Over and over and over again, Warner Brothers turned out gangster films. Very few were memorable, although WB certainly had the formula down pat.
If there's a real reason to watch this film, it's simply that there are some interesting things about the film...though not about the story.
Humphrey Bogart plays the same old gangster character here that he always played before he hit it big. I always enjoyed Bogart in his more serious later period, but in this early period he was just another Warner Brothers stereotype. I have to admit, in his own way, when young, Bogart was quite handsome.
Gale Page is good here as the sister of Billy Halop.
Billy Halop was another WB stereotype, here with a bit of an acne problem.
John Litel is quite good as an attorney.
One of the most interesting roles here is beloved Henry Travers as "Pop" -- a prisoner...albeit assigned to the prison library! Another surprise here -- another much beloved actor -- Eddie "Rochester" Anderson plays a convict.
The one place this drama rises above the typical gangster/prison drama is in the conversations between Billy Halop and Henry Travers. To a large extent, those conversations are what turn this into more of a morality play. Unfortunately that little bit of class quickly disappears at the end of the film when the writer/directors try to redeem the Halop character through his death confession when he is trying to escape from prison...followed by overly dramatic (and very loud) music.
If there's a real reason to watch this film, it's simply that there are some interesting things about the film...though not about the story.
Humphrey Bogart plays the same old gangster character here that he always played before he hit it big. I always enjoyed Bogart in his more serious later period, but in this early period he was just another Warner Brothers stereotype. I have to admit, in his own way, when young, Bogart was quite handsome.
Gale Page is good here as the sister of Billy Halop.
Billy Halop was another WB stereotype, here with a bit of an acne problem.
John Litel is quite good as an attorney.
One of the most interesting roles here is beloved Henry Travers as "Pop" -- a prisoner...albeit assigned to the prison library! Another surprise here -- another much beloved actor -- Eddie "Rochester" Anderson plays a convict.
The one place this drama rises above the typical gangster/prison drama is in the conversations between Billy Halop and Henry Travers. To a large extent, those conversations are what turn this into more of a morality play. Unfortunately that little bit of class quickly disappears at the end of the film when the writer/directors try to redeem the Halop character through his death confession when he is trying to escape from prison...followed by overly dramatic (and very loud) music.