Picture Snatcher (1933)

James Cagney: Danny Kean

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Danny is giving a tour of his newspaper's printing room] 

  Journalism Student : Yes, here it is - white wood pulp, plain white... Why, today it's raw, but tonight it's cooked with printer's ink, photographic art, the sweat of creative effort. Tomorrow it goes out and hundreds of thousands of men and women feed their starving, mediocre souls on the indiscretions and adventures of others. And then, a little while later, what is it?

  Danny Kean : Don't you know? They use it to wrap up herring.

• Allison : You know, you're too good-looking to be shot.

  Danny Kean : You think so?

  Allison : For no particular reason, I think I'll take charge of you.

  Danny Kean : You're the warden. Keep in step, bedroom eyes.

• Danny Kean : I only wanna show you and me and the rest of the world that I can be something besides a gorilla.

• Danny Kean : Don't bet any dough on that. Vinegar puss.

• Danny Kean : I'll see you later, mush mouth.

• Danny Kean : That gets it. That little touch of lavender. Am I gonna stink pretty.

• Reporter : Hey, what do you got?

  Danny Kean : A yen to smack you right on the kisser.

• Danny Kean : I'm a picture snatcher.

  Patricia Nolan : A what?

  Danny Kean : When a millionaire's wife hides out with a chauffeur, I'm the guy who slaps their profiles on the front page. I track down saps that have reason to keep their pictures out of the papers. Murderers, embezzlers, crooked politicians. And people who pull down blinds in the wrong houses.

• Patricia Nolan : I've got to finish school.

  Danny Kean : Oh, what can college teach you about love? That's a career in itself.

• Grover : I'd give my right eye and a thousand dollars for a flash of that woman in the chair.

  Danny Kean : I'll take that bet. And never mind the eye.

• Danny Kean : I got more important things to do than to watch some dame fry for knocking over a boyfriend.

• Danny Kean : What's on your mind, Leo? Look like the score's against you.

  John - Sing Sing Head Keeper : I got worries.

  Danny Kean : Who ain't. Think of the guys on the bread line.

• Allison : Well, you've really been lonely. Are you glad I came?

  Danny Kean : Yeah, sure. Does Mac know you're back?

  Allison : Will you stop harping on Mac all the time?

  Danny Kean : I thought you two were going together steady?

  Allison : I'm too much of a woman for any one man.

• Danny Kean : You'll understand what I mean when you bend those beautiful peepers of yours on tomorrow morning's papers.

• Colleen : [walks in the room, finds Danny imitating a woman, on the phone]  Would you like to borrow one of my dresses, dearie? Who was that on the phone?

  Danny Kean : Oh, just a bunch of violets, he had the wrong number. I egged him on for a laugh.

• Allison : What's the matter with you? Still carrying the torch for that high school girl? Why don't you get wise to yourself. She's not your type.

  Danny Kean : And I suppose you are, huh?

  Allison : You said it. You and I are very much alike even if you won't admit it. We've been kicked around so much, we got the polish worn off us. You need the kind of woman you can make love to and when you're tired, shake her. That's my kind of a woman. You don't want any of that jailbait.

• Danny Kean : Where did you crawl out from?

  Allison : In there, speakeasy, went in for a couple of drinks.

  Danny Kean : Well, go on back in and pass out, will you?

• Danny Kean : Mmm-mmm. That's a slinky outfit.

  Colleen : Think you could go for me, darling?

  Danny Kean : Mm-hm. Like a mouse for a trap, baby.

  [picks up Colleen, starts to walk her into the bedroom] 

  Colleen : You bad boy. What are you gonna do?

  Danny Kean : You'd be surprised.

  Colleen : I knew you couldn't hold out forever. You need a girl like me.

  Danny Kean : Sure. You got what it takes to get them, baby.