dougdoepke A talented gambler moves up from small town action to big city, where a string of blondes can't be trusted.Not so much a gangster film as a Robinson charm fest. Here he trades the snarl of Little Caesar (1930) for an easy smile and a ready quip. Sure he's working the wrong side of the law, this time as a big-time gambler, but there's nary a tommy gun in sight. Besides, the law sort of comes and goes when it comes to enforcement. And get a load of that string of blonde cuties, always getting him in trouble. No wonder his real affection drifts in Cagney's direction. Yes, it's that Cagney, and catch him camping it up in the movie's first part. He's got a secondary role here, despite Warner's movie poster. That probably resulted from Public Enemy (1931) hitting it big at about the same time. I like the early part best, when the super-confident Nick (Robinson) gets fleeced in a crooked poker game by a guy named Hickory Short (great name). Of course Robinson being Robinson, retribution is soon on the way. In many years of old movies, I don't recall this Pre-Code production appearing. I'm guessing one reason is the patronizing racism, where rubbing a Black Man's head amounts to rubbing a rabbit's foot. Plus they're stuck with names like Snake-eyes and Suntan. Too bad. All in all, the movie's a light-hearted crime feature where no one gets killed, and the blondes keep on appearing. Lucky Nick. Now if he can just figure which ones are on the level.

jarrodmcdonald-1 Smart Money offers viewers a chance to see two well-known stars of the 1930s gangster film cycle, together in action: Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney. Mr. Robinson plays the lead in this picture, with Mr. Cagney offering excellent support. But the real treat, in this writer's opinion, is the script by John Bright. Mr. Bright previously wrote the book 'Beer and Blood' that serves as the basis for Public Enemy. Since Bright is writing about his experiences growing up in Chicago, he clearly knows these types of characters first-hand. As a result, there is an authenticity in this picture that makes it just as important as Public Enemy or Little Caesar. Though in the case of this film, the emphasis seems to be on humor, rather than violence.

secondtake Smart Money (1931)A clever story about crime and misguided love (quasi-love) and about the love of money. What's wrong with that? Nothing here. With a remarkable performance by Edward G. Robinson (as usual), and supporting roles by a young James Cagney and a series of blondes who will more or less look alike at first. It might have been something of a formula production for the cast and crew, but it's during the lively pre-1934 sound era where, especially at a studio like Warner Bros., things manage to pop one way or another.As much as this is a very good film, completely engaging and without gaffes or sentimental slow downs, it remains secondary for 1931 because of several interesting things. First, Robinson had just become famous for "Little Caesar" where he had a shining (and roughly similar) role as a sort of good guy gangster. Second, Cagney was in a rare supporting role, not yet famous for his breakout role in "The Public Enemy" later the same year. Both of these Warner films are better, all around. And a third twist is the appearance early on of Boris Karloff, who was about to launch to superstardom as, yes, "Frankenstein," a Universal film from later in, yes, 1931. But you should watch "Smart Money" for what it does so well--tells a fast, multi-layered story with economy and life, and with great performances by the leads. The story and direction might fall short of classic, but it's still really solid.

MartinHafer This is not exactly the sort of film you'd expect from Edward G. Robinson in 1931. While he was well-known for his gangster roles, this character isn't a saint by any stretch, but he's far from vicious or deadly like "Little Caesar". In addition, this early film is the only film that ever paired him with Jimmy Cagney. Cagney, at this point, was the lesser star and has a rather small role in the film as Robinson's right-hand man. The breakout film, THE PUBLIC ENEMY, was released just before SMART MONEY and at the point of making this second film, the studio didn't know that he was now a mega-star.Robinson is a barber with an uncanny ability to gamble and win. Eventually, he and his friends pool their money and send him to "the big city" and even though he at first is bankrupted, he eventually becomes the biggest and most famous gambler around the country. The only problems are that he's a lousy judge of women AND the District Attorney is out to get him no matter what it takes! The film is pretty well written and interesting--not the usual gangster stuff. Plus, there are a few neat scenes that took place since the film was created before the strict Production Code was created--so you get to see Eddie kick a woman in the rear as well as have another lady try to offer him sex to pay off her debt to him! Pretty risqué here and there, but in general this isn't really that violent or salacious a film. Just a good drama with some nice twists and decent acting.PS--When you watch the film, look for a brief cameo by Boris Karloff. He does have a few speaking lines, but he has a rather odd accent--a Brit trying to sound like an American mug.