Opiniones de usuarios

Smart Money (1931)

A clever story about crime and misguided love (quasi-love) and about the love of money. What's wrong with that? Nothing here. With a remarkable performance by Edward G. Robinson (as usual), and supporting roles by a young James Cagney and a series of blondes who will more or less look alike at first. It might have been something of a formula production for the cast and crew, but it's during the lively pre-1934 sound era where, especially at a studio like Warner Bros., things manage to pop one way or another.

As much as this is a very good film, completely engaging and without gaffes or sentimental slow downs, it remains secondary for 1931 because of several interesting things. First, Robinson had just become famous for "Little Caesar" where he had a shining (and roughly similar) role as a sort of good guy gangster. Second, Cagney was in a rare supporting role, not yet famous for his breakout role in "The Public Enemy" later the same year. Both of these Warner films are better, all around. And a third twist is the appearance early on of Boris Karloff, who was about to launch to superstardom as, yes, "Frankenstein," a Universal film from later in, yes, 1931.

But you should watch "Smart Money" for what it does so well--tells a fast, multi-layered story with economy and life, and with great performances by the leads. The story and direction might fall short of classic, but it's still really solid.

1931's "Smart Money" is the only time Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney were paired in a film. Robinson is definitely in the lead here, though. Although it's impossible to really describe Cagney as "subdued" in anything he ever did, he is toned down a bit. Robinson plays Nick the barber, who gets 10K together to gamble in one of the syndicate's big games. This turns out the way you'd expect when a small time guy goes up against the mob and expects them to play on the level. Robinson's character vows revenge as a result of this double-cross. He eventually does become a successful big-time gambler with a gambling syndicate of his own. At this point he begins to attract the attention of law enforcement.

Don't expect Robinson's Little Caesar character to show up here - Nick the Barber is a kinder gentler gangster. In fact, he's really not much of a gangster at all. He pretty much limits his law-breaking to participating in and backing gambling until the final scene, which turns out to be the height of irony. Very much worth your viewing time.

This is not exactly the sort of film you'd expect from Edward G. Robinson in 1931. While he was well-known for his gangster roles, this character isn't a saint by any stretch, but he's far from vicious or deadly like "Little Caesar". In addition, this early film is the only film that ever paired him with Jimmy Cagney. Cagney, at this point, was the lesser star and has a rather small role in the film as Robinson's right-hand man. The breakout film, THE PUBLIC ENEMY, was released just before SMART MONEY and at the point of making this second film, the studio didn't know that he was now a mega-star.

Robinson is a barber with an uncanny ability to gamble and win. Eventually, he and his friends pool their money and send him to "the big city" and even though he at first is bankrupted, he eventually becomes the biggest and most famous gambler around the country. The only problems are that he's a lousy judge of women AND the District Attorney is out to get him no matter what it takes! The film is pretty well written and interesting--not the usual gangster stuff. Plus, there are a few neat scenes that took place since the film was created before the strict Production Code was created--so you get to see Eddie kick a woman in the rear as well as have another lady try to offer him sex to pay off her debt to him! Pretty risqué here and there, but in general this isn't really that violent or salacious a film. Just a good drama with some nice twists and decent acting.

PS--When you watch the film, look for a brief cameo by Boris Karloff. He does have a few speaking lines, but he has a rather odd accent--a Brit trying to sound like an American mug.

This is a nicely tailored story about the rise of Nick the Barber( a real barber)from the small gambling environs of Irontown to his rise to the big time gambling scene. Several things distinguish this film from just another mob movie. And that is just it for starters. This is not a mob movie. Edward G. Robinson's Nick is one of the kindest, most liked, and honest "crime" bosses you will ever see in film. Eddie doesn't shoot it up - in fact no one is murdered(Okay, I'm being a stickler here). This film also shows how difficult gambling can be as a profession. But at the film's heart is Robinson's performance. Nick is a sweet, at times naive, resilient guy with a weak/blind spot for pretty blondes. Aiding Eddie is none other than Jimmy Cagney playing Jack his friend and fellow business associate. Alfred E. Green does a rather deft job directing this very early sound picture. The pace is fast and the mood never compromised. The rest of the cast is quite good. Boris Karloff has a bizarre cameo as a man that has something Eddie just had - but we never know why Boris had it. It's a treat seeing Karloff and Robinson and Cagney in a brief yet memorable scene.

Smart Money is famous for the teaming of Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in the only time they shared the screen. Both men had just come off their breakthrough performances in Little Caesar and Public Enemy respectively. Of the two of them, Robinson comes off far the better.

I'm not sure why Cagney did this film, more than likely because he was told to and was not yet rebelling against Jack Warner. He's strangely subdued in the part, the usual Cagney bounce and cockiness just isn't there for me.

Cagney plays the best friend of Greek barber Edward G. Robinson who in his career played any number of ethnic types. Here he's a happy go lucky barber whose place doubles as a betting establishment. He likes to play, but when friends raise a bankroll for him to try his luck in the big city he gets good and clipped.

Robinson's down, but not out. He goes back and clips the clippers and becomes a big gambling racketeer. Problems do arise when he and Cagney quarrel over the same woman.

It's definitely Robinson's picture, maybe it's why Cagney and he never worked together again. I would like to have seen them both in a film with a more typical Jimmy Cagney.

Still when it's broadcast it should not be missed.

Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney team up in their only picture together(strangely enough). Robinson plays Nick, an immigrant Greek barber who loves to gamble and can't stay away from a poker game or betting. Cagney plays Jack, his good friend who is amused by him, and he and their other friends bankroll him in a big betting game in the city, though Nick's weakness for women gets him cleaned out in a rigged game, Nick decides to get even by joining in on the racket, which makes him rich at first, but of course things later go wrong, though Jack does what he can to help. The two top actors are once again the whole show in otherwise familiar picture that works because of their star-power.

Whilst "Smart Money" was being filmed, Edward G. Robinson had become a star at "Warner Bros," thanks to his film, "Little Caesar." James Cagney had just finished making "The Public Enemy" and that film hadn't yet been released. "Smart Money" isn't another gangster film as the story doesn't allow for that kind of character and Robinson isn't a hoodlum either. He is a professional barber who happens to be a gambler. For a while in the film, Robinson is small time but after avenging himself upon the con men who took all his money, he carves out a gambling empire with Cagney as his right hand man. The District Attorney has had enough of all the gambling and corruption that goes with it and he plans Robinson's downfall. His demise comes in a most unexpected way. Edward G. Robinson dominates "Smart Money" but James Cagney is right there after the half way stage. Their scenes are absolutely superb and I wish the two actors had made more films together. Boris Karloff makes a brief appearance as a gambler. Robinson is a very affable character and his wealth and power does little to change his disposition. The two leads carry this film but the story and narrative are far above average.

Two very famous little guys playing cocky guys - Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney; who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe a little more Cagney, as he is just a supporting player here, but overall I had no complaints watching this 1931 film.

Robinson was great in the lead as "Nick the Barber," (full name "Nick Venizelos.") Cagney is "Jack," an old friend who is employed by Nick. The Greek is a barber, but he's really a full-time gambler or evolves into that role quickly during this story. He goes from small-town hick to big city boss but the road is bumpy along the way. He gets taken by the big crook in town twice, gets hustled by a couple of blondes (Nick's real weakness) but overcomes all of them to be gambling czar.

After Nick's successful jaunts at revenge are completed, the last third of the film is devoted to the city's district attorney trying to get some goods on Nick and put him away and get him out of his city.

This movie, as expected considering the year it was made, is very dated but another of those early '30s films that has a lot of snap, crackle and pop to it. The dialog is crisp and edgy with the expressions of the day and everybody is just nasty enough to make them all interesting characters.

Robinson, as in "Little Caesar," is super in here, much like the cocky gangster roles Cagney also would play in the same period ("The Public Enemy," "Lady Killer," etc.).

The blondes all look similar with the short curly hair of the period and the sexism, racism and other "isms" are all on display here in this fun "gangster movie." The ending was odd but that, too, was the mark of these Pre-Code films which certainly were different.

Now that it's out on DVD, check this film out if you're a fan of the early crime genre, or a fan of Robinson's. You won't be disappointed.

Edward G. Robinson is flashy but vulnerable as a lucky barber who aspires to become a big city gambler. Encouraged by his success in the backroom dice game in his barber shop, Robinson convinces his friends that he's got the touch, borrows a stake, and heads off to make his fortune. The obstacles he encounters include crooked hotel gamblers as well as a cigarette girl who tricks him out of a $100 bill. However, persistence and some shady tricks of his own eventually land Edward G. at the top of his profession: Nick the Barber runs the biggest gambling joint in town.

Unfortunately, the D.A. looks askance at gamblers, however charismatic, and while the first section of the story shows Nick's rise to fame, the bulk of the picture deals with the personal and legal dangers that threaten to bring him down.

James Cagney is fine in what is definitely a secondary role as Robinson's friend and chief assistant. Evalyn Knapp turns up late in the story as a depressed young woman who is rescued and taken in by Robinson. Cagney is sure she's a spy working for the D.A. and looking for evidence; Robinson trusts her completely. How will it all shake out? Whom can you trust, anyway?

Like many of these early 30s dramas, this film offers no pat ending or definite moral message...it's a tale about taking a shot and stopping at nothing. Edward G. Robinson's performance, self-assured and stubbornly optimistic, makes it worth watching.

Quick cast note: Boris Karloff has a bit as a shadowy figure who loses $100 to Edward G. early in the picture. Interesting that during this same year both Karloff and Cagney would see their careers take off.

The only film ever to star both Edward G and Jimmy Cagney together. Made in 1931 during the Warner Bros heyday of gangster blood and guts, it represents a slight departure for them both.

Eddie G plays a small town gambler - a big fish in a little pond so to speak - with big ideas. His friends put a 10K poke together and send him off to the city to try his luck with the big boys. He is soon sucked into a crooked game by a sexy blonde at the hotel cigar counter. The scam artists soon take him to the cleaners. He is then humiliated by the sexy blonde and Sleepy Sam, played with delicious menace by Ralf Harolde.

He is joined by his pal Jimmy Cagney, and they put together another grubstake. This time, they outcon the cons, humiliate the blonde and he becomes the biggest gambler in town. It becomes clear throughout the movie, that Eddie is learning on the job, but his one very big blind spot is his attraction to blondes. Gee, I can't understand it - a short, dark, rather unattractive guy falling for some of the sexiest females on celluloid.

Well, the results are predictable,though I have to admit, the final blonde was a genuine surprise. It was the process that was interesting.

The pairing of Robinson and Cagney was a masterpiece. They played off each other like dueling banjos. It is too bad that they both got so big they couldn't fit on the same screen together again.

Smart Money offers viewers a chance to see two well-known stars of the 1930s gangster film cycle, together in action: Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney. Mr. Robinson plays the lead in this picture, with Mr. Cagney offering excellent support.

But the real treat, in this writer's opinion, is the script by John Bright. Mr. Bright previously wrote the book 'Beer and Blood' that serves as the basis for Public Enemy. Since Bright is writing about his experiences growing up in Chicago, he clearly knows these types of characters first-hand. As a result, there is an authenticity in this picture that makes it just as important as Public Enemy or Little Caesar. Though in the case of this film, the emphasis seems to be on humor, rather than violence.

What looks like a gangster film and sounds like a gangster film but isn't a gangster film? A lightweight drama about a gambling barber of course!

Edward G plays Nick the barber (well, he sounds like a gangster but is.....a barber). He is so lucky at gambling that eventually he becomes the owner of a flash casino. He seems a reasonable and decent chap, he's arrogant but behind the bravado, is kind and thoughtful. I therefore couldn't for the life of me understand why this made him a criminal. I couldn't see why there was peril, danger, risk and tension - it seemed just like the story of someone setting up a business! That's what made this less than exciting. What I'd forgotten was that in America, gambling used to be illegal and because a lot of gambling was run by organized crime, those involved were tarred with the same brush as the bootleggers and gangsters. The problem with this movie is the good guys and the bad guys aren't defined: is 'kind hearted Nick the bad guy? Is the mean-spirited and horribly sneaky DA the good guy?

Although he walks and talks and looks like Rico from SCARFACE, the character Edward G plays here is nothing like him. His character has real depth and in my opinion this is one of his most rounded portrayals; he's a very likeable guy. One weirdly questionable characteristic he has however is the peculiar old American custom of rubbing the heads of black men for good luck: not, I guess, a habit not to practice next time I'm over there!

This motion picture is probably something only Edward G completists would enjoy especially because he is very good in it. It's a shame that the film itself isn't very good. It's not a bad film, you can tell from the script and the style that it's obviously a Zanuck-WB movie so it's assuringly well made. The acting is good for 1931 plus we've got Cagney in small supporting role. Alfred Green's snappy direction gives this a professional look and he keeps it moving so fast that your attention never wanes . After watching this you will however wonder why you bothered.

A talented gambler moves up from small town action to big city, where a string of blondes can't be trusted.

Not so much a gangster film as a Robinson charm fest. Here he trades the snarl of Little Caesar (1930) for an easy smile and a ready quip. Sure he's working the wrong side of the law, this time as a big-time gambler, but there's nary a tommy gun in sight. Besides, the law sort of comes and goes when it comes to enforcement. And get a load of that string of blonde cuties, always getting him in trouble. No wonder his real affection drifts in Cagney's direction. Yes, it's that Cagney, and catch him camping it up in the movie's first part. He's got a secondary role here, despite Warner's movie poster. That probably resulted from Public Enemy (1931) hitting it big at about the same time.

I like the early part best, when the super-confident Nick (Robinson) gets fleeced in a crooked poker game by a guy named Hickory Short (great name). Of course Robinson being Robinson, retribution is soon on the way. In many years of old movies, I don't recall this Pre-Code production appearing. I'm guessing one reason is the patronizing racism, where rubbing a Black Man's head amounts to rubbing a rabbit's foot. Plus they're stuck with names like Snake-eyes and Suntan. Too bad.

All in all, the movie's a light-hearted crime feature where no one gets killed, and the blondes keep on appearing. Lucky Nick. Now if he can just figure which ones are on the level.

The same year that he starred in Little Caesar and Five Star Final, Robinson made the Oscar-nominated film that shows the rise of a small-town gambler that goes to the big city and gets suckered. Six months later he is back vowing to never let that happen again and he rises to the top of the gambling world.

With James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy, Angels With Dirty faces)at his side to watch out for him, he manages to elude capture by the authorities - mainly because he has bought off most of them. But, as he says, he has a weakness for women - especially blonds. That will prove his down fall.

It was not the "Little Caesar" Robinson, but a happy-go-lucky guy that just seemed to take things as they come. he was smiling and laying odds as they carted him off to prison. A funny film that is only marred by the racism that was typical of the time.

It seems that several cast members sneak a lot of Yiddish within some of the quick dialog. I know that Cagney, brought up in the lower East Side, did actually insert Yiddish into some of his finished product. Seems odd that this would happen. Appreciate it if someone might elaborate as to if mixtures of different languages/dialects were actually permitted in final takes. Obviously this would save funds on retakes and let a well done scene pass through. Perhaps since this film was done in '31,it didn't matter too much. Yet, much of the dialog is hard to decipher in spots. I enjoyed the film. A cute piece of height of the depression era entertainment.

Robinson is a barber who owns his own barbershop, but who goes off to gamble with some real card-sharks. He goes to the hotel where the action is and meets the girl at the magazine counter who tells him what room the game is in, after the desk clerk tells him nothing like that is allowed in this hotel. Little does Edward know what's in store for him. Of course Robinson, as the barber, is great, and James Cagney is a secondary character with not much development to make him really interesting. But, it's Robinson that makes this film worth watching. He has such presence, and this is only a sample of what is yet to come in his career. The only problem I have with it is that its ending is rather anti-climatic. But as usual Robinson has the flair to take it all in stride and he makes the viewer feel honored to watch a master of his craft at work.

I just watched SMART MONEY for the first time, and much enjoyed it. Robinson is superb as Nick the Barber alias gambler. Cagney is 2nd banana. Noticed Boris Karloff in a bit part too. Good and entertaining story. Keeping this film in my collection

This is the only movie ever made with both Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney on the screen together. Both are full of life with their full powers of charisma and charm on display. A craps scene with Cagney, Boris Karloff and Robinson together is one for the ages.

This movie definitely influenced "The Sting" and "The Cincinnati Kid" decades later. Of course Robinson would act in "The Cincinnati Kid."

The sets, the outfits, the early 1930's feel of pre-production code in the air is all part of what makes this picture great.

Most of all, it is a tour-de-force for Robinson who was still a bigger star than Cagney and had been in more films. Robinson's "Little Caesar" was released in January of 31' while Cagney's "The Public Enemy" was released in April of 31'. This film was released in July of 31' and perhaps was not as big of a hit because it didn't have the action sequences that the other two had. But what it lacked in gun play it makes up for in screenplay and acting.