Hard to Handle

James Cagney is better in the Roy del Ruth movies of this period. However, he was a dynamic, unstoppable force. He is believable here as a goodhearted con artist with a good heart.

He has some great scenes: In one, he runs down flight after flight of a winding staircase.

Mary Brian is the nominal leading lady. She's OK. But Ruth Donnelly is really Cagney's co-star here. Playing Brian's avaricious, canny mother, she is hilarious. Nobody can put one over on her. If anyone tries, she'll bounce right back. She'll change her tune. She'll double-cross and triple-cross to get what she wants for herself and her pretty daughter.

Donnelly was a reliable supporting performer in more movies than anyone could easily count. Rarely did she get such a role. She grabs it and runs with it. She and Cagney are fantastic together. It's a shame they were never teamed again.

This is a great little film that demonstrates everything that was fun about the Warner Brothers precodes. There are dance marathons, scams aplenty with Cagney's character at the center of them all - sometimes knowingly sometimes not, and that precode actress you'd just love to strangle - Claire Dodd.

Ruth (Mary Brian) is in love with Cagney's character, but Ruth's gold-digging mother Lil (Ruth Donelly) wants to make sure Ruth marries money. When Cagney is doing well, Lil's all for him as a future son-in-law. When he's not, she's after a photographer - " a 25000 dollar a year man" - as she describes him. The girls dress alike and Lil is always referring to herself and her daughter as "we", as in "we love you" or "we can't marry a pauper like that". Cagney plays an advertising promoter whose ideas sometimes work and sometimes don't, but always to comic effect. This film is not on DVD or VHS, so chances are you've never heard of it. Another interesting tidbit - Ruth Donelly and Mary Brian are actually only about ten years apart in age, yet play mother and daughter pretty effectively. Highly recommended for the silliness of it all.

Hard to Handle (1933)

** (out of 4)

James Cagney plays a hustler who fixes contests where the winners get a small amount of money while he makes it rich. Once again we get Cagney playing a fast talker and for the most part the film remains entertaining, although it's certainly lite all around. Mary Brian is great as the love interest and Ruth Donnelly steals the show as her loud mouth mother. There's a nice spoof of the grapefruit scene from The Public Enemy.

As of now this one isn't available on DVD so you'll have to keep your eyes on Turner Classic Movies.

It takes an actor of James Cagney's entertainment value and charisma, in order to make these low budget movies remotely memorable. His early work at "Warner Bros." doesn't have the variety of his later films at the studio but are great fun all the same!

"Hard to Handle" sums up Cagney to a tee! His seemingly unlimited energy helps him throughout the various complicated situations in which he finds himself. He's a lovable small time con artist who tries his luck with different "get rich quick" schemes. As in other films, he survives on his wits and determination.

The story is fairly loose but that isn't a problem. The humourous antics come thick and fast, leaving one overwhelmed by it all. Apart from James Cagney, it is Ruth Donnell who really shines as the wise-cracking mother of the decidedly dull leading lady.

See this film and have a ball.

I'm tempted to say that this is the best film I've ever seen. Obviously it's not but when you're watching it, you believe it is. Cagney is more Cagney than you ever thought possible - he's brilliant, the film is brilliant!

It's like he's been put in a bottle, shaken then released like never ending champagne exploding into your face. Every word he says is like a firework and Mervyn LeRoy's dynamic direction fills every single second with energy and sheer happy, warm fun. You know that this is neither a classic nor clever picture but It's inexplicably entertaining and thoroughly engaging.

Mary Brian is the billed as the lead female she's a bit of a non-entity, the real co-star is Ruth Donnelly as his prospective mercenary mother-in-law. She gives Cagney a run for his money, firing back wisecracks as fast as John McEnroe. Rarely has she been allowed to shine as much as she does in this. She is genuinely funny and she and Cagney make a brilliant comedy double act.

Comedy can age really badly - even comedies from just a decade ago can seem cringingly creaky. Tastes in the early thirties were clearly different to today's but because this is neither too 'left-field' or overly subtle it is still funny. It's so professionally acted, expertly directed, deftly written and above all, so crazily fast that you don't notice that it's actually just a silly light comedy. When you're watching this you're as happy as a dog that's discovered it's been locked in a butcher's shop. Guaranteed enjoyment!