Cagney is a human dynamo as a drifter who helps save ailing Grace George from losing her newspaper. The pace is fast, and audiences of all ages will be pleased. The supporting cast, have all the small-town characterizations down pat -- with Margaret Hamilton a standout. Cagney himself, had genuine affection for this film, and listed it among his top five movie-making experiences at a retrospective the year before he died. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, in partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, in 2013.
Acting
Hamilton's 'Gashouse' Mary is comedic gold.
Writing
Snappy dialogue that actually sounds like people talking.
Director
William K. Howard
James Cagney
Tom Richards
Grace George
Vinnie McLeod
Marjorie Main
'Gashouse' Mary
Marjorie Lord
Jane
Hattie McDaniel
Aida
Edward McNamara
W.M. Dougherty
William Henry
Pete Dougherty
Robert Barrat
Bill Swain
George Cleveland
Willie Ferguson
Margaret Hamilton
Myrtle Ferguso
Norman Willis
Dudley Hirsh
Lucien Littlefield
Blaker
Edwin Stanley
Winterbottom
Irving Bacon
Chief of Police
Clarence Muse
Butler
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cagney personally selected this for his 1980 retrospective, calling it one of his five best experiences—despite it being a box office disappointment.
The 2013 Academy preservation barely made headlines, proving the film's own theme: small stories deserve saving too.
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