Picture Snatcher (1933)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Daniel Ahern (story)
Allen Rivkin (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 May 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Tagline:

His camera takes 'em from love nests to Page One before they can bat an eye---or put on a negligee!

Plot:

Ex-convict Danny Kean decides to become honest as a photographer for a paper. He falls in love with Patricia...

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Execution | Automobile Accident | Chase | New York City

Cast

James Cagney	...	Danny Kean
Ralph Bellamy	...	J.R. 'Al' McLean
Patricia Ellis	...	Patricia 'Pat' Nolan
Alice White	...	Allison
Ralf Harolde	...	Jerry the Mug
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Lieutenant Casey Nolan
Robert Barrat	...	Grover, Graphic News Owner
G. Pat Collins	...	Hennessy the Fireman (as George Pat Collins)
Arthur Vinton	...	John, the Head Keeper
Tom Wilson	...	Leo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maurice Black	...	Speakeasy Proprietor (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Hood (uncredited)
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	James 'Pete' Peters, Drunken Reporter (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Cora Sue Collins	...	Jerry's Little Girl (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Barber (uncredited)
George Daly	...	Machine Gunner (uncredited)
Jill Dennett	...	Speakeasy Girl (uncredited)
Mike Donlin	...	Poolroom Proprietor (uncredited)
Dick Elliott	...	Editor (uncredited)
Jack Grey	...	Alec, Police Officer (uncredited)
Sterling Holloway	...	Journalism Student (uncredited)
John Ince	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Joe Chase, Record Editor (uncredited)
Alice Jans	...	Colleen (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Mike, Man with Colleen (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Reporter Outside Prison (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Sick Reporter at Execution (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Bookie (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Sergeant Handing Out Guns (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Reporter Witnessing Execution (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Barbara Rogers	...	Olive, Jerry's Moll (uncredited)
Cliff Saum	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Reporter Witnessing Execution (uncredited)
Philip Sleeman	...	Hood (uncredited)
William H. Strauss	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Vaughn Taylor	...	Editor (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Reporter F.L. Strange (uncredited)
Billy West	...	Reporter Stacy (uncredited)
Renee Whitney	...	Connie Rowland (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	Reporter Witnessing Execution (uncredited)

Directed by
Lloyd Bacon

Writing credits
Daniel Ahern		(story) (as Danny Ahern)
Allen Rivkin		(adaptation) &
P.J. Wolfson		(adaptation)
Ben Markson		(dialogue)
William Keighley		uncredited

Cinematography by
Sol Polito

Film Editing by
William Holmes

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
Gordon Hollingshead	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra
Ray Heindorf	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)
Cliff Hess	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)

Other crew
William Keighley	....	dialogue director
Raymond Griffith	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The scene of Danny photographing an execution is based an actual incident in which Chicago-based crime photographer Tom Howard (who incidentally, was the grandfather of 'George Wendt') surreptitiously snapped the famous photo of convicted murderess Ruth Snyder's 1927 execution in the electric chair at Sing Sing for the New York Daily News.

Goofs:

Continuity: Cagney's suit goes from dirty to clean to dirty again during the car chase from Sing Sing and the subsequent subway ride.

Quotes:

[Danny is giving a tour of his newspaper's printing room]
Journalism Student: Yes, here it is - white wood pulp, plain white... Why, today it's raw, but tonight it's cooked with printer's ink, photographic art, the sweat of creative effort. Tomorrow it goes out and hundreds of thousands of men and women feed their starving, mediocre souls on the indiscretions and adventures of others. And then, a little while later, what is it?
Danny Kean: Don't you know? They use it to wrap herring.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Female (1933)

Soundtrack:

For You

Cagney Joins The Paparazzi!

This was great! It's vintage Cagney: tough, cocky, funny and endearing! The film is also typical early '30s: short, entertaining, fast-moving with some wild dialog and plenty of action and humor.

Imagine the outcry today if they showed the hero pushing women around as James Cagney did here and in other films of the period. This particular story has Cagney playing "Danny Kean," an ex-con who quits his former mob and winds up at a tabloid newspaper as a member of the paparazzi! (I guess this story was ahead of it's time.) He does what he has to do get a picture for the paper, and a financial raise for his efforts.

Along the way are several very pretty women "Pat" and "Allison" (played respectively by Patricia Ellis and Alice White); a number of sexual innuendos (which wouldn't have made it in the picture had this been made a year later); and just a fun-filled corny 1930s ride.

I wish a bunch more of these entertaining films, especially with Cagney, were available.