After World War I, Armistice Lloyd Hart goes back to practice law, former saloon keeper George Hally turns to bootlegging, and out-of-work Eddie Bartlett becomes a cab driver. Eddie builds a fleet of cabs through delivery of bootleg liquor and hires Lloyd as his lawyer. George becomes Eddie's partner and the rackets flourish until love and rivalry interfere.
James Cagney Priscilla Lane Humphrey Bogart Gladys George Jeffrey Lynn Frank McHugh Paul Kelly Elisabeth Risdon Edward Keane Joe Sawyer Joseph Crehan George Meeker John Hamilton Robert Elliott Eddy Chandler Abner Biberman Vera Lewis John Deering Eddie Acuff Ernie Alexander Murray Alper Robert Armstrong Raymond Bailey Brooks Benedict James Blaine Max Blum Wade Boteler Harry C. Bradley Al Bridge Show All…
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Ripped from the headlines of the turbulent era between the Great War and the Great Depression, this dynamic, nostalgia-tinged crime drama balances tommy-gun action with epic historical sweep. Legends James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart star as army buddies whose fortunes rise and fall as their fates intersect, first in a foxhole on the front lines of World War I, then in Manhattan’s Prohibition-era underworld. Directed by Hollywood master Raoul Walsh, and based on a story by prolific journalist turned screenwriter and producer Mark Hellinger, The Roaring Twenties brought to a close the celebrated Warner Bros. gangster cycle of the 1930s, and it remains one of the greatest and most influential crime films of all time.
Our edition arrives on February 27, 2024. To learn more or pre-order, visit Criterion.com.
Arriving at tail-end of the trend of prohibition-era gangster films and intended as something of a goodbye Walsh applies a sophisticated, freewheeling energy composed of kinetic camera moves, elaborate montages and bursts of ruthless violence to tackle the entire decade—from WWI to the great depression to FDR and the end of prohibition. and in the process he essentially invents the Scorsese model of tracing the crime underworld through the passage of time, minute gang politics and the hangout, low-level POV of those who find themselves spending their lifetime in its historical orbit. Just the best! Bogart had appeared in a number of the Warner gangster films as a side character by this point but this is the one to finally…
He used to be a big shot.
-Panama Smith
The film can probably best be described as a fast paced gangster epic. The story is truly epic in scope as it starts out in World War I and makes it's way to the early 30s covering everything from prohibition, the stock market crash and the great depression. This would be the last film James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart made together.
This would also mark the last gangster film Cagney would star in before swearing off the genre. He would actually go a decade before returning to it in the legendary White Heat, coincidentally by the same director: Raoul Walsh. The gangster genre was winding down to make way for film-noir,…
I kind of like the “every thirty minutes narrator with booming voice updating major events in the 20s to both move the story along and position violent film to placate the Hayes Code” device. Sure, it’s kinda goofy, but I love how rooted in history it makes the film feel. My father was born in Brooklyn in 1929 (I was like his 83rd kid), so every time they mention the stock market crash, I cheer like it’s the Mets clinching the 2021 NL East crown.
It’s only the fourth Jimmy Cagney film I’ve seen, but it’s definitely my favorite performance. Bogey’s character is kinda one-dimensional here, which throws Cagney’s greatness into even sharper relief. He becomes a criminal that doesn’t…
This is a broad generalization, but one that feels rooted in truth: whether because of the pressure of heteronormativity, simple convention, or something else entirely, male actors, typically, engage with their female costars with an attentiveness and intensity that is not present in their interactions with other men on screen. This reality means that, when men bring that same attention to platonic relationships with same-sex screen partners, it's deeply unusual and catches the eye, even if we're not initially sure what we're noticing. The fact that James Cagney does this by default is, I think, one of the main elements that makes his screen presence as powerful as it is.
To be a bit more specific, something I notice with…
What an absolute gem of a movie that doesn't get near enough of the attention it deserves. Cagney completes an arc that you're not used to seeing from him, one that mirrors Rico's in LITTLE CAESAR, but this has a lot more emotional weight than that movie. Cagney is essentially the murderous gangster with a heart of gold, while Bogart is the ruthless maniac. Also has some of the best montages and surreal visuals this side of a Scorsese joint.
"He used to be a big shot."
“this is eddie bartlett, he used to be a big shot.”
furtive glances exchanged under dim lights, meticulously guarded postures in crowded backrooms, and handshakes that concealed more than they revealed; the subtle yet eloquent dialects of a world where verbal communication was rendered superfluous, duplicity is the lingua franca, and trust was as scarce as legal liquor. a hand extended in friendship, or perhaps conspiracy, a nod that seals a fate, a smile that masks a dagger. greed, ambition, and the allure of power become indistinguishable as individuals race to outmaneuver one another in a perilous game with intoxicatingly high stakes.
the prohibition era was a society where the thirst for illicit libation became a physical craving, birthing an underground…
the beginning of one of the great runs in hollywood history -- raoul walsh's work before this was innovative and promising, but spotty, given to poor scripts and third-string casts. with the roaring twenties, his first warners picture, walsh embarks on directing three of james cagney's best films, takes over the errol flynn cycle from curtiz and gives us multiple masterworks, makes humphrey bogart into a movie star in high sierra -- what you see in roaring twenties is an artist entering his prime.
which makes it that much more interesting that the film itself is 'untimely' -- a late-30s reflection on 1920s gangsterism, a deliberate memory piece on the socio-political consequences of the first world war, right on the…
A travelogue taking 1939 audiences through a decade not that far removed, The Roaring Twenties manages to touch on a good many of the events marking the tumultuous time 'between the wars'.
"In this booze business you can’t hire any geraniums!"
Though it kicks off in the trenches of France in the waning days of WWI, it's Prohibition in the U.S. and its eventual repeal that's the force dictating events in Raoul Walsh's gangster epic. Cagney's Eddie and his evil doppelganger, Bogart's more sinister George, are little more than puppets in the sway of that force, growing big on the fortuitous ban on alcohol that's basically fallen in their laps, before the former is fleeced by the latter when the…
The Roaring Twenties stands out as a slick and entertaining gangster flick, boasting stellar performances across the board. Despite occasional dips in interest, likely due to there being a lot on my mind, the film effectively captures the essence of an era, blending gritty realism with cinematic flair. Directed with finesse by Raoul Walsh, it offers a vivid portrayal of Prohibition-era America, exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, and the pursuit of the American Dream amidst the backdrop of bootlegging and organized crime. While it may not reach masterpiece status, its skillful direction, engaging dialogue, compelling narrative, and stunning cinematography certainly make it a great watch.
Fortunately, he ended up making White Heat but had this been James Cagney's final bow in a gangster picture, he would have picked a hell of one to go out on. I mean, with Cagney and Bogart in the same film, how could you go wrong? There was nothing particularly groundbreaking here, just a couple of pros doing what they did best. And for a film that covers over a decade of time, it was paced well, too. That, and the soundtrack was *chef's kiss*.
So much fun. Amazing performances from everyone and very gripping. To see a man make a meteoric rise and a devastating fall was pretty interesting. There should be one of these for every decade.
