Stars: James Cagney, Mae Clark, Margaret Lindsay, Douglas Dumbrille
Director: Roy Del Ruth
I had occasion to view this movie early in the month, and I have to say it was a nice bit of Depression-era cinematic fare. James Cagney plays the part of a small time hustler fired from his job as a movie theater usher who finds himself rising to the top of a ring of burglars, only to be betrayed and thrown into a movie career. Trouble brews when his old crew shows up looking for a piece of the pie.
Ironically enough, the title of The Lady Killer does not involve killing any ladies, instead using the term to describe Cagney's success in wooing the ladies. Small timer Dan Quigley (Cagney) is introduced to the audience as a movie house usher who is continually being chewed out by the boss for gambling on the job and other assorted displays of slacking off. When he insults a particularly rude moviegoer who refuses to leave her dog outside the theater, he finds himself unemployed and hustling the local club scene.This movie was a nice little treat. This was relatively early in James Cagney's movie career. It's also not the first pairing of Cagney and Mae Clark; starring together in 1931's Public Enemy, Cagney turned heads in a scene in which he shoved a grapefruit in his co-star's face. It was quite shocking for its time, particularly for the character's cold disrespect for a lady. Capitalizing on the hype that generated, the duo's director in Lady Killer decided to up the ante by having Cagney drag Clark by her hair. (For screen captures, see here.) The film manages to balance light-hearted comedy with a bit of suspense, which under another cast and crew might not have worked. The story succeeds because it knows when and when not to take itself seriously.
But Quigley isn't quite as bright as he likes to think he is, because he falls victim to a scam perpetuated by Myra Gale (Mae Clark) and her band of poker hustlers; she pretends to leave her purse behind, he follows her back to her place to return it -- and perhaps gain a reward, be it monetary or romantic. But then a man (Douglas Dumbrille) comes out from behind a sliding door to introduce himself as Myra's brother-in-law Spade Maddock. He's been playing poker with his friends, and Quigley is invited to join in. Naturally, as this is actually a hustle, he loses his shirt. Maddock and Gale are really lovers, though the former has no qualms about using the latter as romantic bait to keep our hero on a short leash, so the strength of their relationship doesn't go beyond mere convenience.
But you can't put one over on Dan Quigley and get away with it! because as he leaves he is greeted by another would-be victim, and after that it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. Threatening to expose the gang, he offers to join them with the promise that he'll take them far. They agree, and Quigley makes good on his promise. He leads his gang to proprietorship in a swinging club, and before long they get the idea of insinuating themselves into the burglary racket by staging a car accident to get him into the home of a wealthy patron. Scoping the place as he waits for his gang to pick him up (in the guise of an ambulance crew), it isn't long before the dough is rolling in. But Quigley isn't happy with this arrangement; it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt or killed, and he won't go down for the crime once that happens. His concerns prove well founded, when a heist goes wrong and results in murder.
The chase is on. The club is raided, and the gang is forced to go on the run. Quigley and Gale make it as far as California, but the hero is nabbed by the police on a charge of larceny. Maddock convinces Gale to run away with the bail money Quigley asks his girlfriend to put up, and they leave him to the mercy of the justice system. But luck is ever kind to Dan Quigley; the larceny charge doesn't stick and the cops allow him to stay in town -- provided he gets a job and keeps his nose clean. The latter proves a lot easier than the former, and Quigley almost misses out on an opportunity when he is spotted by a pair of movie scouts. Given a job playing tough guy bit roles in movies, our hero slowly but surely begins to adjust to his new lifestyle. But as always, it isn't enough. Work is grueling, and the pay isn't much. But fortune, as I said, is ever smiling upon him. Plopping down on a random couch to rest his sore body, Quigley meets the star of the latest picture he's working on, and the sparks start to fly. This is where the lovely Margaret Lindsay enters the show, as actress Lois Underwood who falls for the dubious hero.
Quigley seizes upon an idea to make his star rise by sending himself increasingly numerous fan letters, and it isn't long before he's at the top of the cinematic heap. He's got it all now: money, fame, and the love of a beautiful woman. What can go wrong? Um, probably Myra Gale turning up in his bedroom, leading to a misunderstanding on Lois Underwood's part that results in her storming out of the apartment and -- presumably -- out of Dan Quigley's romantic life. Furious, he immediately proceeds to drag his former girlfriend out of the apartment by her hair. This has her fuming, and Gale isn't alone, either; she has Maddock and the rest of the gang with her and they've been keeping tabs on their old patsy. Jealous of his success and angry with being cut out of the loop, they demand money. Quigley is in no mood to fight them, or risk his new life of happiness, so he cuts them a check for ten thousand dollars on the condition that they leave town for good. Oh, if only it could end thusly!
Gale, Maddock and the gang resume their robbery of the rich, this time in Hollywood, posing as tourists to get into their victims' homes. They also decide to throw a monkey wrench into Quigley's life. When the gang burgles Lois's house, he goes to get the jewelry back but ends up being framed for the theft when the police arrive at the wrong moment. That's the last straw for our hero, and he agrees to turn state's evidence in return for leniency. It doesn't hurt that despite the studio distancing itself from its discredited star, Underwood stands by her man. This is where the action really begins to pick up, because upon learning that Quigley is ready to snitch Maddock decides it's time to get rid of his old patsy for good. Posting the hero's bail from the money Quigley had given the gang, they intend to use Myra as bait to lure him out to the countryside, where Dan Quigley is to give his final performance.
But Myra hasn't forgotten her feelings for her old, real flame, and she warns Quigley about the hit during the drive out. Our hero then reveals his own plan; before leaving the station, he warned the police what was happening, and the cops are following the bad guys. The movie ends in a shoot out, with Myra helping Dan catch the bad guys. Our boy Quigley gets his name cleared, a new wife in the arms of Lois Underwood, and Myra gets a reduced sentenced for helping foil her former comrades.
Cagney was obviously channeling his character from Public Enemy, but his comedic abilities also shine through. In one scene with Margaret Lindsay, after the encounter at Quigley's apartment with Mae Clark, Cagney delights in tormenting his leading lady by getting a little too far into character via the consuming of copious amounts of garlic. Needless to say, Lindsay makes sure her co-star knows his games are all wet. The movie works best for the chemistry shared between James Cagney and Margaret Lindsey, even if some of the finer story details are somewhat dated and lacking.
And the story does, admittedly, lack in some areas -- in particular with the development of Dan Quigley. He's quick, and luck seems to be kind to him, but it's obvious he isn't bright enough to avoid getting into trouble in the first place. He's hardly sophisticated enough to charm a famous actress like Lois Underwood, but he manages to do it anyway. We seem to know why Myra Gale falls for him; she's using him on Spade Maddock's orders, and her love doesn't hold up very well since she allows Maddock to convince her to abandon the hero. But Underwood's attraction to the unsophisticated Quigley makes less sense. Then again, considering how easily he fools his director into giving him bigger roles by penning fan letters en masse, maybe it does. One also might wonder why the police are able to link Quigley to Maddock's gang of hustlers-turned-burglars-turned-murderers, but not have enough to prosecute him for his involvement.
But these are things not meant to be dwelt upon, since the movie is clearly more comedy than gangster film. I recommend this film for Cagney fans looking for something light-hearted.
