G MEN (1935)

Made 12 years before the excellent T-MEN (about undercover Treasury agents), G MEN is nothing but a propaganda piece for the FBI, made to counter all of the movies glorifying gangsters, but at least it's an entertaining propaganda piece.

Former "gutter rat" James Cagney is having a hard time as a lawyer.  The only clients who want his services are hoodlums, but he isn't interested.  Finally after one of his college buddies is shot in the back by the local mob, Cagney joins the Department of Justice.  His trainer is tough as nails, but he has a good heart and after some rough spots they finally become friends and even partners out in the field hunting down some bloodthirsty bank robbers...the very same thugs who shot his friend in the back.  Imagine that!

Nothing deep going on here, just a straightforward story about a young man with a strong sense of justice and the tenacity to get things done! Yeah, see!

 

 Lloyd Nolan's film debut.

 Ward Bond in a lineless role as "Gunman at Train Station".

 David Brian in the 1949 tacked on intro scene.

EACH DAWN I DIE (1939)

 

Newspaper reporter James Cagney is unjustly thrown into prison on a bum triple manslaughter wrap because he had some dirt on a politician.  On the bus ride there he's handcuffed to tough guy gangster George Raft.  They get into fight, but in standard movie fashion they quickly become friends.  But even with a friend, life in the big house ain't easy.  You constantly gotta be on watch out for snitches, crooked guards, solitary and fights.  And don't forget Cagney is still trying to prove his innocence.

EACH DAWN I DIE is a great 30's prison movie.  Entertaining with a quick story and memorable performances by the two leads, especially Cagney.  It's not as hard-hitting as say I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG, but it's light years better than SAN QUENTIN!  Although I do wish it had gotten deeper into the prison life.  Most of the scenes are filmed in their workshop and we never get a real feel of the crushing heaviness of prison life.  That said, it's still definitely worth checking out and be sure to watch out for all the familiar faces like Victor Jory and Paul Hurst.

 

That looks safe.

YES SIR, THAT'S MY BABY (1949)

If there's anybody out there looking for a good example of "movie logic", then look no further than YES SIR THAT'S MY BABY.

College football star Donald O'Connor is forbidden by his wife (Gloria DeHaven) to play football.  And what's the reasoning behind her forbidding?  Well, one of her female professors had a failed romance with the football coach back years ago and she's still bitter about it.  Even worse is other young mothers have taken up the cause and forbidden their football studs from playing.  Now the entire football program is at stake!!!  Oh, no!  Will this be the end of football at Granger College?  Will there be some singing?  Maybe a few small dance numbers and one mildly impressive tap dance number at a laundromat?  Will Jack Overman make a cameo?  Will there be a lot of baby crying?  Will there be a big game at the end?  Will the romance between the professor and the coach be rekindled?  Will the baby for whatever reason be the celebrated hero of the game in spite of the fact that all he did was sit on the sidelines and scream his fucking brains out?  Will there be male cheerleaders?  Will somebody put on a hat full of water?  You'll just have to watch for yourself to find out!  Or not, it really wasn't that entertaining.

There were a few sparks of life in the musical numbers and the scenes between Donald and Gloria, but the rest of the film was pretty silly and the big game at the end was just ridiculous and made no sense at all...Donald actually changed a diaper between plays!  Alright for a one-time watch (if you're into films from the 1940's), but my biggest entertainment came from the background shots, the clothing/hairstyles and the dated views on male-female relationships.