Welcome Back, Cotter
James Cagney's brother produced this early 50's gangster movie so he can hardly complain about being type-cast again as a gangland boss. It may not be quite as white-hot as "White Heat", but despite some major plot inconsistencies, it still manages to raise the temperature.
Like many a film-noir before, it kicks into life with an arguably unnecessary near-movie-length flashback as we're introduced to seven individuals on trial for murder-related crimes with the immediate reveal of Cagney's character's absence before he's even made an appearance, effectively sealing his eventual fate well in advance.
Never mind, when he does pop up, he dominates proceedings from first to last. Like Cody Jarrett, we see his Ralph Cotter character bust his way out of jail, cold-bloodedly sacrificing his escape-partner in the process. He then hooks up with the dead man's grieving young sister who doesn't know he killed her brother, even as he hatches up a small warm-up robbery in preparation for a much bigger heist on a rival mobster's operation. Leaned on by Ward Bond and Barton MacClane's pair of crooked cops, he craftily blackmails them into becoming his accomplices, along with a more willing shady solicitor played by Luther Adler.
Then Cotter comes across jaded society girl, Margaret, played by Helena Carter, who likes the bit of rough she sees in him. The daughter of the richest and most powerful man in town, it remains to be seen whether Cotter can appease the two girls in his life, pull off his big score and keep ahead of the law.
Cagney is still magnetic to watch, even at age 50, but even I struggled to accept he could so quickly and easily ensnare two such pretty young women. I also found the sub-plot involving Margaret and her father to be over-contrived, indeed I'd go further and say a few of the other plot twists also strained credibility too far. The film also lacks the powerhouse finish of "White Heat" despite some sharp direction by Gordon Douglas, who went on to make a number of realistically tough crime features in the late 60's, often starring Frank Sinatra.
This one's worth catching principally for Cagney's star turn but the great man undoubtedly made better films in this genre with which he's so keenly associated.
Like many a film-noir before, it kicks into life with an arguably unnecessary near-movie-length flashback as we're introduced to seven individuals on trial for murder-related crimes with the immediate reveal of Cagney's character's absence before he's even made an appearance, effectively sealing his eventual fate well in advance.
Never mind, when he does pop up, he dominates proceedings from first to last. Like Cody Jarrett, we see his Ralph Cotter character bust his way out of jail, cold-bloodedly sacrificing his escape-partner in the process. He then hooks up with the dead man's grieving young sister who doesn't know he killed her brother, even as he hatches up a small warm-up robbery in preparation for a much bigger heist on a rival mobster's operation. Leaned on by Ward Bond and Barton MacClane's pair of crooked cops, he craftily blackmails them into becoming his accomplices, along with a more willing shady solicitor played by Luther Adler.
Then Cotter comes across jaded society girl, Margaret, played by Helena Carter, who likes the bit of rough she sees in him. The daughter of the richest and most powerful man in town, it remains to be seen whether Cotter can appease the two girls in his life, pull off his big score and keep ahead of the law.
Cagney is still magnetic to watch, even at age 50, but even I struggled to accept he could so quickly and easily ensnare two such pretty young women. I also found the sub-plot involving Margaret and her father to be over-contrived, indeed I'd go further and say a few of the other plot twists also strained credibility too far. The film also lacks the powerhouse finish of "White Heat" despite some sharp direction by Gordon Douglas, who went on to make a number of realistically tough crime features in the late 60's, often starring Frank Sinatra.
This one's worth catching principally for Cagney's star turn but the great man undoubtedly made better films in this genre with which he's so keenly associated.
- Lejink
- 15 nov 2025