Sure, Elia Kazan helped start the Actor's studio and made his mark on actors like Brando, Dean and Steiger but I didn't realize he had serious acting chops on the big screen which he does here stealing the movie in a handful of scenes with James Cagney.
Cagney is still the picture though he is probably five years too old to make this picture but nonetheless it is prototypical tour de force for Cagney.
This movie was co-written by a Romanian with a Hollywood writer, co-directed by a Romanian and Ukranian so it has an unusual touch for what is mostly standard Hollywood code fare.
Despite numerous shortcomings and slow parts which drag the picture down, there is a lot to like - Ann Sheridan is solid, Anthony Quinn makes a major impression early in his career though he had already been in about 20 movies. Donald Crisp is in top form - a great actor who doesn't get enough mentions.
A lot of positives which get weighed down by the pace of the film - I wonder how many people saw this film because you can see semblances of a lot of future films from Rocky to Raging Bull, Rudy and even Good Will Hunting.
It's a boxing picture but more than that. Cagney was a real boxer when he was young so the boxing scenes are very realistic.
This is one of Cagney's more complex performances. Just needed a bit more editing but it's worth sitting through even though it may not seem so at times.
Cagney is still the picture though he is probably five years too old to make this picture but nonetheless it is prototypical tour de force for Cagney.
This movie was co-written by a Romanian with a Hollywood writer, co-directed by a Romanian and Ukranian so it has an unusual touch for what is mostly standard Hollywood code fare.
Despite numerous shortcomings and slow parts which drag the picture down, there is a lot to like - Ann Sheridan is solid, Anthony Quinn makes a major impression early in his career though he had already been in about 20 movies. Donald Crisp is in top form - a great actor who doesn't get enough mentions.
A lot of positives which get weighed down by the pace of the film - I wonder how many people saw this film because you can see semblances of a lot of future films from Rocky to Raging Bull, Rudy and even Good Will Hunting.
It's a boxing picture but more than that. Cagney was a real boxer when he was young so the boxing scenes are very realistic.
This is one of Cagney's more complex performances. Just needed a bit more editing but it's worth sitting through even though it may not seem so at times.