Veneno implacable

A few years after The Lost Weekend won Ray Milland an Oscar for playing an alcoholic writer, James Cagney made a similarly themed movie. That's the breaks of Hollywood, but sometimes it's frustrating to the cast and crew of competing studios. At least they weren't released in the same year - talk about unfair!

Rather than spending the bulk of the movie fighting his addiction, Cagney gets his act together fairly early on in the film. Veteran character actor James Gleason helps him get sober, and as an upstanding citizen, he becomes a respected and successful journalist. One good turn deserves another, and Jimmy is called upon to help another alcoholic about to lose everything: Gig Young. Gig is very young in this film (no pun intended) and eighteen years before he won his Oscar for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? He showed his acting chops and was nominated for the statue. He has some incredible withdrawal scenes with the shakes, emotional fits, and chemical outbursts - all the classic elements of one of these movies, but for some reason, he didn't win the Oscar (and neither did Susan Hayward or Frank Sinatra four years later) and Ray Mi-bland did.

Come Fill the Cup is a very solid drama with equally solid performances from everyone in the cast. It's an important story that no matter how many times it's told, shows the audience the value of hard work, discipline, honor, and selflessness. If you like this subject matter, try Richard Egan's turn in Voice in the Mirror, or of course, Susan Hayward's in I'll Cry Tomorrow.

Sure wish I could Buy this movie or they would show it on TV.

Does anybody know about this ??

Thanks in advance.

Simply the best "recovery" movie! Cagney's performance is Oscar quality, as is James Gleason's. Even Phyllis Thaxter and Raymond Massey are believable in this film. The musical score is superb, with Grieg-esque overtones. Perhaps the best billboard (7 Dwarves Whiskey) in moviedom. 10/10

I am not surprised to find only two previous comments about this very good film. Sadly,I have not seen it it many years, as it seems to have disappeared. My most vivid memory is about two particular scenes. The first is between Cagney and his boss (Raymond Massey). When Massey virtually orders Cagney to sober is young nephew up, Cagney replies "can't be done" . When the boss inquires why ? he is told that the drunk must first hear the sound of "angel feathers" . The feathers he relates, is the fear of death. The other scene is the one in which Cagney meets the young nephew who's name is Boyd (played by Gig Young). While completely drunk and laying down on a bed (couch ?) in Cagney's apartment, the two men engage in some banter, whereby Cagney keeps referring to his guest as Boydeee. The nephew having enough of Cagney's mispronunciation, informs him that if he calls him Boydee one more time, he will knock his block off! Cagney then informs him, that he is drunk and that he will knock nobody's block off. This last line is delivered with a smile and style that only the great Cagney was capable of. Upon hearing Cagney's reply, the nephew agrees with a smile of his own and then doses off to sleep. While watching the oncoming sleep, Cagney's expression changes from a smile to a face of concern and something else. The something else may be anger,disgust and or fear. But whatever it is, it in itself sets the tone for the rest of the film. And that look which once again, only Cagney could deliver, tells the audience that someone is in for a great deal of trouble, and part of the trouble is that Cagney doesn't know who is in for the worst of it.

I saw this film for the first - and, up to now, last - time just after its release in early 1952 (original English version). "Come fill the cup" is one of those films that seem to have unjustly disappeared. It has never been released in this country, Spain, nor seen in television either here, in Belgium - where I lived 1973-1993 - or several other European countries linked to Brussels TV, U.K. not excluded. After all these years, I remember that all the actors are terrific, Cagney outstanding. Young - not surprisingly - was convincing, and the music score - an unfinished piano concert - haunting. From other comments, I assume that a DVD of this noir classic would be most welcome by Cagney fans of all ages.