James Cagney positively oozes malevolence in this gritty and dark thriller. He is "Cotter", a violent man who escapes from prison with the help the rather naive "Holiday" (Barbara Peyton). Pretty soon she is putty in his hands, swiftly followed by a couple of bent cops - and before we know it, he is running quite a successful little crime syndicate with a brand new identity. A chance encounter with the wealthy socialite "Margaret Dobson" (Helena Carter) tantalises the avaricious young man, despite warnings that her father was not a man to be trifled with. Soon, she too is captivated and when he leaves "Holiday" to take up with her, it starts to look much more perilous for all concerned. This story is told by way of a courtroom retrospective, but unusually that doesn't rob the film of much of it's jeopardy. We don't know quite what happened, and to whom, until quite an effective ending that I felt quite fitting. Cagney is on great form, and with Peyton and Carter offering us fine examples of women who are just so enamoured that they cannot see past this cruel and manipulative man. There is also a solid supporting cast - Ward Bond and Luther Adler amongst them, the dialogue is tightly scripted and delivered and the whole thing has a sleazy and grizzled outlook that I found appealing and appalling in equal measure. If you like a good film noir, then this ought to pass muster.
Review of Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
