Picture Snatcher

source: Picture Snatcher

Trailer—Picture Snatcher

Picture Snatcher

Ex-con Danny Kean (James Cagney) becomes a successful newspaper photographer by getting the pictures nobody else can because he's not afraid to take risks. He falls for a dame who turns out to be the daughter of the policeman that arrested him years before. So naturally Pops isn't pleased. But he is convinced by Danny's boss (Ralph Bellamy) that Danny has changed for the better. That is until the ambitious Danny does something that lands him in trouble and turns his boss, his girlfriend, and her father against him. Another of the many entertaining, fast-paced films Jimmy Cagney did in the '30s. Whether they were gangster pictures, comedies, war movies, or anything else, Cagney always delivered. Nice support from Ralph Bellamy, Robert Barrat, Alice White, and Patricia Ellis. Some punchy dialogue and humor helps keep this crime drama moving. Cagney fans will love it.

As usual James Cagney provides nothing short of his usual high standard, in this light comedy/drama with a dark edge. Seeming more relevant now, especially with all the recent scandals involving the paparazzi and it's stars, this movie takes the usual 'Cagney' structure. He starts out a broke bad boy on the ropes, but with his wiley charm and dodgy dealings, does good. Cagney is impossible to hate, even when, as in this movie he becomes as obnoxious as ever. In particular the scene in which the Fireman, comes to find the man who got his picture on the front page. It is in scenes like this, that Cagney shows his deft comic touch, something so under-used in his long and prestigious career. In short The Picture Snatcher, is well worth an hour and a half of anyones time. Although by no means Cagney's best, it still holds up well against an 'Accidental Hero'. Enjoy!!!

Have enjoyed all Cagney movies and thought I had seen them all until I viewed this film on TV. James Cagney tries to go straight after getting out of prison and has a great desire to become a photographer; he loves to smell like a rose in this picture and is depicted taking a bath in the tub while his gangster friends pour in the LAVENDER, he remarks to his friends, "Is this the same perfume that those two(2) gals had on in the car?" Ralph Bellamy,"Rosemary's Baby" '68 gives a great supporting role as a drunk newspaper man and Patricia Ellis(I) "Back Door to Heaven"'39 gives the romance Cagney is looking for. In 1933, money was hard to come by after the Great Depression and actors had to make a living in any picture that came their way. This is a great CAGNEY CLASSIC and in NO WAY should it be PICK APART!! Just sit back and enjoy a great American Irish ACTOR!!!

At seventy-seven minutes in length, "Picture Snatcher" contains just enough action and comedy to support this little trifle. Cagney is terrific as a former mobster who gets released from prison and tries to make a go of it as a photographer for a local newspaper rag, which is edited by Ralph Bellamy. This film is from the first scene, where Cagney shows affection for the guards and warden, has a ridiculous story line all the way thru to the end. But it moves along at a breakneck pace and has several very good performances, so although we might know it's ridiculous, we really don't care. Alice White is terrific as a gun moll on the make for Cagney. Bellamy is good as Cagney's drunken editor. But the film belongs to Cagney, who turns in another terrific, under - appreciated performance. 7 out of 10

Picture Snatcher (1933) *** (out of 4) Fast paced, hard hitting drama from Warner Bros. has a gangster (James Cagney) being released from prison when he decides to go straight and gets a job for a tabloid newspaper as a cameraman. Everything is going fine until he breaks all the rules to take a picture of a woman in the electric chair. This is a pretty interesting film especially today when there's so much controversy surrounding tabloid photographers so I guess this new trend was around back in the day as well. Cagney is energetic as ever and Ralph Bellamy delivers a strong performance as the alcoholic editor. A good little pre-code that, according to the Robert Osbourne intro, was made because Warner wanted a gangster picture but due to all the controversy surrounding them, put Cagney in as the photographer.

Everyone has seen Public Enemy and Yankee Doodle Dandy, but if you're a serious Cagney buff you've got to see this flick. Made in '33 it is set in that time period. Cagney gets out of the big house and goes legit, if being a paparazzi is legit. The formula is tried and true; with pluck and luck Cagney makes good. The characters are stock, on paper, but the actors breath so much personality into them that they become individuals. Though we know Cagney will prevail, we don't know just how he will succeed, and that is where the drama comes from. The pace is quick enough that you wont go to the kitchen for a sandwich without hitting the stop button first. Great acting, a good story, a happy ending, bouncy theme music, and those great cars of the 1930s. What more do you want?

This is a rather strange early Code film that features Jimmy Cagney as a sleazy ex-con who now devotes his energies to taking pictures for newspapers. But, given his larcenous nature, he specializes in getting the pictures no one else would dare take due to good taste! For example, at an execution, he insinuates himself into the prison as a witness to the execution and snaps a photo surreptitiously--getting his paper a big scoop on the competition. While Cagney's character is sleazy, he is also rather likable in the usual plucky and swaggering way the public learned to expect during the 1930s. However, in the film, all this bravado and lack of good taste eventually came to haunt him--after all, who would want a boyfriend or husband like that?! An interesting curio that is both entertaining and original.