Solid performances by James Cagney and Joan Blondell make this crime melodrama a little bit different than most of the film that they had done previously. This lacks the wisecracking characters, street wise dialogue and delightfully eccentric supporting players, focusing more on the souls of the major characters than achieving laughs simply to keep its audiences attention. Cagney is involved with the mob, and he has made the scapegoat for a crime that falls through, resulting in him having a hit put on him. Old acquaintance Joan Blondell, whom he was once involved with, tells him that she is going to marry a fisherman, and he escorts her out of town not only to hide from the gang after him but to try to win her back in the process. When he encounters Blondell's fiance Victor Jory and mother-in-law to be Sarah Padden, he realizes it's going to be tough to get her away from the idealistic Jory. Cagney's constant presence makes Blundell confused, and eventually she decides that she needs to follow her own heart and run off with Cagney. But the mob, still on Cagney's trail, shows up suddenly, and that puts a damper in their plans.
This isn't necessarily a kinder and gentler Cagney, but one who doesn't over emote in that big tough cityspeak way, and Blondell is much gentler than the wisecracking dames she usually plays. She's thoughtful, filled with heart, obviously confused and determined to make the right moral choice for once in her life. Under playing it beautifully, Blondell is superb. Find performances by Jory and Padden helps make their earthy characters less of a stereotype. At times, Jory seem to be hiding behind a very hot temper, but there is obviously a spirituality in him that prevents that from erupting. Frank Craven, John Qualen and Bradley Page appear in major supporting roles, and as interesting qualities to their characterizations. This soft-spoken crime drama may have its violence and ruthless characters, but it is unique in the Warner Brothers catalog that was great for those type of films, but didn't always need to be the archetype of how crime dramas were written.
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