right thing to do, based on the affinity he has with the farmers from his own childhood in Kansas. It's the kind of part that might've been played by Henry Fonda or Jimmy Stewart. But I think both of them would've played it with more intensity, and I really liked Ronnie's laid back natural approach, which works perfectly for the character.
This being a Warner Brothers movie of course we have Alan Hale, being Alan Hale, which I always enjoy. Other veteran character actors on hand include Gene Lockhart, Howard Da Silva, Willie Best, Donald MacBride, and Hollywood's favorite all-purpose ethnic type, George Tobias, here sometimes called simply "The Greek." (Actually, I found his character, about whom much of the plot revolves, to be not all that likeable, and he has a major hand in bringing about his own unfortunate fate.) I didn't recognize Faye Emerson, later a blonde typically playing elegant dames, as Anne Sheridan's brunette fellow juke girl. She's very good, as is Richard Whorf as Ronnie's buddy. I'd only seen him before as the lead in "Blues in the Night." (He cut his acting career short to become a director.) There's also an interesting young actress named Betty Brewer who brings an underlying touch of sadness to what is supposed to be a comic relief role as a verbally precocious resident of the ramshackle farmer community. After Juke Girl she was only in a few other movies.
If in watching this movie you think of "They Drive by Night," which came out the year before, or "Thieves Highway," which came out several years later, it's because they were all written by A.I. Bezzarides. (either screenplay or original novel). Although there is clearly a pro-labor, pro-working class slant to his writing, the emphasis is on the humanity of the characters, so you never feel like you're being given a political lesson. (Trivia fact. George Tobias' character is named Nick Garcos. That's the same name that Richard Conte has in "Thieve's Highway."
My only quibble with this movie is that I wish the resolution didn't involve the lynch mob scenario which takes up about the last 15 minutes. I didn't believe that the town of migrant crop pickers, previously shown as good people just trying to feed their families, could so easily be stirred into being an ugly, hate filled mob. Especially since the mob's ring leader is the disliked top henchman of the dictatorial agricultural boss who's been exploiting all of them.
But the mob scene and the not the very believable cave-in of the town boss aside, this is a very entertaining movie with some real substance that now goes near the top of my list of Warners Brothers favorites. Who know there was so much drama in just bringing vegetables to market?
Anne Sheridan, the Queen of Warners Brothers in that era, is great as always as a woman whose "juke blood" keeps her on the move, living on the fringes of society. But the real revelation is Ronald Reagan. I've never thought much of him as an actor, but here he gives a totally convincing performance as a regular guy who decides to take a stand to help the local downtrodden farmers. He doesn't make any lofty speeches stating his principles. It just seems to him like the right thing to do, based on the affinity he has with the farmers from his own childhood in Kansas. It's the kind of part that might've been played by Henry Fonda or Jimmy Stewart. But I think both of them would've played it with more intensity, and I really liked Ronnie's laid back natural approach, which works perfectly for the character.
This being a Warner Brothers movie of course we have Alan Hale, being Alan Hale, which I always enjoy. Other veteran character actors on hand include Gene Lockhart, Howard Da Silva, Willie Best, Donald MacBride, and Hollywood's favorite all-purpose ethnic type, George Tobias, here sometimes called simply "The Greek." (Actually, I found his character, about whom much of the plot revolves, to be not all that likeable, and he has a major hand in bringing about his own unfortunate fate.) I didn't recognize Faye Emerson, later a blonde typically playing elegant dames, as Anne Sheridan's brunette fellow juke girl. She's very good, as is Richard Whorf as Ronnie's buddy. I'd only seen him before as the lead in "Blues in the Night." (He cut his acting career short to become a director.) There's also an interesting young actress named Betty Brewer who brings an underlying touch of sadness to what is supposed to be a comic relief role as a verbally precocious resident of the ramshackle farmer community. After Juke Girl she was only in a few other movies.
If in watching this movie you think of "They Drive by Night," which came out the year before, or "Thieves Highway," which came out several years later, it's because they were all written by A.I. Bezzarides. (either screenplay or original novel). Although there is clearly a pro-labor, pro-working class slant to his writing, the emphasis is on the humanity of the characters, so you never feel like you're being given a political lesson. (Trivia fact. George Tobias' character is named Nick Garcos. That's the same name that Richard Conte has in "Thieve's Highway."
My only quibble with this movie is that I wish the resolution didn't involve the lynch mob scenario which takes up about the last 15 minutes. I didn't believe that the town of migrant crop pickers, previously shown as good people just trying to feed their families, could so easily be stirred into being an ugly, hate filled mob. Especially since the mob's ring leader is the disliked top henchman of the dictatorial agricultural boss who's been exploiting all of them.
But the mob scene and the not the very believable cave-in of the town boss aside, this is a very entertaining movie with some real substance that now goes near the top of my list of Warners Brothers favorites. Who know there was so much drama in just bringing vegetables to market?