Review of 'G' Men (1935) by Ricardo O — 26 Aug 2011

In the 1930s Warner Bros. mad a reputation of making some of the best crime films around, especially those that focused on gangsters. This 1935 classic directed by the highly talented noirish director William Keighley and starring the legendary James Cagney continued to improve that reputation Warner Bros. had built up to that point. But unlike previous gangster films like Little Caesar, The Public Enemy, & Scarface, it does not glorify the violent life of gangsters. Instead it focuses on the other side of the law. Despite Jimmy Cagney being on the other side of the law, he brings the same olâ(TM) cocky screen persona that made him an instant star in The Public Enemy. Based on Gregory Millerâ(TM)s book âPublic Enemy No. 1,â? G-Men tells the story of the beginnings of the FBI where government agents were finally able to carry arms in order to defend themselves against these murderous hoodlums. It focuses on James âBrickâ? Davis (Cagney), a young lawyer whose education was funded by softhearted mob boss McKay (William Harrigan) currently preparing to give up the crime life for good. However when Davisâ(TM) best friend, detective Eddie Buchanan (Regis Toomey), is murdered in a shooting, he decides to take his late best friends advice in becoming a G-Man. Although Davis is looked at as being a very honest fellow, he is looked upon with suspicion by his peers because of his past associations. He proves his worth when his former love interest, Jean (Ann Dvorak), now the wife of mobster Brad Collins (Barton MacLane), accidentally tips him off to his hideaway. Jean sacrifices her own life to help Davis out in catching Collins and rescuing his new love interest, nurse Kay McCord (Margaret Lindsay), from him.

Cagney brings the same cockiness from his earlier gangster films to his young, former lawyer and newly turned government agent who refuses to take anything from his superiors. Like Warner Bros. earlier gangster pictures, they fill the movie with plenty of ammunition along with the bits of police procedural. One could even argue it as their most violent films of the era, one that wouldnâ(TM)t really get exceeded until later with Bonnie & Clyde. The script â" personally approved by founder J. Edgar Hoover himself â" is excellent throughout and is less predictable than many others of the same genre. Jimmy Cagney is in top form as he usually was throughout his entire career, but the supporting cast is excellent as well. Ann Dvorak and Margaret Lindsay donâ(TM)t receive as much screen time as the others but both of them shine in their few moments, particularly Ann Dvorak as Cagneyâ(TM)s former love interest. But the best of all is Robert Armstrong as Jeff McCord, Cagneyâ(TM)s superior. G-Men is pretty much a propaganda film to recruit new FBI agents but plays as a highly entertaining thrill ride that shows what goes on in trying to get the âbad guysâ?. It doesnâ(TM)t glorify the violence of the gangster lifestyle but instead shows a realistic view of the ârightâ? side of the law. G-Men is a highly recommended film brought to us by one of the eraâ(TM)s better filmmakers and one of Hollywoodâ(TM)s most heralded studios. Perhaps the only thing that could have made the film any better was replacing the actor who played the main gangster with a star like George Raft or Humphrey Bogart but otherwise itâ(TM)s very much worth watching. 8/10.