Lady Killer (1933)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Rosalind Keating Shaffer (story)
Ben Markson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 December 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Is Hollywood howling ! at this inside story of The Screen Idol Who Threw -?- -?- -?- Out Of His -?- -?- -?- On Her -?- !

Plot:

When a movie theater usher is fired, he takes up with criminals and finds himself quite adept at various illegal activities...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Blackmail | Usher | Rehabilitation | Jail

Cast

James Cagney	...	Dan Quigley
Mae Clarke	...	Myra Gale
Margaret Lindsay	...	Lois Underwood
Leslie Fenton	...	Duke
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Spade Maddock (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Russell Hopton	...	Smiley
Raymond Hatton	...	Pete
Henry O'Neill	...	Ramick
Robert Elliott	...	Detective Joe Brannigan
Marjorie Gateson	...	Mrs. Marley
Willard Robertson	...	Detective Conroy
William B. Davidson	...	Director Williams (as William Davidson)
Douglas Cosgrove	...	Detective Jones
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lowden Adams	...	Lois' Butler (uncredited)
Luis Alberni	...	Director (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Charlie - the Fence (uncredited)
Harry Beresford	...	Dr. Crane (uncredited)
Herman Bing	...	Western Director (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Man with Purse (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
James Burke	...	Panhandler (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	George Thompson (uncredited)
Spencer Charters	...	Los Angeles Cop (uncredited)
Ray Cooke	...	Prop Man (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Monkey Delivery Man (uncredited)
Harrison Greene	...	Tour Guide to Movie Star's Homes (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Lew - Hood (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Fido's Owner (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Casino Bouncer (uncredited)
Harry Holman	...	J.B. Roland (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Mr. Marley's Butler (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Jeffries - Theater Manager (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Porter (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Extra in Casino (uncredited)
Henry Otho	...	Movie Guard Decked by Dan (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Movie Patron (uncredited)
Cliff Saum	...	Cliff - Assistant Director (uncredited)
Frank Sheridan	...	O'Brien - Los Angeles Police Chief (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Seymour - Usher Sergeant (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Monkey Delivery Man (uncredited)
Harold Waldridge	...	Quigley's Letter Handler (uncredited)
Clarence Wilson	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Jack Don Wong	...	Oriental (uncredited)
Tammany Young	...	Slug - Movie Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Del Ruth

Writing credits
Rosalind Keating Shaffer		(story "The Finger Man")
Ben Markson		(screenplay) &
Lillie Hayward		(screenplay) (as Lilie Hayward)
Darryl F. Zanuck		story (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Tony Gaudio		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chuck Hansen	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra

Other crew
Henry Blanke	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (copyright owners)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (presents)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (presents) (as The Vitaphone Corp.)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Finger Man (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

76 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Yiddish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1934) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) (1940)

Filming Locations:

Cocoanut Grove Nightclub, Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When Myra (Mae Clarke) is reading from the California travel brochure, she gets a worried look on her face when she reads "Grapefruit." This is a reference to The Public Enemy (1931) (which also stars James Cagney and Clarke) where Cagney's character pushes a grapefruit into the face of hers.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Cagney's character asks film reviewer "Mr. Blair" into the men's room at The Cocoanut Grove to "discuss" his latest review, all of the stall doors are closed. After Cagney forces him to eat his review, the third stall door is open (no one enters or exits the room during this scene).

Quotes:

Spade Maddock: [discussing diamond-studded Mrs. Marley at the gang's speakeasy] C'mere - take a gander at her.
Dan Quigley: [eyeing her through a peephole] Did you say "gander?" I wonder how she'd go for a goose.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

California, Here I Come

a bit difficult to believe but lots of fun

Jimmy Cagney plays a gangster in this film. However, despite having seen him play such a role in countless other films, this one is unique and well worth seeing because it STILL dares to be different.

Cagney is a wanted man back East, so he gets the idea of going to the West Coast to hang out and wait for things to die down. However, once there he is discovered by Hollywood and stars in gangster films because he is "so natural and believable". Well, despite his very shady past, Cagney tries to go straight and likes the life of a star. However, old associates realize who he is and try to blackmail him.

The film is a light comedy that invigorates the standard gangster genre. For its uniqueness and excellent acting and writing, the film gets an 8.