Blonde Crazy

Bellhop James Cagney and hotel maid Joan Blondell have a lot of ambitions during Depression Era America. They've seen the American dream go belly up on Wall Street, seen lots of people lose everything they have to crooks and chiselers and have decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And Cagney has entitled what he considers the Depression to be, the age of chiselry.

These two are obviously so suited for each other. But for what each considers practical reasons they hook up with other people. Cagney hero worships noted confidence man Louis Calhern and Blondell takes a shine to polished and dapper Ray Milland, a wall street broker. Each becomes quite disillusioned.

This is a good piece of historic Americana, depression era. People like Cagney and Blondell lost a lot of ideals in that period and it rings true even today. Later on Preston Sturges would take some of the same themes in Blonde Crazy and use them in a more comedic way. But this film is still pretty good on its own merits.

This is one of those very early talkie/precodes that I wish would come out on DVD. At this point in its history - 1931 - Warner Bros. was the mass producer of urban dramas and films that realistically portrayed the depression. Some of the films Warner made during this time were quite forgettable, and others had something special. This film is one of those special efforts, largely due to the acting skills of Joan Blondell and the great James Cagney and the on-screen chemistry they had. Cagney's character (Bert Harris) starts out as a bellboy in a midwestern hotel who is instantly attracted to Joan Blondell's character (Anne Roberts) when she applies for a job as a hotel maid. Bert wants a career as a confidence man and talks Anne into going into business with him as a partner. They work their way up from that small midwestern town into larger stakes in New York. Along the way Cagney runs into someone who ends up taking him instead of vice versa, Dan Barker, played by Louis Calhern. Calhern always excelled at playing the part of a slippery type, and his performance here is no exception. After settling the score with Dan, Anne wants out of the racket so she can marry a nice young man she has met along the way, and this seems like the end of the film. However, there is one final twist at the end that reunites Anne and Bert in a way that is totally unexpected.

Even though this film was made after Cagney's star-making role in "Public Enemy", he still doesn't have his gangster/wise guy personna down yet. That makes one of the unexpected pleasures of the film seeing how he is still finding his way as far as his trademark gestures go in his later roles. Highly recommended.

"Blonde Crazy" was one of the first films James Cagney made after becoming a big star. The plot is pretty straightforward but Cagney and Joan Blondell push this film well above being average with their on-screen chemistry. They play a couple of hustlers who circulate amongst the more wealthy clientèle in various hotels. At one stage, both the leads are on the receiving end of a notorious card shark who steals their ill gotten gains. The way Cagney and Blondell exact their revenge is brilliant! Things get a bit more complicated between the two leads in the latter half of the film. Very entertaining.

How would you like to go to a hotel and find out James Cagney is the #1 bell-hop, and Joan Blondell is your blond chamber-maid? That's where we start in "Blonde Crazy", and things get wild in a hurry. Cagney plays con-man Bert Harris, and he falls hard for the new chamber-maid, Ann Roberts, played by Joan Blondell. Peggy, another cute chambermaid, warns Ann to stay away from Bert. Ann says, "He can't be interested in me, I'm not important and I have no money." Peggy shoots back, "Oh yeah ... maybe you've got something else he wants." Bert makes a pass at Ann, and get his face slapped hard. When he next sees her he says, "I'm so stuck on you, I wouldn't mind getting slugged by you every day." Ann says, "Oh yeah," smiles, and hauls off and hits him again. Hold on, she's just warming up. Middle aged Guy Kibbee falls hard for Ann, and asks Bert, "What do you know about the blond chambermaid?" Bert smiles and sells the chump a bottle of booze at triple the price, knowing Kibbee will pay because he's been told, "It's the only stuff the blond chamber-maid drinks." After Ann and Bert rip off Kibbee big time, they head for the city and tangle with super chisler "Dapper Dan Barker", played to the hilt by Louis Calhern. Things get rough, with the con-artists ripping off one another, and thumbing their noses at the sap whose been taken at clean-out time.

The dialogue is outrageous, and Ann wallops Bert a few more times along the way. Blondell slaps Cagney when he's bad, and slaps him when he's good, only a little softer then and with a big smile, just to let him know she still loves him. At one point Bert starts to walk in on Ann when she's in the tub. She shrieks and yells, "Hey, what's the big idea? I'm taking a bath." To which he cracks, "Oh yeah ... move over!" This is a great film. The only problem is that the ending is way to somber and dark in comparison to the breezy, good-natured tempo of the rest of the film. But this is one you've got to see. Blondell and Cagney are wonderful together.

The idea for 'Blonde Crazy' sounded very interesting and gave the impression that it would be a very entertaining film if done right. Have for a while liked both James Cagney and Joan Blondell, both had a fair share of great performances under their belt, and they showed that when together that they sparkled so well. Roy Del Ruth was a competent director who did make some enjoyable films, saw 'Employees Entrance' recently and loved it and 'On Moonlight Bay' is still delightful.

Seeing Ray Milland in such an early role before he hit his peak was an interest point too. On the most part, 'Blonde Crazy' was a hugely enjoyable film with terrific performances from the two stars. For me this is one of Del Ruth's better films despite not being perfect, and really admired how daring a lot of it was. For me, the first half is better than the second (which is still very watchable). Did prefer the more witty, faster paced and risque quality of the first half, which didn't take itself seriously like some of the second half did.

'Blonde Crazy' is well made visually, especially the clever and atmospheric photography that still looks pretty pristine now. It is directed at a fast and furious pace by Del Ruth, without feeling muddled or too hasty. Absolutely loved the sass of the script, full of razor sharp wit and a surprising daring quality that one doesn't expect to this extent even at that time (where you could get away with much more before the Code was enforced around the mid-30s).

Furthermore, the story is on the silly side but never feels dull or padded, nor does it feel convoluted, and enlivened by the sizzling chemistry between Cagney and Blondell. The bathtub scene makes the jaw drop. Cagney and Blondell both give scorching performances, especially Blondell though Cagney's comic timing really shines in the first half, and Louis Calhern gives distinguished support. Most of the rest of the cast do very well though their characters don't have as much meat.

On the other hand, 'Blonde Crazy', despite being suspenseful and entertaining still, takes itself a little too seriously in the second half and doesn't have the same amount of the sass, wit and risque-ness of the first half. A very young Milland comes over as stiff and inexperienced-looking.

Also found the ending a bit too abrupt and like the film was trying to wrap things up too hastily and neatly.

Concluding, hugely enjoyable. 8/10