As B movies go, SHORT CUT TO HELL makes it pretty far. This is a tawdrier remake of Graham Greene's source novel for THIS GUN FOR HIRE with lower-rent sets, and lead actors less charismatic, but still very effective. In fact, it's the acting that most impresses about this odd little film. Robert Ivers embodies the diminutive, tightly wound hit-man pretty convincingly; his body language and hard-edged line deliveries are spot-on. Opposite him is Georgann Johnson, who has a disarming, natural acting style. The oil and water combination of these two sustains an interesting tension for the whole movie. Their first meeting aboard a train is a case in point: a very effectively played scene. Talented Johnson never made much of a mark until television later in the 50s and 60s. In the role of Bahrwell, Jacques Aubuchon is very well cast, as are Murvyn Vye and assorted other smaller roles, including Yvette Vickers and Douglas Spencer. Scarce prints of SHORT CUT TO HELL don't always include director James Cagney's spoken introduction and sometimes a jump cut suggests editorial trimming. A restored version of this film would do justice to Cagney's gift for directing actors and a couple of fine action sequences.
16 Reviews
In sole directorial effort, Cagney remakes This Gun for Hire
bmacv16 October 2004
Towards the end of Short Cut to Hell, with the two principal characters holed up in an abandoned underground storage bunker and the police cars massed outside, there's a long quotation from the doom-freighted score Miklos Rosza wrote for Double Indemnity. It's one of several arresting details the movie provides (another is a newspaper from the previous decade, with the headline 'Allies Cross Siegfried Line'), details that pique interest but go nowhere in attempting to satisfy curiosity.
Short Cut to Hell is an all but forgotten movie but a noteworthy one nonetheless, if only as the only title James Cagney ever directed. Night of the Hunter it's not (the sole directorial effort of Charles Laughton), but another point of engagement is in its being a remake of the 1942 Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake vehicle This Gun for Hire, drawn from the Graham Greene 'entertainment' of that name.
The Ladd/Lake allure didn't last into a new millennium (who knew?), but in 1957 both of them were still reasonably active, their less than glamorous (all right, alcoholic) endgames still a few years, or decades, off. Cagney chose to update them using actors without much in the way of either past or future.
In the Ladd role of the icy, isolated killer-for-hire, Robert Ivers is little more than a trenchcoat and a topper, skin and bones, who brings to mind an unlikely amalgam of Elisha Cook Jr. and James Dean. Finding himself set up through marked bills, after carrying out the two brutal murders contracted by pompous 'fatso' (Jacques Aubuchon, whose indulgences are pretty young things and peppermint patties), he eludes police, taking as hostage Georgann Johnson, a lounge singer engaged to police detective William Bishop.
Johnson proves a game gal, but in the wrong way. She has a way with a wisecrack, but it's not in the flirtatious Veronica Lake way (nor that of Lauren Bacall or Gloria Grahame); the spin she gives is more in the Eve Arden-ish, vinegar-virgin mode, less seductive than matey, even matronly. So the chemistry between captor and captive (our old friend The Stockholm Syndrome) rarely reaches reactive force. (Nor, for that matter, do the reactions between Johnson and Bishop.)
Notwithstanding its unknown cast, Short Cut to Hell doesn't have the look or feel of a B-movie, and Cagney keeps a good pace and an acceptable amount of tension (a few quite brutal scenes help to quicken the pulse as well). It's not quite clear why Cagney chose this material to direct, and he makes (or had to accept) some less than ideal choices, but he'd worked in movies long enough to insure that the movie he directed was brisk and absorbing, a better little movie than its obscurity might suggest.
Short Cut to Hell is an all but forgotten movie but a noteworthy one nonetheless, if only as the only title James Cagney ever directed. Night of the Hunter it's not (the sole directorial effort of Charles Laughton), but another point of engagement is in its being a remake of the 1942 Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake vehicle This Gun for Hire, drawn from the Graham Greene 'entertainment' of that name.
The Ladd/Lake allure didn't last into a new millennium (who knew?), but in 1957 both of them were still reasonably active, their less than glamorous (all right, alcoholic) endgames still a few years, or decades, off. Cagney chose to update them using actors without much in the way of either past or future.
In the Ladd role of the icy, isolated killer-for-hire, Robert Ivers is little more than a trenchcoat and a topper, skin and bones, who brings to mind an unlikely amalgam of Elisha Cook Jr. and James Dean. Finding himself set up through marked bills, after carrying out the two brutal murders contracted by pompous 'fatso' (Jacques Aubuchon, whose indulgences are pretty young things and peppermint patties), he eludes police, taking as hostage Georgann Johnson, a lounge singer engaged to police detective William Bishop.
Johnson proves a game gal, but in the wrong way. She has a way with a wisecrack, but it's not in the flirtatious Veronica Lake way (nor that of Lauren Bacall or Gloria Grahame); the spin she gives is more in the Eve Arden-ish, vinegar-virgin mode, less seductive than matey, even matronly. So the chemistry between captor and captive (our old friend The Stockholm Syndrome) rarely reaches reactive force. (Nor, for that matter, do the reactions between Johnson and Bishop.)
Notwithstanding its unknown cast, Short Cut to Hell doesn't have the look or feel of a B-movie, and Cagney keeps a good pace and an acceptable amount of tension (a few quite brutal scenes help to quicken the pulse as well). It's not quite clear why Cagney chose this material to direct, and he makes (or had to accept) some less than ideal choices, but he'd worked in movies long enough to insure that the movie he directed was brisk and absorbing, a better little movie than its obscurity might suggest.
Stick with the original.
planktonrules31 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very unusual film for two reasons. First, it's directed by James Cagney--the actor. It's his only film as a director. Second, when the film begins, it opens with Cagney himself addressing the audience about the film. And, to prove that he IS the director, he stands next to a chair with "James Cagney. Director" written on it! The movie is a remake of "This Gun for Hire". To me, this is an odd choice, as the Alan Ladd film was very good and very famous. Cagney already had an uphill job as director putting across his own version of a film that is already a familiar classic.
Like "This Gun for Hire", this film is about an assassin that does some killings for a horrible man. When he is paid off, the stupid guy sets up the assassin to get arrested--a very, very bad idea. That's because the killer escapes. Now, he knows he's been set up and is out to exact revenge. And, along the way, he kidnaps a woman and forces her to go along for the ride.
The film isn't bad, but you can't help but think that the originals, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake were simply better. Instead, Cagney uses complete unknowns--and his introductory remarks come off like he's almost apologizing for using them and insists they are exceptional actors. Well, considering that unlike Ladd and Lake, they did NOT go one to great careers in films, we must assume Cagney was mistaken. Overall, a decent film (since the plot is very good) but a relatively uninspired film and one you could easily skip. Of interest mostly because of its Cagney angle.
This film, I give a 5. The original is strong and earns an 8.
Like "This Gun for Hire", this film is about an assassin that does some killings for a horrible man. When he is paid off, the stupid guy sets up the assassin to get arrested--a very, very bad idea. That's because the killer escapes. Now, he knows he's been set up and is out to exact revenge. And, along the way, he kidnaps a woman and forces her to go along for the ride.
The film isn't bad, but you can't help but think that the originals, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake were simply better. Instead, Cagney uses complete unknowns--and his introductory remarks come off like he's almost apologizing for using them and insists they are exceptional actors. Well, considering that unlike Ladd and Lake, they did NOT go one to great careers in films, we must assume Cagney was mistaken. Overall, a decent film (since the plot is very good) but a relatively uninspired film and one you could easily skip. Of interest mostly because of its Cagney angle.
This film, I give a 5. The original is strong and earns an 8.
Half invention,half convention.
dbdumonteil19 November 2002
Robert Ivers ,mainly in the first part ,gives an impressive performance:impassive ,deadpan,cold as ice ,he will make you shiver with his robotic swagger.When he kills the secretary after her boss,the directing(and performance) seems years ahead of its time.Ditto for the scene in the restaurant where his "client" is savoring mint chocolates or later in the train where he meets the chanteuse.
The problem lies in this singer's character:the courageous young girl,who feels for the unfortunate killer who's got a raw deal,whose drunkard of a father treated him so bad he could be nothing but an outlaw etc etc etc.After an offbeat and intriguing first part,the movie turns predictable and the "moving" ending is business as usual.
The problem lies in this singer's character:the courageous young girl,who feels for the unfortunate killer who's got a raw deal,whose drunkard of a father treated him so bad he could be nothing but an outlaw etc etc etc.After an offbeat and intriguing first part,the movie turns predictable and the "moving" ending is business as usual.
decent B movie
filmalamosa21 November 2012
Story about an antisocial hired killer who goes after an employer who double crosses him. While tracking down the men who hired him he gets involved with the female lead a night club singer on her way to Los Angeles. In the end revenge is extracted.
It is fast paced and keeps your interest especially the first hour. When the action moves to LA it starts to bog down a bit and get a little squirrelly. There is a long scene in an air raid shelter of some huge giant factory that is completely implausible...dozens of police scour the plant for hours but overlook an obvious staircase to the airraid shelter??
Still it is worth a watch I give it a 6.
The other reviews are by people much more knowledgeable about the actors and period than I...am reviewing it as a naive uninformed viewer.
RECOMMEND
It is fast paced and keeps your interest especially the first hour. When the action moves to LA it starts to bog down a bit and get a little squirrelly. There is a long scene in an air raid shelter of some huge giant factory that is completely implausible...dozens of police scour the plant for hours but overlook an obvious staircase to the airraid shelter??
Still it is worth a watch I give it a 6.
The other reviews are by people much more knowledgeable about the actors and period than I...am reviewing it as a naive uninformed viewer.
RECOMMEND
Should Have Taken The Old Road
boblipton8 December 2022
Peppermint-loving Jacques Aubuchon hires Robert Ivers to kill a couple of people, then pays him off with hot money. So Ivers boards the train to track down the guy who stiffed him. Seated next to Georgann Johnson, a singer who's heading to LA to work ina night club, he lifts a five-dollar bill from her. She catches it and demands her money back, then notices how hungry he is and splits a sandwich with him. Aubuchon is on the train, sees Iver, and calls the cops. Ivers forces Miss Johnson off the train with him, but they part company.... although their paths will soon cross again.
How did Jimmy Cagney come to make his sole movie as director with this remake of 1942's THIS GUN FOR HIRE? Good friend A. C. Lyles was producing it as his first picture and asked him to. It's not particularly distinguished, but then, neither was the first screen version. It's much more open in its sexuality, with a long moving shot focused on Yvette Vickers' rear as she sashays around Ivers' flop. Everyone is good, but no one is great, and lightning didn't strike the way it did with the first movie.
How did Jimmy Cagney come to make his sole movie as director with this remake of 1942's THIS GUN FOR HIRE? Good friend A. C. Lyles was producing it as his first picture and asked him to. It's not particularly distinguished, but then, neither was the first screen version. It's much more open in its sexuality, with a long moving shot focused on Yvette Vickers' rear as she sashays around Ivers' flop. Everyone is good, but no one is great, and lightning didn't strike the way it did with the first movie.
Such a weaker, imitative version of "This Gun for Hire" there is no real point in it
secondtake4 March 2011
Short Cut to Hell (1957)
A strained effort all around, including James Cagney giving a personal introduction standing next to an imposing movie camera, assuring us his two new leading actors were terrific, before we get a chance to see for ourselves. We can wonder about his motivations, but on the surface two things seem clear. One, he's trying to move from being an actor to being a director (he sort of says he's getting too old to act, interestingly). And two, he's going about it in a cheap and sort of safe way, as if Hollywood knew it wasn't going to go very far.
The result is pretty awful in enough ways to say you might just skip it. I'm a junkie for noir films, and "This Gun for Hire" is a true, early, formative classic from 1942. That one, with Alan Ladd in the lead, and Veronica Lake and Laird Cregar as support, is terrific in all the little ways that add up to something uniquely memorable, even in the hands of little known director Frank Tuttle. Now, fifteen years later, Cagney in his first and last directorial effort, remakes Tuttle's version. He sometimes matches it scene for scene (a few curious substitutions, like an air raid shelter instead of an empty railroad car) and actor for actor (the man taking Cregar's role seems to be vainly imitating him). And he leaves out a few of the key quirks that made the original more, well, original and disturbing (like Ladd's relationship to cats).
One stark difference is the different kind of female character Cagney casts, avoiding the sultry version of Veronica Lake for a very Doris Day kind of lead. And it's probably telling that these terrific new actors Cagney is using had very little in the way of careers after this. Cagney did act in a few more films, living until 1986.
If you have little patience, I think you might not make it through the first painful scene of a woman overacting her weariness in the motel hallway, but that's not fair. It does have faster and more interesting moments. In general, the filming and lighting has brightened up, losing at least the noir visual quality, maybe keeping its tonal range in line for television rebroadcast (an important concern by the late 1950s).
If you want to know the possibilities of the story at its best, start with Graham Greene's 1936 book (A Gun for Sale) and then to the seminal 1942 movie. Short Cut to Hell is an asterisk at beset, a curiosity.
A strained effort all around, including James Cagney giving a personal introduction standing next to an imposing movie camera, assuring us his two new leading actors were terrific, before we get a chance to see for ourselves. We can wonder about his motivations, but on the surface two things seem clear. One, he's trying to move from being an actor to being a director (he sort of says he's getting too old to act, interestingly). And two, he's going about it in a cheap and sort of safe way, as if Hollywood knew it wasn't going to go very far.
The result is pretty awful in enough ways to say you might just skip it. I'm a junkie for noir films, and "This Gun for Hire" is a true, early, formative classic from 1942. That one, with Alan Ladd in the lead, and Veronica Lake and Laird Cregar as support, is terrific in all the little ways that add up to something uniquely memorable, even in the hands of little known director Frank Tuttle. Now, fifteen years later, Cagney in his first and last directorial effort, remakes Tuttle's version. He sometimes matches it scene for scene (a few curious substitutions, like an air raid shelter instead of an empty railroad car) and actor for actor (the man taking Cregar's role seems to be vainly imitating him). And he leaves out a few of the key quirks that made the original more, well, original and disturbing (like Ladd's relationship to cats).
One stark difference is the different kind of female character Cagney casts, avoiding the sultry version of Veronica Lake for a very Doris Day kind of lead. And it's probably telling that these terrific new actors Cagney is using had very little in the way of careers after this. Cagney did act in a few more films, living until 1986.
If you have little patience, I think you might not make it through the first painful scene of a woman overacting her weariness in the motel hallway, but that's not fair. It does have faster and more interesting moments. In general, the filming and lighting has brightened up, losing at least the noir visual quality, maybe keeping its tonal range in line for television rebroadcast (an important concern by the late 1950s).
If you want to know the possibilities of the story at its best, start with Graham Greene's 1936 book (A Gun for Sale) and then to the seminal 1942 movie. Short Cut to Hell is an asterisk at beset, a curiosity.
I'm not a person I'm a gun
kapelusznik1815 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS***Fairly decent re-make of the 1942 crime classic "This Gun for Hire" directed by, in his first and only attempt, James Cagney. It's the cat loving hit-man Kyle Niles, Robert Iver, who after murdering buildings inspector Carl Adams, Peter Baldwin, and his secretary in cold blood gets double-crossed by the person who hired him "Fat Man" Bharwell, Jacques Aubuchon, to get him out of the way. Giving Niles his cut in the double murders $1,000.00 he dropped a dime on him by informing the police that the money was stolen,and giving them a list of the bills serial numbers, which Bharwell in fact embezzled from his own construction business! Niles who soon found out about the "Fat Man's" back stabbing not taking this lying down is now determined to make him pay with his life for this dirty double-cross on his part!
The film takes the same track as the original "This Gun for Hire" with Niles hooking up with this innocent bystander, while on the run from the police, Glory Hamilton,Georgann Johnson, who ends up not only falling in love but also humanizing the cold blooded killer. Who's only human emotion was when he accidentally killed a stray cat, who jumped on him in the dark, and then broke down and cried like a baby! With the police on his as well as Glory's, who helped him on every turn, tail Niles finally tracked down not only "Fat Man" Bahrwell but his boss crooked and criminal businessman AT, Richard Hale, at the AT Mansion.
***SPOILERS*** It was a stroke of luck for Niles as well as later for the police and D.A's office in that AT had his tape recorder on when confronted by him that implicated him and "Fat Boy" in Adam and his secretary's murders. With nothing left for him now Niles makes a run for it after dispatching AT "Fat Man" and the house butler as well as torture freak Nichols, Murvyn Vye, on his run to freedom. Niles in a futile attempt of desperately trying to escape only gets gunned down by the police and ends up dying in Glory's arms who had tried to talk him into surrendering. A fitting ending for a man who after a life of crime & violence finally saw the light and in a strange way ended up redeeming himself!
The film takes the same track as the original "This Gun for Hire" with Niles hooking up with this innocent bystander, while on the run from the police, Glory Hamilton,Georgann Johnson, who ends up not only falling in love but also humanizing the cold blooded killer. Who's only human emotion was when he accidentally killed a stray cat, who jumped on him in the dark, and then broke down and cried like a baby! With the police on his as well as Glory's, who helped him on every turn, tail Niles finally tracked down not only "Fat Man" Bahrwell but his boss crooked and criminal businessman AT, Richard Hale, at the AT Mansion.
***SPOILERS*** It was a stroke of luck for Niles as well as later for the police and D.A's office in that AT had his tape recorder on when confronted by him that implicated him and "Fat Boy" in Adam and his secretary's murders. With nothing left for him now Niles makes a run for it after dispatching AT "Fat Man" and the house butler as well as torture freak Nichols, Murvyn Vye, on his run to freedom. Niles in a futile attempt of desperately trying to escape only gets gunned down by the police and ends up dying in Glory's arms who had tried to talk him into surrendering. A fitting ending for a man who after a life of crime & violence finally saw the light and in a strange way ended up redeeming himself!
Paid off in hot money again
bkoganbing25 July 2015
Robert Ivers and Georgeann Johnson never quite had the careers that were predicted for them in the introduction to this film by their director. But both give a reasonably competent road show adaption of the Paramount classic This Gun For Hire. Short Cut To Hell also stars William Bishop in the role of the San Francisco cop played originally by Robert Preston who is on the trail to Los Angeles looking for a killer.
The whole wartime angle in This Gun For Hire is dropped for this 1957 film. Instead it's a contract killing of civil servant Peter Baldwin who is about to expose some shady dealings in building contracting. But as in the original he's paid off in hot money from a faked robbery with serial numbers duly recorded and reported to the police.
For the most part the film follows the plot of This Gun For Hire even using a lot of the same lines. Jacques Aubuchon plays the Laird Cregar part of the fixer and he has the same aversion against seeing any of the violence he pays for.
A.C. Lyles who later became famous for producing all those B westerns with past their prime players produced this film and got none other than James Cagney to direct it in his only credit in that department. Cagney never went behind the camera again.
But I doubt even with the original cast of This Gun For Hire that he could have improved on what Frank Tuttle did in 1942.
The whole wartime angle in This Gun For Hire is dropped for this 1957 film. Instead it's a contract killing of civil servant Peter Baldwin who is about to expose some shady dealings in building contracting. But as in the original he's paid off in hot money from a faked robbery with serial numbers duly recorded and reported to the police.
For the most part the film follows the plot of This Gun For Hire even using a lot of the same lines. Jacques Aubuchon plays the Laird Cregar part of the fixer and he has the same aversion against seeing any of the violence he pays for.
A.C. Lyles who later became famous for producing all those B westerns with past their prime players produced this film and got none other than James Cagney to direct it in his only credit in that department. Cagney never went behind the camera again.
But I doubt even with the original cast of This Gun For Hire that he could have improved on what Frank Tuttle did in 1942.
Lazy film-making
onepotato226 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Jimmy Cagney directs a movie! ...and proves that he should stay in front of the camera. Here he remakes the respected though troubled hybrid (half noir, half thirties) This Gun for Hire. Why would he do that? Beats me. The cast is second-rate, and it looks like Cagney didn't have the patience for any complicated set-up. The anti-hero and his quarry mount a ladder in one shot and in the next shot, they've exchanged positions. How do you do that on a ladder? Lazy. Cagney settles for very lousy takes, and he hasn't any interest in logic. The bad guy lets his girl don his hat and jacket, and act as a decoy; to be shot at by police. Yeah, that's a great ruse.
The female lead is some doughy-faced nobody who would captivate no one. You've seen better acting at your local high school. There might be one good shot in the whole movie. A gratuitous intro by Cagney is tacked on to persuade you you're seeing something of merit. But it's a B picture from start to finish.
The female lead is some doughy-faced nobody who would captivate no one. You've seen better acting at your local high school. There might be one good shot in the whole movie. A gratuitous intro by Cagney is tacked on to persuade you you're seeing something of merit. But it's a B picture from start to finish.
Outstanding, exciting, well-rounded film noir
I_Ailurophile7 May 2022
Like many a film noir, this one keeps a brisk pace - and more than that, it launches into the active narrative with a sharp, quick punch. Hit men aren't exactly saints, but between Ted Berkman and Raphael Blau's adapted screenplay that paints protagonist Kyle as relatively quiet and unassuming, and the like lead performance of fresh-faced Robert Ivers, it's easy to sympathize with this one as he's forced into a hard position. The storytelling and film-making are direct and straightforward in advancing the narrative, though there's plenty of cleverness throughout in every little turn that makes Kyle rethink his path forward. Roping starry-eyed, good-natured Glory into his endeavor is more than just another turn for Kyle, but thankfully the picture declines the immediate cliches that follow from the introduction of a supporting female character. On the contrary, her presence allows the story to broaden a bit, and the nuance in Georgann Johnson's acting is a fine complement to the steady force of personality Ivers illustrates.
In all the technical aspects, including James Cagney's direction, and rounding details such as costume design, 'Short cut to hell' is well executed, if perhaps unremarkable. This is the type of feature that relies much more on the strength of its cast, and even more than that, of the tale it has to impart. One could argue that there are a couple instances in which the screenplay makes a little shortcut of its own by way of movie magic to keep the plot moving, but this is forgivable in light of how solid it is in general. The narrative feels relatively light and brusque in the broad strokes, but there's sufficient content between beginning and end to make it satisfactorily complete, and more exciting and engaging. And with that, the scene writing is wonderfully vivid, snappy and wasting no time. From one moment to the next there's enough variety in how the story is put together that it never lags or dulls, and one's attention is held fast.
One can generally depend on film noir as a genre to be enjoyable, though by no means are all titles equal, and there are some tropes and conventions that often define them. 'Short cut to hell,' despite the dark and grabbing title, is more meaningfully absorbing than many of its brethren. There is some real heart here, and impactful emotional beats. The interactions between Kyle and Glory progress in a manner that feels slow and natural, not contrived or forced, and as a result there's a humanizing element to the narrative that far exceeded my expectations. Moreover, women in supporting parts are often relegated to all but a wilting flower of an archetype, but Glory is written with complexity that allows Johnson to hold her own alongside star Ivers. At the same time, there's suspense that to some degree would seem to elevate this picture to not just a film noir, but an outright crime thriller. Obviously much credit belongs to novelist Graham Greene for penning the source material, but again I can only commend screenwriters Berkman and Blau for their fantastic work.
A content warning should be mentioned for an instance of animal cruelty, but it is a moment that actually bears weight in the story. And though I somewhat repeat myself, that's the real key here: nothing goes to waste - there is no excess - and great care and thought went into every facet of the production to bring the story to life. The effort paid off handsomely, in my opinion, because 'Short cut to hell' is readily striking as a feature that's genuinely more well-rounded than a lot of its contemporaries, even as it's cut from the same cloth. This is a really good time, and it leaves an impression. Though not necessarily as well known among countless pictures of the same genre, for my part I give 'Short cut to hell' a hearty recommendation - these 90 minutes are well worth the time it takes to watch, and is a viewing experience I look forward to enjoying again some day.
In all the technical aspects, including James Cagney's direction, and rounding details such as costume design, 'Short cut to hell' is well executed, if perhaps unremarkable. This is the type of feature that relies much more on the strength of its cast, and even more than that, of the tale it has to impart. One could argue that there are a couple instances in which the screenplay makes a little shortcut of its own by way of movie magic to keep the plot moving, but this is forgivable in light of how solid it is in general. The narrative feels relatively light and brusque in the broad strokes, but there's sufficient content between beginning and end to make it satisfactorily complete, and more exciting and engaging. And with that, the scene writing is wonderfully vivid, snappy and wasting no time. From one moment to the next there's enough variety in how the story is put together that it never lags or dulls, and one's attention is held fast.
One can generally depend on film noir as a genre to be enjoyable, though by no means are all titles equal, and there are some tropes and conventions that often define them. 'Short cut to hell,' despite the dark and grabbing title, is more meaningfully absorbing than many of its brethren. There is some real heart here, and impactful emotional beats. The interactions between Kyle and Glory progress in a manner that feels slow and natural, not contrived or forced, and as a result there's a humanizing element to the narrative that far exceeded my expectations. Moreover, women in supporting parts are often relegated to all but a wilting flower of an archetype, but Glory is written with complexity that allows Johnson to hold her own alongside star Ivers. At the same time, there's suspense that to some degree would seem to elevate this picture to not just a film noir, but an outright crime thriller. Obviously much credit belongs to novelist Graham Greene for penning the source material, but again I can only commend screenwriters Berkman and Blau for their fantastic work.
A content warning should be mentioned for an instance of animal cruelty, but it is a moment that actually bears weight in the story. And though I somewhat repeat myself, that's the real key here: nothing goes to waste - there is no excess - and great care and thought went into every facet of the production to bring the story to life. The effort paid off handsomely, in my opinion, because 'Short cut to hell' is readily striking as a feature that's genuinely more well-rounded than a lot of its contemporaries, even as it's cut from the same cloth. This is a really good time, and it leaves an impression. Though not necessarily as well known among countless pictures of the same genre, for my part I give 'Short cut to hell' a hearty recommendation - these 90 minutes are well worth the time it takes to watch, and is a viewing experience I look forward to enjoying again some day.
Meh.
bajorhosting19 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Not TOO many spoilers but better safe than sorry!
I love James Cagney the actor and was looking forward to seeing something from James Cagney the director. Unfortunately, Mr. Cagney was no Charles Laughton. Since most people interested in this film are probably Cagney fans, I will cover the direction first.
Cagney had one strike against him going into this: he was remaking a popular classic, This Gun for Hire. That film launched Alan Ladd as a star, solidified Veronica Lake's popularity and created a powerful (albeit diminutive) screen team.
(Plot for both films: A hit-man does a job but is double-crossed by his employers by being paid off in hot, marked bills. On the run from the police for a robbery he didn't commit, the hit-man plans revenge. His only lead; a fat man who loves pretty women and peppermints. Meanwhile, a nightclub singer gets caught in the middle, first as one of the hit-man's intended murder victims, then as his hostage and finally as his friend/girlfriend/mother/sister figure.)
Remaking a popular and successful film meant that Cagney had to work twice as hard to meet or surpass the original material. There is not a single scene that works more effectively in this remake than in the original.
However, the movie has flaws that are evident even if you have never seen This Gun for Hire. One of the main problems of this film is the pacing. Suspenseful scenes are rushed along while dull ones are allowed to linger.
A few scenes do have interesting camera work but the novice director seems enamored of this and pushes is a bit too far and long.
Then there is the woeful hamminess and just plain bad acting. The leads aren't terrible, just not that good. Robert Ivers is OK as the hit-man but he doesn't come off as dangerous as he should. Alan Ladd had this frostiness that served him well in tough guy roles. Ivers is less glacial and more petulant. Further, the script waters down his character.
You see, in the original novel, the hit-man had a cleft lip. In This Gun for Hire, it was turned into a disfiguring arm injury, the result of child abuse at the hands of his aunt. This bid to preserve Ladd's handsome face actually turned into a powerful character trait. In Short Cut to Hell, the hit-man's important physical trait is that he is a bit small. That's it. By giving the hit-man a very distinguishing feature, the novel and the original film made his plight more desperate. This was a man who could not just disappear. You can issue a general call for men with cleft palates and mangled arms. Being a small-ish just doesn't cut it. You can hardly have a police dragnet looking for all small-ish men. Robert Ivers was 5'8" according to IMDb. Hardly lilliputian.
As for the heroine, Georgann Johnson acts well enough but her demeanor is too "gosh-gee-whiz" for the dark material. Veronica Lake (Sorry to keep harping on the original but I just can't help it) gave a street- smart performance. Maybe she was never Oscar-worthy but she was certainly believable. Lake always gave the impression of being a pretty girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and never lost her toughness (which is what she, in fact, was). This element makes her eventual friendship with the hit-man much more believable. She understands him because she probably had a rotten childhood too. Georgann Johnson's take on the character is more maternal and some of the complexity of the relationship is lost.
Finally, the villain played by Jacques Aubuchon seems rather out of place as well. The original film had the delightfully squeamish Laird Cregar in this role. Aubuchon does a pale impression of Cregar but simply doesn't match him. Cregar's character was fussy, eccentric and way too fond of peppermints but he was also paranoid and it was this paranoia that endangered Veronica Lake's character. Aubuchon, on the other hand, simply follows paint-by-numbers villain motivation.
So, this film is mainly for film buff and Cagney completists. From me, it won a resounding "meh" Would I have liked it better if I had never seen This Gun for Hire? Maybe a little. But not enough for me to give this film any kind of recommendation to general film enthusiasts. Stick with the original.
I love James Cagney the actor and was looking forward to seeing something from James Cagney the director. Unfortunately, Mr. Cagney was no Charles Laughton. Since most people interested in this film are probably Cagney fans, I will cover the direction first.
Cagney had one strike against him going into this: he was remaking a popular classic, This Gun for Hire. That film launched Alan Ladd as a star, solidified Veronica Lake's popularity and created a powerful (albeit diminutive) screen team.
(Plot for both films: A hit-man does a job but is double-crossed by his employers by being paid off in hot, marked bills. On the run from the police for a robbery he didn't commit, the hit-man plans revenge. His only lead; a fat man who loves pretty women and peppermints. Meanwhile, a nightclub singer gets caught in the middle, first as one of the hit-man's intended murder victims, then as his hostage and finally as his friend/girlfriend/mother/sister figure.)
Remaking a popular and successful film meant that Cagney had to work twice as hard to meet or surpass the original material. There is not a single scene that works more effectively in this remake than in the original.
However, the movie has flaws that are evident even if you have never seen This Gun for Hire. One of the main problems of this film is the pacing. Suspenseful scenes are rushed along while dull ones are allowed to linger.
A few scenes do have interesting camera work but the novice director seems enamored of this and pushes is a bit too far and long.
Then there is the woeful hamminess and just plain bad acting. The leads aren't terrible, just not that good. Robert Ivers is OK as the hit-man but he doesn't come off as dangerous as he should. Alan Ladd had this frostiness that served him well in tough guy roles. Ivers is less glacial and more petulant. Further, the script waters down his character.
You see, in the original novel, the hit-man had a cleft lip. In This Gun for Hire, it was turned into a disfiguring arm injury, the result of child abuse at the hands of his aunt. This bid to preserve Ladd's handsome face actually turned into a powerful character trait. In Short Cut to Hell, the hit-man's important physical trait is that he is a bit small. That's it. By giving the hit-man a very distinguishing feature, the novel and the original film made his plight more desperate. This was a man who could not just disappear. You can issue a general call for men with cleft palates and mangled arms. Being a small-ish just doesn't cut it. You can hardly have a police dragnet looking for all small-ish men. Robert Ivers was 5'8" according to IMDb. Hardly lilliputian.
As for the heroine, Georgann Johnson acts well enough but her demeanor is too "gosh-gee-whiz" for the dark material. Veronica Lake (Sorry to keep harping on the original but I just can't help it) gave a street- smart performance. Maybe she was never Oscar-worthy but she was certainly believable. Lake always gave the impression of being a pretty girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and never lost her toughness (which is what she, in fact, was). This element makes her eventual friendship with the hit-man much more believable. She understands him because she probably had a rotten childhood too. Georgann Johnson's take on the character is more maternal and some of the complexity of the relationship is lost.
Finally, the villain played by Jacques Aubuchon seems rather out of place as well. The original film had the delightfully squeamish Laird Cregar in this role. Aubuchon does a pale impression of Cregar but simply doesn't match him. Cregar's character was fussy, eccentric and way too fond of peppermints but he was also paranoid and it was this paranoia that endangered Veronica Lake's character. Aubuchon, on the other hand, simply follows paint-by-numbers villain motivation.
So, this film is mainly for film buff and Cagney completists. From me, it won a resounding "meh" Would I have liked it better if I had never seen This Gun for Hire? Maybe a little. But not enough for me to give this film any kind of recommendation to general film enthusiasts. Stick with the original.
Short Cut to Cagneyville
jarrodmcdonald-130 July 2014
This is the only film James Cagney directed, and for a first-time effort, this remake of THIS GUN FOR HIRE is not too shabby. Cagney supposedly made the film as a favor to producer A.C. Lyles, and he did not really intend to pursue a career as a director. While it may not be up to the original, the film still has a good deal of Cagney-esque energy, and enough suspense to sustain viewer interest.
Actress Georgann Johnson is cast in the Veronica Lake role, and she applies a serious amount of realism. At one point, she has to walk down the aisle of a train, and she does it very subtly as if her equilibrium is off-balance, which if you think about it, it should be. How come other actors do not walk realistically on trains, planes and other fast-moving transportation in movies? Maybe they should consult Miss Johnson for pointers.
Actress Georgann Johnson is cast in the Veronica Lake role, and she applies a serious amount of realism. At one point, she has to walk down the aisle of a train, and she does it very subtly as if her equilibrium is off-balance, which if you think about it, it should be. How come other actors do not walk realistically on trains, planes and other fast-moving transportation in movies? Maybe they should consult Miss Johnson for pointers.
Gritty crime drama.
michaelRokeefe20 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The first and only movie directed by James Cagney is a remake of the 1942 classic THIS GUN FOR HIRE starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. This time the gun for hire is Kyle Niles played by Robert Ivers. The pro hit-man is hired to commit two murders and ends up kidnapping sultry singer Glory Hamilton(Georgann Johnson)while seeking revenge on his boss(Jacques Aubuchon), a conniving gangster named Bahrwell, who paid him off in stolen money. Glory will end up helping Kyle after Bahrwell and his flunky(Murvyn Vye)rough her up. Meanwhile Glory's cop boyfriend, Sgt. Stan Lowery(William Bishop), is racing the clock with his every effort to find her before she is killed. Story line and editing is above par and the best acting comes from Johnson, who shows some humor while being a kidnap victim. This film shot entirely in Los Angeles features supporting roles by Peter Baldwin, Yvette Vickers and Richard Hale. Mr. Cagney's efforts are not shabby at all.
Shortcut to oblivion for director Cagney
searchanddestroy-121 July 2023
I would have expected far more from the only movie directed by Jimmy Cagney the legend. This is not a so bad movie, but bland, a simple B movie nothing else. The main character, some kind of Alan Ladd in THIS GUN FOR HIRE, before Jean-Pierre Melville's LE SAMOURAI, and speaking of Le SAMOURAI, with Alain Delon, here you also have this lead character, a hired killer who loves cats more than humans, as Delon in SCORPIO. Besides this, especially the short sequence, dialogue line when the killer talks about his childhood, there is nothiing really personal, as you could have guessed from director Cagney. Why did he did this movie anyway?
Spotty, at Best
dougdoepke2 April 2014
An icy hit-man seeks revenge after being double-crossed by his employer.
Catch those early scenes with an over-heated Vickers (Daisy). I don't know what director Cagney told her, but she does everything except kiss the camera. Given the generally slack results, I can see why Cagney never again directed. The movie itself is spotty, at best, with an erratic script and uneven acting. Johnson (Glory) and Aubuchon (Barhwell) are fine; however, lead actor Ivers (Kyle) lacks the gravitas to carry off the merciless hit-man. He looks a little like Cagney, but is a long way from the latter's compelling charisma. (Note how the physically slight Ivers wears a bulky trenchcoat in most scenes.) Of the two leads, it's really Georgann Johnson who has the strong presence. Note too, the subtle hints that Bahrwell might well be gay, rather daring innuendo for the time.
Cagney's pretty good at staging. The industrial plant scenes are both eye-catchers and ominously suggestive. And I'm wondering whose lavish Hollywood estate was used for the finale. Speaking of the estate, the showdown is a lot tamer than I expected, given Bahrwell's slimy character. And shouldn't overlook the two execution scenes that are quite graphic, for the time. However, there are also two contrived implausibles—Glory donning Kyle's decoy outfit even though she's certain to get shot; plus, thug Nichols' (Vye) recovering quickly with hardly a mark after a savage beating. Neither is well thought out.
Not surprisingly, Johnson went on to a very respectable TV career, while it looks like Ivers never again had a lead role. Fortunately, Cagney went back to what he did best—acting. All in all, the movie fails to have any lasting impact despite the strong premise. It's definitely not the best version of novelist Greene's This Gun For Hire.
Catch those early scenes with an over-heated Vickers (Daisy). I don't know what director Cagney told her, but she does everything except kiss the camera. Given the generally slack results, I can see why Cagney never again directed. The movie itself is spotty, at best, with an erratic script and uneven acting. Johnson (Glory) and Aubuchon (Barhwell) are fine; however, lead actor Ivers (Kyle) lacks the gravitas to carry off the merciless hit-man. He looks a little like Cagney, but is a long way from the latter's compelling charisma. (Note how the physically slight Ivers wears a bulky trenchcoat in most scenes.) Of the two leads, it's really Georgann Johnson who has the strong presence. Note too, the subtle hints that Bahrwell might well be gay, rather daring innuendo for the time.
Cagney's pretty good at staging. The industrial plant scenes are both eye-catchers and ominously suggestive. And I'm wondering whose lavish Hollywood estate was used for the finale. Speaking of the estate, the showdown is a lot tamer than I expected, given Bahrwell's slimy character. And shouldn't overlook the two execution scenes that are quite graphic, for the time. However, there are also two contrived implausibles—Glory donning Kyle's decoy outfit even though she's certain to get shot; plus, thug Nichols' (Vye) recovering quickly with hardly a mark after a savage beating. Neither is well thought out.
Not surprisingly, Johnson went on to a very respectable TV career, while it looks like Ivers never again had a lead role. Fortunately, Cagney went back to what he did best—acting. All in all, the movie fails to have any lasting impact despite the strong premise. It's definitely not the best version of novelist Greene's This Gun For Hire.
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