By 1939, Warner Brothers was having some trouble with it's top tier gangster talent; both Cagney and Robinson were demanding more money and better working conditions. Jack Warner drew George Raft away from MGM to round out his stable, believing it was wise to keep as many tough guys on contract as possible. Cagney liked Raft, seeing a genuine toughness in him, and one of the anecdotal stories related in the book 'Cagney' by author Doug Warren has Raft decking Edward G. Robinson once when the latter got pushy on a set.
So it's no surprise that Raft portrays a character of similar attitude here. As career outlaw Hood Stacey, Raft just about steals the picture from it's nominal headliner, though both share equal billing at the top of the credits. In this one, Cagney doesn't start out as a mug, he's framed for vehicular manslaughter by a career politician (Thurston Hall) after sneaking a peek at his gang destroying records that would implicate him in some chicanery or other. The business with Frank Ross (Cagney) being found guilty of drunk driving bothered me in as much as a good lawyer would have nailed the prosecution for lack of evidence on that charge. But then you had the three victims to over compensate, which was needed to make this story move forward.
You know what seemed really awkward? After convict Limpy (Joe Downing) got stabbed, the film seemed to jump through hoops establishing Stacey's guilt so he could go to court while planning his breakout. The whole time I'm thinking, well who else could have done it? Stacey was sitting right BEHIND Limpy during the movie!?!? Why wasn't he considered the prime suspect right off the bat?
Speaking of that movie scene, the prison inmates were watching a film that came out the same year, "Wings of the Navy". I found it quite interesting to observe the patriotism of the men in jail as they cheered images of America's war effort, bursting into loud applause as an image of the White House came into view. Very different from today to be sure. An interesting trivia note on that picture - Victor Jory appeared in both 'Wings' and the movie under review here.
For Cagney fans, "Each Dawn I Die" will satisfy well enough, though I don't put it in the upper tier of his films that I enjoy most - "The Public Enemy" (1931), "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1938), and "White Heat' (1949). Keep an eye on that scene when Cagney cracks in front of Victor Jory's parole board. It looks like it might have been a decade early warm-up for that maniacal scene of his in the prison mess hall of "White Heat", an all time Cagney classic that he ad-libbed with great enthusiasm.
So it's no surprise that Raft portrays a character of similar attitude here. As career outlaw Hood Stacey, Raft just about steals the picture from it's nominal headliner, though both share equal billing at the top of the credits. In this one, Cagney doesn't start out as a mug, he's framed for vehicular manslaughter by a career politician (Thurston Hall) after sneaking a peek at his gang destroying records that would implicate him in some chicanery or other. The business with Frank Ross (Cagney) being found guilty of drunk driving bothered me in as much as a good lawyer would have nailed the prosecution for lack of evidence on that charge. But then you had the three victims to over compensate, which was needed to make this story move forward.
You know what seemed really awkward? After convict Limpy (Joe Downing) got stabbed, the film seemed to jump through hoops establishing Stacey's guilt so he could go to court while planning his breakout. The whole time I'm thinking, well who else could have done it? Stacey was sitting right BEHIND Limpy during the movie!?!? Why wasn't he considered the prime suspect right off the bat?
Speaking of that movie scene, the prison inmates were watching a film that came out the same year, "Wings of the Navy". I found it quite interesting to observe the patriotism of the men in jail as they cheered images of America's war effort, bursting into loud applause as an image of the White House came into view. Very different from today to be sure. An interesting trivia note on that picture - Victor Jory appeared in both 'Wings' and the movie under review here.
For Cagney fans, "Each Dawn I Die" will satisfy well enough, though I don't put it in the upper tier of his films that I enjoy most - "The Public Enemy" (1931), "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1938), and "White Heat' (1949). Keep an eye on that scene when Cagney cracks in front of Victor Jory's parole board. It looks like it might have been a decade early warm-up for that maniacal scene of his in the prison mess hall of "White Heat", an all time Cagney classic that he ad-libbed with great enthusiasm.