GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Steineded How sad is this?

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . of our upcoming Calamities, Catastrophes, Cataclysms, and Apocalypti, often for the Great-Grandkids of their "First Release" audiences. SMART MONEY is no exception to this law. Edward G. Robinson, film history's one actor who can out-Rump Rump himself, is cast as a bogus casino operator who has corrupted nearly the entire government of New York, is in the process of extending his Swindling Empire World-Wide, but absolutely refuses to release his Financial Information to the Proper Authorities as he coarsely assaults one young chick after another. Beginning to sound a little familiar to Current Headlines? SMART MONEY was made prior to the Institution of the Fat Cat Roman-Run Censorship Code (aka, the MPAA Thought Police), so Warner is able to prophecy such Rump-like comments as "Say, you're a cute little trick" (to a female stranger in her twenties) and "Why, you hustling little bag, I'll have you on your knees!" while giving his First-shown Floozie $100 for an abortion after he's knocked her up. Yes, 75 years BEFORE our Deplorable 2016 Rigged Election, Warner Bros. anticipates that Lucifer's Three C's--that is, Capitalism, Communism, and "Conservatism"--would collude to install a casino racketeer money launderer for history's biggest thief ("Mad Vlad" Putin, who has stolen $1 TRILLION plus from the Russian People) in residence at our once-sacred White House despite his hobby of perverse serial sexual assaults, and Edward G. Robinson's best SMART MONEY effort to warn us!

stuman-2 It seems that several cast members sneak a lot of Yiddish within some of the quick dialog. I know that Cagney, brought up in the lower East Side, did actually insert Yiddish into some of his finished product. Seems odd that this would happen. Appreciate it if someone might elaborate as to if mixtures of different languages/dialects were actually permitted in final takes. Obviously this would save funds on retakes and let a well done scene pass through. Perhaps since this film was done in '31,it didn't matter too much. Yet, much of the dialog is hard to decipher in spots. I enjoyed the film. A cute piece of height of the depression era entertainment.

MartinHafer This is not exactly the sort of film you'd expect from Edward G. Robinson in 1931. While he was well-known for his gangster roles, this character isn't a saint by any stretch, but he's far from vicious or deadly like "Little Caesar". In addition, this early film is the only film that ever paired him with Jimmy Cagney. Cagney, at this point, was the lesser star and has a rather small role in the film as Robinson's right-hand man. The breakout film, THE PUBLIC ENEMY, was released just before SMART MONEY and at the point of making this second film, the studio didn't know that he was now a mega-star.Robinson is a barber with an uncanny ability to gamble and win. Eventually, he and his friends pool their money and send him to "the big city" and even though he at first is bankrupted, he eventually becomes the biggest and most famous gambler around the country. The only problems are that he's a lousy judge of women AND the District Attorney is out to get him no matter what it takes! The film is pretty well written and interesting--not the usual gangster stuff. Plus, there are a few neat scenes that took place since the film was created before the strict Production Code was created--so you get to see Eddie kick a woman in the rear as well as have another lady try to offer him sex to pay off her debt to him! Pretty risqué here and there, but in general this isn't really that violent or salacious a film. Just a good drama with some nice twists and decent acting.PS--When you watch the film, look for a brief cameo by Boris Karloff. He does have a few speaking lines, but he has a rather odd accent--a Brit trying to sound like an American mug.

bkoganbing Smart Money is famous for the teaming of Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in the only time they shared the screen. Both men had just come off their breakthrough performances in Little Caesar and Public Enemy respectively. Of the two of them, Robinson comes off far the better.I'm not sure why Cagney did this film, more than likely because he was told to and was not yet rebelling against Jack Warner. He's strangely subdued in the part, the usual Cagney bounce and cockiness just isn't there for me. Cagney plays the best friend of Greek barber Edward G. Robinson who in his career played any number of ethnic types. Here he's a happy go lucky barber whose place doubles as a betting establishment. He likes to play, but when friends raise a bankroll for him to try his luck in the big city he gets good and clipped.Robinson's down, but not out. He goes back and clips the clippers and becomes a big gambling racketeer. Problems do arise when he and Cagney quarrel over the same woman.It's definitely Robinson's picture, maybe it's why Cagney and he never worked together again. I would like to have seen them both in a film with a more typical Jimmy Cagney.Still when it's broadcast it should not be missed.