Over the past few years no other studio has treated their catalog of older films with more respect than Warner Brothers. To that end, they have turned a number of these decades old films into highly desirable box sets. Among those sets are ones based on the stars of the collected films, such as the Gary Cooper Signature Collection and the Errol Flynn Signature Collection. In addition to those, they also released themed sets such as Film Noir.
This film is a part of the Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3. It follows the Tough Guys Collection, which has since been renamed to Gangsters Collection, Vol. 2. (Why the need for the name change? Your guess is as good as mine.)
Would you believe that this is only the third James Cagney film that I have seen? I know, this is a big sin for someone who loves movies like I do. Believe me, it is one of a long list of sins that I should be held accountable for. All three of these films have been seen just recently and do not include any of his more well known films such as The Public Enemy, Angels with Dirty Faces, or Yankee Doodle Dandy. For that matter, all three of them have come from the Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3 set, a box well worth getting your hands on.
Cagney plays Danny Kean, a gangster just off a three-year stint in Sing Sing. As he gets out, Danny decides he wants to make a go at going straight. To that end, he chooses to pursue a long-time dream of being a newspaperman. It is a job that comes with a built in opportunity, having made a contact while on the inside. So, off Danny goes to the NY Graphic News, a tabloid rag where he is to meet with City Editor Al McLean (Ralph Bellamy). After some discussion, Danny finds himself hired on as a photographer, a position that will allow him to use his criminal connections and skills to get the best shot and scoop all the other local papers.
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