Return to a time when men talked fast, talked tough and talked turkey - guys whose attires were as sharp as knives (and who could kill with either one): Hollywood icons such as James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and (of course) Humphrey Bogart…they’re all here in the Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3, a 6-Disc set including several films that have never been released on video before now.

OK, let’s get one thing straight: most of these films are not gangster films per se.  Yes, they have some of the old Warner gangster stars and there are a number of car chases and a few scenes of Tommy guns in action…but for the most part, the movies in this set focus primarily on gamblers and ex-gangsters…then again, I suppose calling it The Gangsters Gone Legit Collection or The Future Members Of Gamblers Anonymous Anthology would cause sales to plummet.

So anyway, in chronological order (because I’m OC like that), the pictures…

Smart Money (1931) features (oddly enough) the only on-screen pairing of both Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney and, for all accounts and purposes, is an uncredited remake of Little Caesar only this time, the focus is on gamblers rather than gangsters.  Nick “The Barber” Venizelos (Robinson) is the hotshot owner of a small-town barbershop with an overwhelming passion for gambling and who never seems to lose.  In fact, Nick’s lucky side has gained the confidence of his friends so much that they all decide to pitch-in for Nick’s big trip to “The City” (the name of which is not disclosed, but it’s pretty obvious that it is supposed to be New York) to double their money.  Unfortunately, Nick has another overwhelming passion: blondes - and his weakness leads him into a trap which leads him broken and broke.  Several months later, Nick finds himself financially secure enough to take on the dirty card players in The City again…only this time, he’s prepared to play on their terms.

Smart Money (1931) is an entertaining bit of pre-Hays Code fun, but it isn’t perfect: Cagney and Robinson - while great together - aren’t given nearly enough to do (but of course, the industry was still young and moviegoers had a short attention span in those days…so you couldn’t waste a lot of time on character development), and many modern-day viewers will no doubt feel alienated and/or offended by the underlying tone of racism throughout (just remember, folks: it was a different world then…a grain of salt, kids…a grain of salt).  Other than those flaws, Smart Money (1931) is still a required view.  It also features the first known role of Charles Lane (as a hotel desk clerk) and Boris Karloff fans will no doubt enjoy seeing their idol, only months away from achieving worldwide fame as The Monster in Frankenstein (1931), in a small part at the beginning as a shady character (possibly a drug dealer).

James Cagney shines in Picture Snatcher (1933), the story of ex-gangster Danny Kean (Cagney) who, upon his release from Sing Sing, decides to go legit.  To start, he finagles his way into working at a tabloid newspaper as a photographer, taking the tough assignments.  In no time at all, Danny has earned quite the reputation and is making new friends (and enemies) alike.  One day, Danny meets Patricia (Alice White), a hot young dame with whom he falls in love…and who happens to be the daughter of the Irish policeman (Robert Emmett O’Connor) who put him in prison!

When Danny cons his way into the Big House to cover the execution of a murderess, he brings about the wrath of the entire community - both police and journalist alike - when he snaps a photo of the death and hands the shocking photo in (which is actually based on a real-life event).  Much better than the previous entry (in my opinion), Picture Snatcher also stars Ralph Bellamy as Danny’s alcoholic co-worker.

The Mayor Of Hell (1933) follows the further adventures of James Cagney, this time as Patsy Gargan, an ex-gangster that has been appointed Deputy Commissioner as part of a political favor (well, that explains how the political system works!).  For the most part, Gargan doesn’t adhere to his job duties and micro-manages his way through his tasks, but when he stops by the State Reformatory to do a yearly “Hey, how’s it going?” he sees a lot of himself in the misguided (and abused) youth such as Jimmy Smith (Frankie Darro) and his gang, forcing him to step up to the plate and do some good for once.  Gargan lays the guards off and turns the school into a fully functional city-like system: complete with a Mayor, a Chief of Police, a Treasurer, etc. (theoretically a sound notion).

Things take a turn for the worse however when one of Gargan’s accidentally shoots his old gangster crony Joe (Harold Huber) in self-defense…forcing him to take it on the lam.  This gives the Reformatory’s previous administrator, the sadistic Mr. Thompson (Dudley Digges), a chance to reign again.  Thompson’s ill regard towards the children leads to the death of one of the young lads - causing the kids to revolt in a spectacular climax.

If The Mayor Of Hell sounds familiar, it’s because it was remade with the Dead End Kids - twice - once as not-quite-as-good Crime School (1938) with Humphrey Bogart and again the next year as the vastly inferior Hell’s Kitchen (1939) with Ronald Reagan.  Don’t be fooled by imitations - this is the definitive version!

Another Jimmy Cagney classic, Lady Killer (1933), is next on the list - this comical take on the genre (again, none of these first four films are really that “gangster” oriented) brings us the tale of Dan Quigley (Cagney), a carefree individual with a penchant for gambling that (after being fired from a Warner Bros. Picture House!) loses fifty big ones in a crooked card game with swindlers Myra (Mae Clarke) and Spade (Charlie Chan/Mr. Moto regular Douglass Dumbrille).  Shortly after learning he has been conned, Dan manages to turn the tables and soon, Myra, Spade and the gang are working for him, running a flashy casino in New York City and robbing the homes of the rich on the side.  Unfortunately, a few members of “the gang” are about as smart as all of the other hoodlums in town and their need for wanton violence leads to the untimely demise of some poor sap, so they all split up and head their separate ways (cue Journey) - Dan and Myra heading for “sunny” California.  Upon arriving, Dan is caught by the police and Spade soon appears, persuading Myra to take off with him to Mexico with Dan’s bail money.  Upon his near-instantaneous release, Quigley is left to wander the streets of Hollywood where he is discovered by a talent scout and soon -with a little self-help - Dan Quigley is one of Tinseltown’s brightest rising stars!

Sad but true: good-natured fun like this can’t last forever.  Soon, Spade and the gang are back and begin robbing the homes of the Hollywood Elite, including Dan’s new girlfriend, actress Lois Underwood (Margaret Lindsay) and the unscrupulous heathens intend to make Dan the patsy (not to be confused with Patsy Gargan from the previous movie).  Another recommended title in this set.

Black Legion (1936) stars noir icon Humphrey Bogart as Frank Taylor, an all-around, all American, regular kind of guy with an adoring wife (Erin O’Brien-Moore) and a baseball-loving son (Dickie Jones).  Everyone expects Frank to receive the newly opened slot for foreman at the factory, but when Polish-American Joe Dombrowski gets the job, Frank finds himself more than just a little peeved.  Following a long ‘bout of feeling sorry for himself, Frank is approached by co-worker Cliff Summers (Joe Sawyer) and one night, confused and upset, Frank winds up joining The Black Legion, a secret Ku Klux Klan-like society intent on ridding America of those dirty foreigners (all of whom seem to forget that their ancestors came from another country originally…just like every racist sect in the world) so American jobs can be filled by lazy, obnoxious, alcoholic Americans (these must be the same guys that later formed the Shilo Inn franchise).

Unfortunately, by the time Frank discovers that this whole white supremacist thing isn’t his cup of tea, he also realizes that it’s far too late to back out and if he tries to leave (or if he dares to utter a word to another soul about the clan), both he and his family will be in mortal danger.

Despite a rather unbelievable ending, Black Legion is a captivating B-Movie with some great acting that dares to make a bold statement: this shit doesn’t fly, people!  Dick Foran co-stars as Bogey’s best friend and neighbor.  A favorite scene involves the heads of the sect discussing how they’re not making enough money off of all the membership fees, regalia, required purchases, etc. that the members are forced to buy - giving off the impression that the whole organization was formed so the rich ring leaders could get richer and the poor (naïve) devotees would sink their lives and money into something that is completely, absolutely and positively wrong!  I should point out that my opinion on this sensitive subject is just that - my opinion - anyone believing otherwise is invited to jump into a stump grinder.

Brother Orchid (1940) opens with disillusioned gangster Little Johnny Sarto (Edward G. Robinson) giving up his position at the Monarch Protective Association, leaving his girl Flo (Ann Sothern) behind, and setting out to travel the globe in an effort to pick up a little class (he doesn’t have enough).  Five years and several lousy investments later, Johnny returns to the old gang with the hope of being boss once again…only to be tossed out of the office by his old gang, now led by his former second-in-command Jack Buck (Humphrey Bogart). 

Seeking revenge, Johnny tracks down Flo and his old pal Willie ‘The Knife’ (Allen Jenkins in an exceptionally hammy performance) to assemble his own gang so he can run Jack Buck out of town.  When that doesn’t work out the way he planned, Johnny finds himself in the hands of the Monks of the Monastery of the Little Brothers of the Flowers (!) led by Brother Superior (Donald Crisp).  Yes, it’s the 40s male version of Sister Act, but a great supporting cast, including Ralph Bellamy, Cecil Kellaway, Charles D. Brown, Morgan Conway, Richard Lane, Paul Guilfoyle, Wilfred Lucas, Dick Wessel and even Tom Tyler help keep this light-hearted gangster comedy running smooth.

Presentations
My hat’s off to the boys at Warner: the picture quality on each film looks much better than I expected.  The Mono-channel sound (while a little low) is clear and crisp.

Extras
Every disc in the Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3 set includes several vintage short subjects (from the same year as the main feature) which includes a Preview for an upcoming film, an excerpt from a Newsreel, a Short Subject (or two) and a cartoon (or two).

Smart Money features an Audio Commentary with Film Historians Alain Silver and James Ursine; a Trailer for Other Men’s Women (2:48); a Newsreel Clip (0:27) featuring Al Capone; George Jessel And His Russian Art Choir (8:04); The Smart Set-Up (18:31); and the Looney Tunes cartoon Big Man From The North (7:46).

Picture Snatcher offers us an Audio Commentary featuring Film Historians Jeffrey Vance and Tony Maietta; a Trailer for I Loved A Woman (2:50); a Newsreel Clip (0:54) featuring “Machine Gun” Kelly; Plane Crazy (19:33) and the
Merrie Melodies toon Wake Up The Gypsy In Me (7:25). Bonus Previews for Picture Snatcher (1:03), Escape From Crime (1:36) are also included.

The Mayor Of Hell brings us an Audio Commentary by Film Historian Greg Mank; a Trailer for The Kennel Murder Case (2:19) starring William Powell; a Newsreel Clip (1:20); The Audition (9:16) and the Merrie Melodies short The Organ Grinder (7:17).  Bonus Previews include The Mayor Of Hell (2:31), Crime School (1:37), Hell’s Kitchen (1939) (2:21).

Lady Killer features an Audio Commentary by Film Historian Dr. Drew Casper; the Trailer for Footlight Parade (3:17); a Newsreel Clip (1:34) announcing the “grand opening” of Alcatraz for gangsters; The Camera Speaks (10:37), an eerily semi-surreal oddity; Kissing Time (21:49); and a politically incorrect Merrie Melodies offering: The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (7:19).  A Theatrical Trailer for Lady Killer (2:30) is also available.

Black Legion contains an Audio Commentary with Film Historians Patricia King Hanson and Anthony Slide (so, if you record a commentary once, you’re considered a film historian?); the Trailer for The Perfect Specimen (3:38) with Errol Flynn; a Newsreel Clip (1:00) featuring members of the NYCPD tossing seized guns and slot machines into the ocean (any member of the Green Party will love it); Cab Calloway in Hi De Ho (10:52); the Technicolor Short Under Southern Stars (17:16); and Porky And Gabby (7:05), another Looney Tunes offering.  Also on hand is the Trailer for Black Legion (1:41).

Brother Orchid offers another Film Historian-laced Audio Commentary, this time by Alan L. Gansberg and Eric Lax; a Trailer for It All Came True (1:52); another all-too-brief Newsreel Clip (1:36) features some Warner Bros. stars at the horse track (the first half is silent, the second half features the sound of the audience - no narrator is heard which makes one wonder if this footage was ever used); a wonderful Short with the dynamic sounds of Henry Busse And His Orchestra (9:46); and two servings of Looney Tunes: Busy Bakers (7:07) in color and Slap Happy Pappy (7:02) in glorious black-and-white.  The final Extra is the Theatrical Trailer for Brother Orchid (1:44).

While it’s a blast to see some of these rarities for the first time, it’s easy to see why a many of them have been buried for so long: these Extras range from boring (The Camera Speaks or Kissing Time come quickly to mind) to mildly amusing (The Smart Set-Up or Plane Crazy) to downright racist (The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives wins the award here - it even has a brief disclaimer at the beginning stating that it is wrong, it is a product or another time and that ignoring it is to ignore history itself - no such disclaimer is seen with any of the live-action features that may also be perceived - at times - as racist). 

Warner has done their very best to tie the Special Features with their Main Attractions (e.g. trailers for movies featuring some of the same stars, etc.).  The most amusing Extras + Movie combo is to be found on the Black Legion disc: Under Southern Stars, a Technicolor mini-feature glorifying General Stonewall Jackson is preceded by the black-and-white musical short Hi De Ho starring the great Cab Calloway and followed by a movie about racism!   If this bizarre union was an intentional one, the folks at Warner Home Video might want to do a more-thorough investigation on some of their employees…

Many of these Extras make their home video debut in this collection - some appear to be mastered from original vault elements while others appear to have been taken from a video source.  Now, despite the fact that Warner tacked on a disclaimer at the beginning of a politically incorrect cartoon citing that it would be bad to pretend history didn’t happen, the newsreel clips are just that: clips - clips as in not intact - as in where-is-the-rest-of-the-history (include the whole newsreel next time, fellas - please).

On the plus side, each title has a wonderful Warner Night At The Movies option in which you can watch all of the Special Features followed by the main attraction (kind of like some of those good ol’ Drive-In Double Features that Something Weird and Image used to put out…boy, do I miss those).

The Bottom Line
Thanks, Warner - I’m sold!

		Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3
4		Feature - Not really gangster films, but fun nevertheless!
4		Video - Considering their age, these movies look great.
4		Audio - Not since Mono Lake has Mono created this much awe.
4		Extras - A wonderful assortment of odds and ends from the Warner vault!

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