Johnny Le Vagabond

This is a movie that not everyone will love or even like. One must remember it's a sentimental look at the turn of the century, 1906 the movie states, by filmmakers in 1943. So this is a review about a quaint film made 73 years ago, which was looking back nostalgically 37 years. Not to belabor the point, but it would like a movie today (2016) reliving a time 37 years ago, which would be 1979 and being reviewed 73 years from now in 2089. So you can see that when you consider this film in that way, all bets and our judgment are probably a little off. In that light I feel the flick holds up very well. Sure many of the movie's main stars are very one dimensional. Only Cagney and Edward McNamara made me feel that there was much depth to their characters. Many movie watchers of today will find it a little slow and without a lot of action. Some will say it's way too saccharine. The production values aren't the best and late in the movie, the transitions between scenes appears a bit jerky.

Remarkably, somehow this movie works. Through all it's faults it shines like a diamond in the rough. You feel the quaintness of 1906, whether it was like that or not, you FEEL it was. I really felt I was looking through a window to the past. In this movie you really like James Cagney. He is not the champion of the beautiful young girl, but of the aged older lady who is paying the price to fight the good fight. He does it with dash and style. "Johnny Come Lately" made me smile a lot and even cry a little for the good ole days, theirs and mine. In the end what more do you want from 73 year old movie?

Tom Richards is an ex newspaper reporter who decided to quit the rat race and live life on the road in a vagabond existence. Breezing into town one day with only two dollars and a copy of his beloved Pickwick Papers to his name, Tom happens upon dear old newspaper owner Vinnie McLeod. Miss McLeod has a soft spot for tramps and urges Tom to get himself off the streets before he is arrested, but although he promises he will, he is soon rounded up and hauled before the court. Where Vinnie, upon learning of his reporting experience puts up the bond so Tom can keep out of jail and work for her at the Shield & Banner paper. It's here that Tom learns of corruption within the town and promptly sets about using the press medium to out the dirt and free the town of its bad elements.

When one hears the name James Cagney, it immediately conjures up images of gangsters and Yankee Doodle Dandy like ebullience. Yet as big a star as he was, Cagney still has films in his cannon that are not only unseen and forgotten, but also that showcase the other side of his acting coin. One such film is Johnny Come Lately. Adapted from the novel "McLeod's Folly" by the highly thought of Louis Bromfield (Winner of 1927 Pulitzer Prize for his novel, Early Autumn) the film sees Cagney relying on his reined in ability instead of blunderbuss histrionics. There are of course a couple of sequences where his character is called on to pack a punch {naturally when the piece is about corruption and less than stellar townsfolk} but by and large it's a sweet and affecting turn that really rewards those who have invested time with it.

It's not just about Jimmy tho. Grace George as Vinne is the films emotional axis, her interplay with Cagney has a tenderness that really gives the story some added weight. Boosting proceedings is the always delightful Hattie McDaniel, whilst Wizard Of Oz fans will no doubt be chuckling away at Margaret Hamilton's performance here. Which when one knows Cagney calls her "the dragon lady next door", well one can guess what Margaret is doing with the character. But standing out amongst the strong female cast is Marjorie Main as Gashouse Mary McGovern, a delightful turn that harks to a sort of Mae West homage. When she slinkily turns to Tom and says "if only I was thirty years younger" you just know she would have eaten him for breakfast! The score from Leigh Harline is easy on the ears, and William K. Howard's direction is smooth and at one with the pace of the story. This really is one that needs to be rediscovered by more classic cinema fans, not only for catching Cagney acting against type, but also because it has a feel good factor that could brighten the day of many. 8/10

JOHNNY COME LATELY is an example of an underrated work that makes a good, atypical film. The Jimmy Cagney that we think of is the anti-hero of THE PUBLIC ENEMY or WHITE HEAT, who we fear but feel sorry for. He also is recalled for his exciting performances in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY and 13 RUE MADELEINE. He was a human dynamo. Watch how he effortlessly goes into the dance and song in FOOTLIGHT PARADE. But here he is a reporter who is tramping around the country (reading Pickwick Papers) who gets into trouble in a corrupt town, but is helped by the owner of a newspaper (Grace George, an old friend of Cagney's, in her only movie role). Together they take on the local machine, with assistance from George Cleveland and Marjorie Main among others. That Edward McNamara finally admits defeat is actually due to him not being the real villain in the film (his police chief, an ex-convict, is the real villain). Cagney does have one or two obligatory fight sequences, but he displays a gentleness, especially when dealing with Ms George, that is very unusual and sweet.

JOHNNY COME LATELY was a novel by Louis Bromfeld. A few years ago Public Television did an "American Masters" episode on Bromfeld, who was (at one time in the early 1930s) considered the equal to Hemingway and Faulkner and Fitzgerald as a novelist. He is best recalled today for the novel, THE RAINS CAME, made into a classic early starring film for Tyrone Power and Myrna Loy. But his best written novel is supposed to be THE FARM, wherein he discussed the day to day running of a farm, and it's importance to the country. Ironically it was the subject of farms and agriculture that ended his brilliant writing career - he spent his savings trying to make a model farm for helping American farmers learn the latest techniques in agriculture. In the end he had to lose his farm as well (it was a brilliant idea, but he couldn't afford to keep it up). Bromfeld's writing can be sampled in JOHNNY COME LATELY, where he concentrates well on the characters in the story. Look at the scene where Cagney goes to a political power who likes ketchup in everything - Cagney plays up to this weakness, with odd but successful results.

Cagney is a human dynamo as a drifter who helps save ailing Grace George from losing her newspaper. The pace is fast, and audiences of all ages will be pleased. The supporting cast, have all the small-town characterizations down pat -- with Margaret Hamilton a standout. Cagney himself, had genuine affection for this film, and listed it among his top five movie-making experiences at a retrospective the year before he died.

One of the occasional independent efforts that the legendary Jimmy Cagney made away from the Warner Bros. studios,JOHNNY COME LATELY is a rather slow,stately melodrama of small-town political corruption near the beginning of the 20th century which is saved by a cast of familiar Hollywood character actors and some enjoyable scenes.Cagney is watchable as always,but kudos here mainly go to Grace George,a veteran stage actress whose only sound film this was.(She appeared in one silent film in the 1910's) Miss George's dignified and distinguished presence is the best aspect the film has going for it;it is a shame she never made another as she would've been a respectable and welcome addition to any film before or afterwards.

Leigh Harline's incessant,cloying musical score is a frequent and irritating distraction,but producer William Cagney(Jimmy's brother) has filled the picture with some popular and well-liked character players such as Margaret Hamilton,Hattie McDaniel,Lucien Littlefield,George Cleveland,Irving Bacon and Arthur Hunnicutt in some good cameos.The inimitable Marjorie Main comes off best as an ageing night-club hostess.Aside from some occasional familiar tough guy frissions(such as a chair being hurled,and a fist fight and shootout),Cagney is oddly subdued as a journalist turned hobo,and his character is essentially decent and honourable.His scenes with Miss George are quietly observational and low-key,but all the better for it and often rather touching.

It may have been somewhat better with big studio backing,but the production values are adequate,though William K. Howard's direction could have been pacier.The best scenes are towards the end when the townspeople stage an uprising against the corrupt politician Dougherty (Edward MacNamara),but his change of mind shortly afterwards doesn't really ring true.Cagney apparently considered his film one of his favourites.It isn't particularly one of his best,compared to such classics as THE PUBLIC ENEMY,YANKEE DOODLE DANDY and WHITE HEAT,but it's still worth a look.

RATING:Six and a half out of Ten