On G List of Movie Reviews
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G Men (1935)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
11/07
11/07:
Tedious, slow, and mundane, G Men fails to generate excitement.
The story is run-of-the-mill and too drawn out because of many pointless subplots, especially during the first half.
James Cagney initially overacts and then improves over time. The character of Kay McCord, who's played stoically by
Margaret Lindsay, is worthless.
Considering that William Keighley directed G Men and Bullets or Ballots
which came out afterwards, both are noticeably similar, but the latter is better. The scripts were also written
by Seton Miller. Hence, I can see he borrowed the introduction from G Men to make it more jolting and entertaining
for Bullets or Ballots. One key difference between these two films in terms
of quality is acting. There's no doubt that having Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart in the same movie makes a
world of difference when James Cagney alone isn't enough.
All in all, G Men can be considered to be a dated promotional piece for the FBI.