Smart Money is essentially a tale about the evils of gambling, and demonstrates the truth in the phrase "The higher you climb the further you fall" Edward G Robinson plays Nick 'The Barber' a guy who's two main loves in life are blonde's and gambling. However, the rules of probability does not apply to him as he seemingly never loses.
James Cagney plays Jack, his sidekick, who's loyalty to Nick is so strong that tragic consequences are bound to arise.
After many of the local gamblers pool their wealth to send Nick to the City to partake in a high stakes poker game with known gambling big shot Hicory Short, (later to be unmasked as Sleepy Sam, a professional conman), the arrogant but big hearted Nick feels he can't lose.
His pride comes before a very large fall, and he is cleaned out by the gamblers. The next day he realises that he's been cheated with shaved cards and vows to get even with the crooks.
He opens another Barber shop to raise funds for his 'rematch' and when the time comes, cheats the cheaters by using shaved cards himself, essentially becoming the Mr Big of the gambling world.
However, this brings unwanted attention for the District Attorney's office who although not a gangster, murderer or even bootlegger, still views Nick as part of the City's 'undesirable' element.
After helping in the rescue of a young blonde lady who's just been fished out of the river after a failed suicide attempt, Nick, who's still a kind decent man at heart takes her under his wing. Much to the chagrin of right hand man Jack, who neither likes nor trusts Nick's new companion.
Playing on Nick's love of beautiful blonde's, (and one in particular), the DA's office set up a 'honey trap' to bring him down a peg or two.
Smart Money is not a brilliant movie by any stretch of the imagination. though it is enjoyable enough to look forward to repeat watchings. It's a shame that Robinson's and Cagney's only pairing together wasn't a little better.
At the time of filming, Cagney was still trying to fight his way out of the supporting player 'sidekick' roles and just before the film was released, The Public Enemy made only a few short months before, had already cemented Cagney's superstar status.
One major criticism I do have about the film is the blatant racism shown toward the black characters. I am usually one of the first people to advise viewers not to get too offended, and accept that the movie was made in a different time where these kind of stereotypes were not considered offensive. However, Smart Money goes WAY over the top. For instance one of the black characters is named 'Suntan' and another scene on a train sees a black porter given half a bank note as a tip and then told "You'll get the other half at the end of the line, if you're a good boy" and worst of all, the very patronising way that Nick always rubs the hair of the black characters for luck. I still have friction burns on my chin from when my jaw hit the floor on that one.
That aside, Smart Money is a worthy inclusion in the filmography of both actors.
Enjoy!
James Cagney plays Jack, his sidekick, who's loyalty to Nick is so strong that tragic consequences are bound to arise.
After many of the local gamblers pool their wealth to send Nick to the City to partake in a high stakes poker game with known gambling big shot Hicory Short, (later to be unmasked as Sleepy Sam, a professional conman), the arrogant but big hearted Nick feels he can't lose.
His pride comes before a very large fall, and he is cleaned out by the gamblers. The next day he realises that he's been cheated with shaved cards and vows to get even with the crooks.
He opens another Barber shop to raise funds for his 'rematch' and when the time comes, cheats the cheaters by using shaved cards himself, essentially becoming the Mr Big of the gambling world.
However, this brings unwanted attention for the District Attorney's office who although not a gangster, murderer or even bootlegger, still views Nick as part of the City's 'undesirable' element.
After helping in the rescue of a young blonde lady who's just been fished out of the river after a failed suicide attempt, Nick, who's still a kind decent man at heart takes her under his wing. Much to the chagrin of right hand man Jack, who neither likes nor trusts Nick's new companion.
Playing on Nick's love of beautiful blonde's, (and one in particular), the DA's office set up a 'honey trap' to bring him down a peg or two.
Smart Money is not a brilliant movie by any stretch of the imagination. though it is enjoyable enough to look forward to repeat watchings. It's a shame that Robinson's and Cagney's only pairing together wasn't a little better.
At the time of filming, Cagney was still trying to fight his way out of the supporting player 'sidekick' roles and just before the film was released, The Public Enemy made only a few short months before, had already cemented Cagney's superstar status.
One major criticism I do have about the film is the blatant racism shown toward the black characters. I am usually one of the first people to advise viewers not to get too offended, and accept that the movie was made in a different time where these kind of stereotypes were not considered offensive. However, Smart Money goes WAY over the top. For instance one of the black characters is named 'Suntan' and another scene on a train sees a black porter given half a bank note as a tip and then told "You'll get the other half at the end of the line, if you're a good boy" and worst of all, the very patronising way that Nick always rubs the hair of the black characters for luck. I still have friction burns on my chin from when my jaw hit the floor on that one.
That aside, Smart Money is a worthy inclusion in the filmography of both actors.
Enjoy!