Lady Killer
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Written by Ben Markson and Lillie Hayward from a story by Rosalind Keating Shaffer
1933/US
Warner Bros.
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental
Movie Patron: [Looking at a Movie Poster] Tommy, Edward G. Robinson in a Dark Ha-zard.
Slug – Movie Patron: Well, you gotta get a load of that guy!
Movie Patron: Yeah, he’s not bad.
Cagney gives his all to this entertaining movie.
Jimmy Cagney plays tough guy Dan Quigley who gets involved with some con artists courtesy of tempting moll Myra Gale (Mae Clarke). Dan is so adept at criminal activities that eventually the gang owns a nightclub. Things get too hot to handle when the gang moves on to jewel heists that lead to murder. Myra flees to Mexico with the gang rather than bailing Dan out.
After some hard times, Dan makes a name for himself in movies. He meets and falls in love with leading lady Lois Underwood (Margaret Lindsay). But the gang returns like bad pennies and attempt to blackmail our hero.
A rare mustachioed role for James Cagne
Cagney displays his usual energy and charm and this is an entertaining picture. It is kind of puzzling in tone. The dialogue is light and snappy and yet there is some serious violence toward the end.
A r
