This wouldn't be much more than a routine early comedy except for its historical interest. I mean, a John Ford talkie, the debuts of Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart.
Tracy and Warren Hyman, two roughnecks, break out of prison, meet again in Kansas City, get into a fist fight in public, wind up back in the slams again. Here they meet Humphrey Bogart, a nice kid from a good family who is taking the rap for someone else. Bogart meets a pretty blond inmate from the women's section, a victime of a frame, and they fall for each other.
Bogart is released and goes home to wait for his girl to be sprung. (His family thinks he's been in China.) But the dirty rat for whom the blond took the fall shows up and threatens to expose Bogart unless he pimps some phony stocks. Bogart is in a quandary. Hearing of this, Tracy and Hyman break out again and visit Bogart's home in New England. After they straighten things out, they cheerfully go back to the prison in time for the big baseball game.
Bogart is unexceptional in his one-dimensional role. Tracy is rather a fuller character. Both were to have distinguished careers but in this early film Bogart seemed to be still learning his craft while Tracy was already what he would be later.
Warren Hymer is stuck in the role of the dummy and is the source of much of what humor there is. When he and Tracy are first invited into Bogart's upper-class home for dinner, they meet Bogart's family and Tracy is self-conscious. Hymer, though, is swept up into the prevailing decorum and rushes to help Bogart's mother into her chair, while Tracy gawks in silence. And when Hymer completes Mom's saying grace, Tracy drops his spoon in amazement.
There are minor Fordian touches. Before a game, the manager explains to the visiting team of prisoners that certain actions are not allowed -- and he demonstrates each of them on the team. (Cf., "Rio Grande.") The inmates put on a show and one of them sings the sentimental ditty "Mother." ("M is for the million things she gave me...") And Ford pans slowly across the faces of the audience as they tear up. And he seems to be serious.
But, overall, the story is nothing to write home about and one gets a sense that, Tracy aside, the chief elements were yet to hit their stride. It's not a bad movie. It's just nothing special.
Tracy and Warren Hyman, two roughnecks, break out of prison, meet again in Kansas City, get into a fist fight in public, wind up back in the slams again. Here they meet Humphrey Bogart, a nice kid from a good family who is taking the rap for someone else. Bogart meets a pretty blond inmate from the women's section, a victime of a frame, and they fall for each other.
Bogart is released and goes home to wait for his girl to be sprung. (His family thinks he's been in China.) But the dirty rat for whom the blond took the fall shows up and threatens to expose Bogart unless he pimps some phony stocks. Bogart is in a quandary. Hearing of this, Tracy and Hyman break out again and visit Bogart's home in New England. After they straighten things out, they cheerfully go back to the prison in time for the big baseball game.
Bogart is unexceptional in his one-dimensional role. Tracy is rather a fuller character. Both were to have distinguished careers but in this early film Bogart seemed to be still learning his craft while Tracy was already what he would be later.
Warren Hymer is stuck in the role of the dummy and is the source of much of what humor there is. When he and Tracy are first invited into Bogart's upper-class home for dinner, they meet Bogart's family and Tracy is self-conscious. Hymer, though, is swept up into the prevailing decorum and rushes to help Bogart's mother into her chair, while Tracy gawks in silence. And when Hymer completes Mom's saying grace, Tracy drops his spoon in amazement.
There are minor Fordian touches. Before a game, the manager explains to the visiting team of prisoners that certain actions are not allowed -- and he demonstrates each of them on the team. (Cf., "Rio Grande.") The inmates put on a show and one of them sings the sentimental ditty "Mother." ("M is for the million things she gave me...") And Ford pans slowly across the faces of the audience as they tear up. And he seems to be serious.
But, overall, the story is nothing to write home about and one gets a sense that, Tracy aside, the chief elements were yet to hit their stride. It's not a bad movie. It's just nothing special.