The first thing I suggest you do before watching this film is to read the Wikipedia article about Jim Fisk -- the subject of this film. On the one hand, this is a fairly entertaining "biopic". On the other hand, it's highly fictionalized...accurate enough to recognize that it is the story of Jim Fisk, but why they didn't just tell the true story and also make it accurate, I don't know...well, actually I do know, because the character played by Frances Farmer was, in real life, a fat prostitute; after all, this picture was made in 1937. But, nevertheless, it's an interesting film, though hardly one you'll want to watch more than once.
Edward Arnold plays Jim Fisk, does it nicely, and actually looks a bit like the real Fisk.
Cary Grant gets second billing here as his partner; some of our reviewers seem stunned that Grant didn't get top billing, but the year this was made -- 1937 -- was the year that Grant established himself as a lead actor. The film he made just before this one was the great "Topper", and right after this one the equally entertaining "The Awful Truth". After "The Awful Truth", Grant would never again take second billing. He's interesting here, and somehow his performance reminds me a tad of how he presented himself in "The Howards Of Virginia".
I really hadn't noticed Frances Farmer in any films before this one, and I can't say I was particularly impressed. Jack Oakie is along as another of Fisk's confederates; he's mildly entertaining here. Similarly, Donald Meek plays Daniel Drew, an unwilling confederate of Fisk, although in real life, Fisk worked for Drew. Clarence Kolb plays himself as Cornelius Vanderbilt. Billy Gilbert is interesting in a small role as a portrait photographer.
In some ways interesting, but this film is no great shakes. It's okay for one viewing, and in reality, Edward Arnold has the most interesting role here.
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