I was encouraged to look at this film after a positive review in George Raft’s recent biography, but it’s pretty run of the mill stuff. Raft is an ex-con just out of gaol and trying to go straight – but society won’t let him. William Holden plays his younger brother and Bogie is his former cell mate. Holden hadn’t grown into his looks yet and isn’t as effective as he’d be when he hit middle age, but Bogart is very good – indeed, you kind of wish that he’d play Raft’s role. It needn’t have been that way, because Raft is actually okay and makes an interesting contrast with Bogart – smoother, better looking – but they down-play that for this film. There is a promising subplot where Bogart sticks up for Raft despite his gang’s dislike of Raft, but Bogie’s part is actually quite small; more screen time is given to Raft hoping Holden will stay on the straight and narrow, which isn’t nearly as interesting.
Jane Bryan, who specialised in dull characters in Warners movies, plays Holden’s dull fiancée. There’s one scene where she goes on and on about fancy stuff and overseas trips and Holden snaps at her; I think we’re meant to think “gee poor Jane being snapped at like that” but the way she craps on about it my sympathy’s all with Holden. Structurally I felt the main problem was it took too long for Raft to resort to a life of crime – you know this is what’s going to happen, so why not get there as soon as you can? Also Raft lacks a love interest; he spends too much time mooning over his mother (Flora Robson in makeup), which seems more at home in an MGM film. Still, it moves along and picks up towards the end when the bang-bang starts.
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