Sunday, August 18, 2019

Movie review - "Gangs of Chicago" (1940) ***

It feels like a Warner Bros movie but actually it was made at Republic, with Lloyd Nolan as a kid who wants to become a crook so goes into the law. I saw a shortened version but it was still pretty good - that concept is very strong. Of course Nolan has a poor but honest friend who shows him a different way (Ray Middleton)... actually he's not poor he's the son of a judge. I love how the judge supports Nolan and Nolan betrays him. And the film has an honesty - Nolan doesn't turn until the very end. His character has integrity.

So too do his associates, including his ruthlessly efficient female secretary. Rosemary Lane is in this as Middleton's sister but she didn't seem to have a big role - she felt like a beard because Nolan clearly loves Middleton. It's a strong emotional undercurrent though.

This is a very fine attempt at Republic to do a Warner Bros movie.

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