Taking the main theme from "Five Star Final" one step further, this expose on sleaze journalism covers the job of the photographer. Newly released from prison, James Cagney gets into working as a scandal sheet photographer and quickly gains a reputation as a ruthless intruder. He makes many enemies in the press when he takes a photo of a death row inmate just as the lights go out, creating friction with the cop father of his lady love (Patricia Ellis). Slutty Alice White keeps Cagney distracted, and it is very obvious that something is going on there. In fact, she makes it clear that she enjoys him knocking her around, and the more he does it, the more she wants it. Ralph Bellamy plays Cagney's journalist pal who gets him the job. Robert Emmett O'Connor is also very good as Ellis's temperamental Irish father who has a love/hate relationship with his potential son-in-law.
Among the pre-code elements are Cagney's face as he listens to a very flamboyant male radio announcer hiss out an advertisement for a ladies cigarette then later pours a cocktail down a floozie's dress after she tries to swipe it. White takes a beating from him and begs for more. But nothing beats him sneaking a camera into prison for a ladies execution. In spite of the theme, the script plays for frequent laughs, giving me the impression that this was pretty shocking to the people fighting for the code.
Among the pre-code elements are Cagney's face as he listens to a very flamboyant male radio announcer hiss out an advertisement for a ladies cigarette then later pours a cocktail down a floozie's dress after she tries to swipe it. White takes a beating from him and begs for more. But nothing beats him sneaking a camera into prison for a ladies execution. In spite of the theme, the script plays for frequent laughs, giving me the impression that this was pretty shocking to the people fighting for the code.