This gangster story is remembered today when others have been forgotten because it's the film John Dillinger saw before being shot. William Powell and Myrna Loy reprise their screen roles but Clark Gable was not available so Don Ameche steps in. Don Ameche! Still, he’s actually not that bad and the basic story is pretty good - even if it's a bit creepy to feel that Loy wishes she didn't marry Powell. This was the film that started their legendary partnership.
(NB The basic story of two childhood friends, one becomes a gangster the other a force on the other side of the law, became a staple of Warner Bros gangster films eg Angels with Dirty Faces, The Roaring 20s - but MGM's Manhattan Melodrama predates them.)
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