Product Description

Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney were teamed for the only time in their careers in Smart Money. Robinson has the larger part as a small- town barber who fancies himself a big-time gambler. He travels to the Big City in the company of his younger brother Cagney, who wants to make sure that Robinson isn't fleeced by the high-rollers. Unfortunately Robinson has a weakness for beautiful blondes, most of whom take him for all his money or betray him in some other manner. The cops aren't keen on Robinson's gambling activities, but they can pin nothing on him until he accidentally kills Cagney in a fight. The incident results in a jail term for manslaughter, and a more sober-sided outlook on life for the formerly flamboyant Robinson. Watch closely in the first reel of Smart Money for an unbilled appearance by Boris Karloff as a dope pusher.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75429 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2008-03-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 81 minutes

Features

• Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney were hotter than smoking gats when Smart Money was released. Each actor was mere months removed from his star-making role ? Little Caesar and The Public Enemy respectively ? when they paired in a snappy tale that one might expect would be the first of many tough-guy collaborations. Alas, perhaps astonishingly, no. This is the only feature teaming the two legends

Amazon.com
Edward G. Robinson spent a lot of his Warner years resisting Little Caesar typecasting, and Smart Money is a fascinating case in point. Although the story of "Nick the Barber" recalls elements of Robinson's starmaking hit, the actor insisted on script modifications so that Nick, a compulsive gambler, emerges as a sympathetic character--and a fatally soft touch where women are concerned. His itinerary takes him from small-town barbershop with an after-hours game in the back to operating his own swank casino in the big city, but he never comes off as a criminal except by prissy legal technicality. Directed by Alfred E. Green, the movie marks the sole occasion of Warner gangster stars Robinson and James Cagney working together. Really, it's Robinson's picture--though Jimmy the Gent outshines him in a classic scene where they discuss a woman's attributes ... in mime. Without quite endorsing Nick's line of work, the film takes a distinctly jaundiced view of the calculating district attorney who sets out to trap him. That's characteristic of the studio in this pre-Code era, and so is the startlingly throw-away depiction of small-town crook Boris Karloff as a dope dealer. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

5 star commentary for 4 star film
"Smart Money" was the follow up film for Edward G. Robinson after his smash hit as "Little Caesar". This is a very rare film which has been unseen for years. Not only is it of interest to historians but it stands up very well today and is good entertainment. Released in 1931, some 5 months after the former film, it is a much better production in every way, although the story is tamer. Robinson plays a barber with a renowned gambling ability who hits the big city, funded by his friends from home and hoping to make a mint. The film traces his progress from small town hick to big city gambler but lacks the violence of "Little Caesar". Robinson himself requested that the more unattractive traits of his character be toned down and in this one, he is much more vulnerable and likeable, with a penchant for blondes. He is supported by James Cagney in his last supporting role. The film is very well directed by Alfred Green and is surprisingly detailed for a Warners film of this period, an A film, no doubt about it. The print is excellent.

The real gem of this DVD is the outstanding commentary which can be played with the film. Two erudite historians place the film squarely in its context: the advent of sound, Warner Brothers lead in recording, the pre-code aspects of the script and characters and finally, biographical information about the stars, all delivered and paced beautifully. Wow! The DVD also contains a crude trailer for "Other Men's Woman", another film with Cagney in a supporting role, a brief newsreel with a glimpse of Al Capone and a very old classic cartoon. There are two musical short films. The first stars the famous George Jessel who introduces a Russian choir with some starchy comedy. The other is much better - a neat broadway yarn with a long forgotten singer Walter O'Keefe, who has a great way with a song and can actually deliver dialogue. It is surprisingly good.

This is a very good DVD package, even better value if purchased as part of the Warner's Gangster Series, Volume 3.

Smart Money
Well worth it if you're into either Edward G. Robinson or James Cagney....
Gritty gangsters with enough molls and bad behavior to get s Sunday School Teacher spastic......

Robinson as a kinder gentler gangster
1931's "Smart Money" is the only time Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney were paired in a film. Robinson is definitely in the lead here, though. Although it's impossible to really describe Cagney as "subdued" in anything he ever did, he is toned down a bit. Robinson plays Nick the barber, who gets 10K together to gamble in one of the syndicate's big games. This turns out the way you'd expect when a small time guy goes up against the mob and expects them to play on the level. Robinson's character vows revenge as a result of this double-cross. He eventually does become a successful big-time gambler with a gambling syndicate of his own. At this point he begins to attract the attention of law enforcement.

Don't expect Robinson's Little Caesar character to show up here - Nick the Barber is a kinder gentler gangster. In fact, he's really not much of a gangster at all. He pretty much limits his law-breaking to participating in and backing gambling until the final scene, which turns out to be the height of irony.

Special Features:
Commentary track
Theatrical trailer: Other Men's Women
Two WB shorts: George Jessel and His Art Choir and The Smart Set-Up
WB cartoon: Big Man From the North