A Lion is in the Streets *** (1953, James Cagney, Barbara Hale, Anne Francis, Warner Anderson, John McIntire, Jeanne Cagney, Lon Chaney Jr) – Classic Movie Review 6340

Director Raoul Walsh’s 1953 film tells a steamy story along the familiar lines of the power corrupts theme, but it comes up fresh again as it is powerfully and briskly done in the hands of star James Cagney and his director Walsh. It packs a whole lot in into just 88 fast-moving minutes.

Cagney is on commanding form as the bayou backwoods conman Hank Martin who becomes a corrupt governor (though, even so, some Americans complained about his Southern accent).

Other than the sterling, energised work of Cagney and Walsh, the film’s main pluses are Franz Waxman’s score, Harry Stradling Sr’s cinematography and the performances of appealing co-stars Barbara Hale as Verity Wade, the pretty teacher Hank Martin marries, and Anne Francis as sexy swamp girl Flamingo McManamee who comes on to Hank, inflaming Verity’s jealousy.

Also in the cast are Warner Anderson, John McIntire, Jeanne Cagney, Lon Chaney Jr (as Spurge McManamee), Sara Haden, James Millican, Onslow Stevens, Larry Keating, Frank McHugh, Mickey Simpson, Ellen Corby, Roland Winters, Bert Mustin, Irene Tedrow, James Griffith, Faye Roope, Sam McDaniel and William Philips.

Four Cagneys are involved in the movie: the star, actress sister Jeanne as actress, his brother William as producer, with Edward as story editor.

Luther Davis’s screenplay is based on Adria Locke Langley’s 1945 bestseller.

Cagney played Lon Chaney Jr’s real-life father Lon Chaney Sr in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6340

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com