Smart Money (1931 film)
| Smart Money | |
|---|---|
theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Alfred E. Green |
| Produced by | Alfred E. Green (uncredited) |
| Written by |
Screen story & dialogue: Kubec Glasmon John Bright Lucien Hubbard Joseph Jackson |
| Starring |
Edward G. Robinson James Cagney Evalyn Knapp Noel Francis |
| Cinematography | Robert Kurrle |
| Edited by | Jack Killifer |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Smart Money is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros., directed by Alfred E. Green, and starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney, the only time Robinson and Cagney made a movie together despite being the two leading gangster actors at Warner Bros. studios throughout the 1930s. Smart Money was shot after Robinson's signature film Little Caesar had been released, and during the filming of Cagney's breakthrough masterpiece The Public Enemy, which is how Cagney came to play, just this once, the kind of supporting role usually portrayed by Humphrey Bogart later in the 1930s.
This was nominated at the 4th Academy Awards for the now defunct Best Story category. The nominated duo was Lucien Hubbard and Joseph Jackson.
Nick Venizelos (Robinson), a prosperous small-town barber, provides his customers with gambling in his back room. He is so lucky that one suggests he go to the big city to take on famous gambler named Hickory Short. Not lacking in self-confidence, Nick puts up half of the $10,000 stake himself, while the others raise the rest. He leaves the shop under the supervision of his assistant, Jack (Cagney), and takes the train into the city.
He learns from Marie, the pretty blonde working at the hotel cigar stand, where Hickory is holding his illegal, high-stakes poker game. Nick sits down at the game, but loses all his money. Later, however, he sees a newspaper article reporting that the real Hickory Short has just been released from prison far away in Florida. The man he thought was Hickory is actually conman Sleepy Sam (Ralf Harolde), and Marie is his girlfriend and accomplice. When Nick foolishly tries to get his money back, Sleepy Sam and the other fake poker players beat him up. After he gets out of the hospital, he vows to get revenge.
...
Wikipedia