''Jimmy the Gent'' is a 1934 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

, starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...

and featuring

Allen Jenkins Allen Curtis Jenkins (born Alfred McGonegal; April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor and singer who worked on stage, film, and television. Life and career Jenkins was born on Staten Island, New York, on April 9, 1900. ...

. It was the first pairing of Cagney and Davis, who would reunite for ''

The Bride Came C.O.D. ''The Bride Came C.O.D.'' is a 1941 American screwball romantic comedy starring James Cagney as an airplane pilot and Bette Davis as a runaway heiress, and directed by William Keighley. Although the film was publicized as the first screen pairin ...

'' seven years later. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

Bertram Millhauser Bertram Millhauser (March 25, 1892 – December 1, 1958) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for more than 60 films produced between 1911 and 1960. He was born in New York City, New York and died in Hollywood, California from a heart atta ...

was based on the story "The Heir Chaser" by

Ray Nazarro Ray Nazarro ''(aka'' "Ray" and "Nat;" ''né'' Raymond Alfred Nazarro; September 25, 1902 – September 8, 1986) was an American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. Budd Boetticher called him a "ten-day picture guy."Budd B ...

and Laird Doyle.

Plot

The unscrupulous Jimmy Corrigan runs an agency that searches for

heirs Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offic ...

of those who have died without leaving a

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wi ...

, and often provides phony claimants in order to collect his fee. When his former girlfriend Joan Martin, who left him because of his lack of

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

, accepts a position at the allegedly legitimate firm owned by Charles Wallingham, Corrigan investigates Wallingham's background and discovers his rival is even more crooked than he is. He exposes Wallingham as a phony and promises Joan to go straight if she will come back to him.

Cast

Production

Prior to its release, the film's

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

s were ''Blondes and Bonds'' and ''The Heir Chaser''."Notes"
on TCM.com Both Cagney and Davis considered ''Jimmy the Gent'' to be a throwaway studio assembly-line quickie film, and neither was happy about the assignment.Nixon, Rob (ndg
"Jimmy the Gent (1934)"
TCM.com Cagney had the sides of his head shaved for the film, without the knowledge of either director Michael Curtiz or studio unit head

Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along ...

. Curtiz was stunned when he saw the haircut, and Wallis took it personally. Davis did not appreciate it either, and refused to have publicity pictures taken with Cagney.

Reception

''Jimmy the Gent'' did well at the box office, and the critical response was positive as well. In his review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

Mordaunt Hall Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.etackles the barbed argot of his lines with speed and force ... Bette Davis is attractive and capable as Joan." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said, "''Jimmy the Gent'' ... sexpert, thorough-going, typically Cagney ... and good for plenty of laughs."review
''

References

External links

* * * *
Still
at gettyimages.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Jimmy The Gent (Film) 1934 films 1930s crime comedy films American comedy-drama films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Michael Curtiz Warner Bros. films 1934 comedy-drama films Films produced by Robert Lord (screenwriter) 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun Films about inheritances