Pugno di ferro

James Cagney was an actor with plenty charisma, and this film is an evidence of it. He was always pleasant in any role, no matter if he was a gangster, a good man or a dancer, he performed all well and delivered enough smell for sympathy. The film had no a complicated plot, it was quite simple but still relevant for the society. Corruption of officials is very common, and what the film showed is what still exists. Certainly there are decent people who do not commit such mistakes, and Johnny 'Red' Cave (Cagney) was one of them, who was in charge of the bureau of weights and measures. He investigated several dark cases and succeeded to make them clear as well as finding out who were responsible for such misdeeds. However, knowing is not enough, it is necessary to make accusations with evidences to condemn those guilty, and that was what Johnny did. Probably today somebody like Johnny should use more sophisticated methods according to those used by those infringing the law. In any case, the film is good also to be watched for entertainment.

Two-fisted, crusading Deputy Chief of the Department of Weights and Measures Johnny Cave is out to smash short-weighting delicatessens, markets, and grocery delivery services and to expose the crooked businessmen who are behind the short-weighting racket and who pay off the aldermen and mayor who are on the take. The plot sounds like a parody of all the tough-guy G-Men and T-Men movies of the thirties, but it is played straight and it works.

The pleasures of the movie, aside from Cagney as Cagney, are that this is the third and final movie to pair Cagney with Mae Clarke and that several great character actors in the supporting cast, particularly Edward Brophy, James Burke, and Henry Kolker, are given plenty of opportunities to show off their characteristic acts.

When James Cagney walked out of his contract with Warner Brothers in 1935 it was because of the roles he was getting. He objected to the type casting. So he signs with this B picture studio called Grand National and this is one of the two films he did for that studio.

He could have made the same picture at Warner Brothers. It sure isn't anything original for him. He makes it at Grand National and does his usual Cagney urban tough guy part and doesn't get the benefit of the production values of an A Studio.

It's a B picture and it shows. But it's not a bad film at all. I think that it was butchered in the editing, the picture seems to start in the middle of the story. But what remains is a good fast paced Cagney film (is there any other pace for him?). He gets good support from among others, Joe Sawyer, Edward Brophy and most of all from James Burke who in his role as Cagney's trainee sidekick almost steals the picture from him.

Ironically in 1937 he went back to Warner Brothers and what is the first film Cagney does? Angels With Dirty Faces. No new ground for him there, but he gets his first Oscar nomination. It's like he gave up on typecasting. But he certainly did expand his range and got a lot of good roles, both from Warner Brothers and from other studios.

What does this movie have in common with The Godfather, the Wild West or even Superman? Well, it comes right down to truth and justice - whether they really are the American Way or whether corruption and violence have gnawed to the core of democratic society and made it rotten. Second only to sex, institutionalized corruption has been just about the biggest issue for Hollywood right through its history. And rightly so as, the battle to resist it is seemingly never finished.

That's a big build up for a small movie. Great Guy is just a simple story about one man who tries to make a difference and who takes a lot of personal risks in doing so. And let's face it, the Bureau of Weights and Measures is hardly the most glamorous place for a story. But James Cagney's character Johnny Cave uses his brains, his fists and a lot of Attitude to try setting things straight and I for one am grateful to him and others like him.

The interesting role for James Cagney is probably the main reason to watch "Great Guy". The role in itself is a fairly uncommon one for a leading role, and Cagney gives it his own distinctive style. The movie overall is a solid if rather predictable crime drama, with a couple of interesting details.

Cagney plays a new official in charge of the bureau of weights and measures, which is a relatively creative choice for a movie hero. As Cagney goes about investigating various instances of fraud, his character gradually takes on more and more of the tough guy persona that you associate with Cagney. At the same time, the stakes become ever higher in his battle with the sources of corruption.

The supporting cast is adequate, but they are generally overshadowed rather easily by Cagney. Mae Clarke is relatively appealing as Cagney's fiancée, but she mostly has to react to situations, since the script and dialogue don't give her much more to work with.

The movie as a whole largely follows a familiar pattern, and with a lesser star it would have been a rather routine affair. Cagney brings it up a couple of notches, and his own performance certainly won't disappoint anyone either.