Big City Blues

From Warner Brothers and director Mervyn LeRoy. Eric Linden stars as Bud Reeves, a naive small-town Indiana boy who's arrived in NYC to make a name for himself. He gets taken in by his unscrupulous cousin Gibby (Walter Catlett) who tries to work the kid for every cent he's got, while Bud falls in love with showgirl Vida (Joan Blondell). However, when things take a dark turn, Bud may be left holding the bag and on his way to the hot seat.

This starts out as a rather broad comedy, with Linden playing his out-of-town Bud as a complete rube. Then it seems to switch gears and become a sweet romance between Linden and Blondell, before taking an unexpected turn and becoming deadly serious. These tonal shifts are jarring, and the movie may have worked better if it had chosen one and stuck with it. Blondell is cute and likable as always. I watched this for Bogart, who isn't even credited, although his role was a little bigger than I expected, playing a shady party-goer.

"Big City Blues" is a well written story of a naïve young man who travels to NYC, innocently becomes involved in a murder while falling in love, and then returns home vowing to go back to the city to be with the woman he loves. As played by Eric Linden, he is not an idiot or moron as he is repeatedly called by one reviewer and the film is not a waste of an hour of your life as this reviewer claims. It is very entertaining and fun to view.

BIG CITY BLUES (Warner Brothers, 1932), directed by Mervyn LeRoy, is a Depression era melodrama without the focus on the unemployed in breadlines or the homeless struggling to survive, but a cliché story about the survival of a country boy who ventures to the big city, the "Big Apple," better known as New York. Starring Joan Blondell, her role is actually secondary but crucial to the plot, while the Eric Linden, whose name comes below hers, is the central focus.

The story revolves around Buddy Reeves (Eric Linden), a naive country boy from Hoopersville, Indiana. After inheriting $1100, he decides to fulfill his dream by coming to live in the greatest city in the world, New York. Unable to take his dog, Duke, with him, Buddy offers the pooch to a Willow Junction station master (Grant Mitchell), who accepts the animal only as a loan, knowing full well, that he will do exactly what he did as a youth, by venturing to the big city only to return home disillusioned. However, Buddy believes different, especially since he only has a one way ticket. Upon his arrival at Grand Central Station, Buddy, as he carries his suitcases, strolls down with amazement the busy streets surrounded by the "rush, tension and crowds." He registers at the Hotel Hercules, room 3663, where his Cousin Gibbony (Walter Catlett) enters the scene to teach him the ropes in becoming a true New Yorker as well as fast-talking his way in acquiring some of his money. Gibbony, a comedic con-artist who claims to know the most important people in town, ranging from Mayor Jimmy Walker to actress Constance Bennett, arranges for the young lad to be introduced to a handful of his friends by having an all night party to take place in Buddy's hotel room. That evening, Buddy becomes infatuated with an attractive show girl named Vida Fleet (Joan Blondell). During this very active party, which consists of radio background music to current hit tunes as "My baby Just Cares for Me," Lem Sully (Lyle Talbot), actor and drunk, along with globetrotter Shep Atkins (Humphrey Bogart) get into an argument over the drunken Jackie DeVoe (Josephine Dunn), a Follies girl. A physical fight ensues, leading to a whiskey bottle being thrown across the room, hitting the head of Jackie, causing her death. Suddenly the room is quiet. All the guests make a hasty departure, especially Vida, leaving Buddy to be faced with a possible murder charge. Breaking away as Hummell, the house detective (Guy Kibbee) enters to discover the body, Buddy hides amongst the crowded city, hoping to avoid being arrested by Quelkin (Thomas Jackson) of the homicide squad, who is hot on his trail.

Others in the cast consist of Inez Courtney as Faun; Ned Sparks as Stackhouse; Jobyna Howland (in her Marjorie Rambeau-type performance) as Mrs. Cartlidge, the 55 Club speakeasy "madame", along with interesting assortment of notable actors assuming no screen credit, including Josephine Dunn (Al Jolson's co-star in 1928's THE SINGING FOOL); J. Carroll Naish as a bootlegger; Herman Bing as a German waiter; Clarence Muse as the black singing waiter vocalizing "Every Day Can Be a Sunday"; and the heard but not seen Dick Powell as the radio announcer advertising Yum Yum Popcorn.

Eric Linden is ideally cast as naive but vulnerable young lad, along with Blondell in her usual street smart, tough but loyal girlfriend performance. They would be reunited once more in race-car drama, THE CROWD ROARS (1932) starring James Cagney. Of the supporting players, it is Walter Catlett sporting glasses, derby and cigar (a cross between comedians Groucho Marx and Robert Woolsey), the scene stealer who livens things up.

With so much happening during its brisk and brief 65 minutes, BIG CITY BLUES moves as quickly as any speeding cars or pedestrians depicted on screen. Along with other then current New York sounding film titles, MANHATTAN PARADE (1931), CENTRAL PARK (1932), 42nd STREET (1933), just to name a few, no other movie studio like Warners captures the feel and essence of New York City life, and BIG CITY BLUES is no exception. Not as well known as the more famous New York movies of this period, it's worth catching whenever presented during the late night hours on Turner Classic Movies.(**1/2)

"Big City Blues" stars Eric Linden as Bud Reeves, a small town kid from Hoopersville, Indiana who went to New York. While in New York he was taken for a ride and swindled by a man he referred to as Cousin Gibby (Walter Catlett). Bud was totally ignorant to the fact Cousin Gibby was bilking him, but getting fleeced by Cousin Gibby would become the least of his worries.

During a party a girl was killed with a champagne bottle and Bud would become the number one suspect. The only person he trusted in all of New York was a small town woman named Vida Fleet (Joan Blondell) and he was hoping that she could help him out.

"Big City Blues" is chiefly about how big cities chew up and spit out country bumpkins like Bud on a daily basis. Pie-eyed suckers like him flock to New York, L. A., and Chicago on a regular basis just to find out how cut-throat and vicious those places are. I liked the theme of the movie even if I didn't like Bud's character. He was too Mayberry. It was pathetic. I doubt any normal human being ever talked like Bud did.

Also of note in the movie was Humphrey Bogart. This was before he became a big star, hence he had a small part in the movie.

This comedy/drama from the olden days has quite a bit to recommend it.Young rube from Indiana moves to New York City,loses all his money,falls in love with a chorus girl(Joan Blondell),and attends a wild hotel party where the bathtub gin is flowing freely,all in the space of about 48 hours!Some interesting cinematography and that great 30's rapid-fire dialogue which seems to be a lost art these days.Joan Blondell has a very funny scene at a speakeasy craps table.Humphrey Bogart,who was still a starving actor himself at the time,appears briefly in an uncredited role,and as in most of his early roles,has that one moment of unleashed anger that served him so well in later years.Lots of fun.