The Crowd Roars *** (1932, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Eric Linden) – Classic Movie Review 8896

Director Howard Hawks’s 1932 Warner Bros black and white sport action drama The Crowd Roars stars James Cagney as Joe Greer, the famous racing driver determined to keep his speed-struck younger brother Eddie (Eric Linden) away from the sport. But high-velocity disaster is just around the bend.

Hawks directs the action at a furious pace, as the boys race round the track in beautiful cars while the girls (Joan Blondell and Ann Dvorak) watch with fear and wonder.

There is hardly any characterisation to speak of, and the film feels short and underdeveloped, though Cagney’s bravado and talent easily pull him through, and Hawks makes sure the film delivers the thrills.

Also in the cast are Guy Kibbee, Frank McHugh, Regis Toomey, William Arnold, Leo Norris, Charlotte Merriam, Harry Hartz, Ralph Hepburn, Sam Hayes, Ralph Dunn, John Conte, John Harron and Robert McWade.

The screenplay by Kubec Glasmon, John Bright and Niven Busch is based on the story The Roar of the Crowd by Seton I Miller.

It was shot at Nutley Velodrome, New Jersey, and at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, California, with archive racing footage from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana.

It was remade in 1939 as Indianapolis Speedway, in which Frank McHugh reprises his role of Spud Connors from the original and also Regis Toomey plays his same character of Dick Wilbur. Stock footage was removed from The Crowd Roars for the remake to save costs, including footage of McHugh, but, when it was replaced back into this film’s negative, some Indianapolis Speedway footage got mixed in with it, so we now see 1939 footage in a 1932 film, including 1939 racing announcers, and a late-Thirties ambulance and cars.

The Crowd Roars is directed by Howard Hawks, runs 75 minutes, is made and released by Warner Bros, is written by Kubec Glasmon, John Bright and Niven Busch, based on the story The Roar of the Crowd by Seton I Miller, is shot in black and white by Sidney Hickox and John Stumar and is scored by Leo F Forbstein (conductor) and Bernhard Kaun (composer: title music), with Art Direction by Jack Okey.

The 1938 MGM boxing drama film The Crowd Roars borrows its title.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8896

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