Les hommes traqués

"Public Hero #1" is a relatively little known, continually entertaining gangster thriller that veers from prison mellerdrama to quirky romance to bullet-riddled shoot-out. Okay, so the plot has enough holes to drive a getaway car through -- like the unexpected "meet cute' encounter, during a flash flood, of a government agent disguised as a hold-up man with the sister of the crime czar he's tracking. But Chester Morris as the plucky, love-stricken fed, Jean Arthur who still loves her brother despite his homicidal tendencies, Lionel Barrymore as a boozy doctor and Joseph Calleia as the underworld kingpin who doesn't seem bright enough to rob a candy store are all fun to watch. And darn near believable. At no point, as the tale gallops through various genres, does it bog down. Wish the same could be said of quite a few more modern movies. Credit director J. Walter Ruben with doing a first-rate job on one of the final films he would helm prior to his premature death at the age of 43.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Public Hero Number 1, since the plot synopsis I'd read online wasn't very clear. Turns out, I was really glad I didn't learn too much, since the plot was so intriguing and fast-moving.

Chester Morris stars as a prisoner who doesn't like to be contained. He starts a riot, loses his temper, and tries to cozy up to a notorious gangster Joseph Calleia. How is prison warden Lewis Stone going to handle him? Believe it or not, Chester's big secret gets revealed pretty early on, but since it's so much fun to see it as it plays out, I won't even tell you that much of the plot. All you need to know is that he's hiding something, and this part is a pretty big tour-de-force for the 1930s actor. He only had about ten years in the spotlight, so if you like him, be sure and check this movie out.

Along the way, Chester and Joseph escape from prison and try to escape the cops. Jean Arthur, who's hiding a secret of her own, feels an instant connection to Chester, but with all the deception, will they find a happy ending? Or is this drama, with Lionel Barrymore as a drunken, disreputable doctor in the supporting cast, too much of a drama for a normal romance? You'll have to rent it, which I suggest you do during the next rainy afternoon, to find out.

Is a fine Irish-American girl whose strangely Italian (?) brother (named Sonny "Dinkie" Black) runs Detroit's Purple Gang. At least they are both Catholic. Beginning inside a prison, the film introduces the immortal Chester Morris as an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates the gang and falls for Terry (played by Jean Arthur).

They have a slick prison break sequence and a fair amount of action, romantic comedy, and Hollywood's on-going campaign to make G-Men public heroes. John Dillinger had been killed a few months before "Public Hero #1" went into production, they change the names and the city but recreate the events of his apprehension outside a theater.

Forgotten actor Joseph Calleia plays the gang boss and brother. He has the most challenging role and does a fine job portraying a multi-dimensional character. Lionel Barrymore gets to overact nicely as a perpetually drunk mob doctor.

"Public Hero #1" is a surprisingly good film. It's mix of genres is as strange as it sounds but that works in its favor if you like to get away from standard formula stories. While it lacks overall unity, the disparate pieces are quite well done and are very entertaining inside their own little compartments.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Public Hero #1 (1935)

*** (out of 4)

Extremely strange film from MGM starts off as a prison drama then moves to a screwball comedy and then goes back to gangster action. An undercover cop (Chester Morris) gets inside of a prison where he befriends a gangster (Joseph Calleia) and soon the two bust out but the gangster gets shot. Near death, the undercover cops goes out to find the gangster's drunken doctor (Lionel Barrymore) but due to a storm they are forced to stay at a hotel where the cop falls for a young woman (Jean Arthur) who turns out to be the gangster's sister. After hearing the news, the cop must try to find a way to bring the gangster down without hurting the sister. This film is pretty much all over the map but it's still a greatly entertaining film that works on ever level that it tries. The prison stuff early on is very entertaining as is the gangster stuff at the end. There's a big shootout at the end, which ranks among the best I've seen from any of these early gangster films. Normally screwball laughs wouldn't fit into a film like this but Barrymore does a terrific job in the comedy department as the drunken doctor. The highlight has to be the scene where he accidentally gets dressed in Arthur's robe due to how drunk he is. Barrymore's comic timing is terrific throughout the film. Arthur is also very strong in her role and delivers a very memorable character and performance. The real star is Morris who is simply wonderful all the way through. He has a lot of roles to play here from the tough guy trying to enter the gang to the cop trying to bring down the bad guy but he also does a great job in the romantic department with Arthur. Calleia, Paul Kelly, Lewis Stone and George E. Stone add nice support as well. It's also worth noting that the film seems partially influenced by the John Dillinger case who of course was murdered after watching MGM's Manhattan Melodrama the previous year and that includes the ending here, which has been slightly changed but still takes place outside a theater.

'Public Hero Number 1' is certainly not the greatest gangster flick ever, but the film is hugely entertaining: fast-paced, suspenseful and fun. The acting is excellent throughout: Joseph Calleia is a convincing ruthless crime boss, Chester Morris the undercover agent on his tracks, Lionel Barrymore the permanently plastered doctor who caters to the underworld, and Jean Arthur the estranged sister of the gangster boss who falls for the police agent. There is a clear division of labour: Calleia and Morris are responsible for generating suspense while Barrymore and Arthur take care of the laughs. For me, 'Public Hero Number 1' ticks all the boxes. Have a look - it's worth it!