Picture Snatcher (1933)

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

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

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

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:

First cinema film of Vaughn Taylor.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the car chase after Danny has left the execution at Sing Sing, the car loses its' left rear tire. However, in a couple of shots from the front of the vehicle as it careens out of control, the left rear tire is visibly intact.

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:

My Old Man

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.