The Prohibition era was never more tumultuous than in this chronicle of the underworld, brought to life in Raoul Walsh's dynamic direction. Against a backdrop of near news footage and narration, it follows the life of unemployed war veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney), who becomes a bootlegger and deals in bottles instead of battles.
But Eddie can't avoid the battles anyway - they await him inside and outside his growing empire. On the one hand he must face territorial disputes and bloody score-settling, on the other the betrayal of his partner (Humphrey Bogart).
Cagney was to play another gangster a decade later (White Heat), at a time when gangster films were becoming a rarity. "He used to be a big shot," says Panama Smith (Gladys George) in the finale, commenting on Bartlett's departure... signaling the end of Hollywood's interest in the gangster film.
THE ROARING TWENTIES - TECHNICAL DATA
Music: Ray Heindorf, Heinz Roemheld
Script: Jerry Wald, Robert Rossen, Richard Macaulay
Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Production: Mark Hellinger
Bonus features:
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