Matt Nolan has a taxing anger problem that could lead him down the path of self-destruction but Sue Riley will save him...whether he wants saved or not! James Cagney has the subtlety of a machine-gun, his hyperactive performance transfixing and Loretta Young, beautiful and assertive as his girlfriend has the fortitude to hold him accountable: it’s a volatile combination yet they’re adorable together. Hell, she gives Cagney a good slap in the kisser and it sure doesn’t look like she held back! He returns the favor later on but it’s apparent he pulls his punch: Loretta Young wins this round!
Sue Riley’s father dies in prison after murdering a rival Taxi Cab Company bully. His cohort Matt Nolan won’t be pushed around and he urges all of their coworkers to be aggressive and retaliate as the Law will do little to protect their livelihood. But Sue urges a peaceful resolution thus setting the boundaries of their emotional involvement. Once the Government negotiates a settlement between the two Taxi Companies, the Second Act focuses on the fractured relationship between Matt and Sue. She pleads with him to control his temper or else she’ll leave him. Though the film is violent and solemn, it’s not without laugh-out-loud moments. The couple, along with their friends and Matt’s brother, attend a Hollywood film HER HOUR OF LOVE (which was created for this film) and the stilted dialogue and gestures of the cast are quite humorous when paralleled with the actual film we’re watching. Matt makes a comment about the leading man’s large ears while Sue remains oblivious, so in love with the fantasy on screen. And their talkative friend Ruby emotes her affections, not for John Barrymore but Joe. E. Brown! Ha! Another scene has Matt almost punching-out a rather large man in a crowded elevator while on their way to secure a marriage certificate. When they finally arrive at the office they discover that the clerk is the same man! Matt and Sue both break-up with laughter and it seems so spontaneous and unrehearsed that it makes the revelation even funnier!
The Final Act is tragic as Buck, the conspirator responsible for Sue’s father’s death, murders Matt’s brother on his (Matt and Sue’s) wedding night. Matt’s vendetta cannot be abated: he will track down and kill Buck. But Sue once again pleads with him to let the police arrest Buck, to control his aggression because he’ll end up in prison for murder. Sue even tries to help Buck escape the city just so Matt won’t go ballistic (literally). But alas, it ends in a shootout as Matt snarls “Come out and take it, you yellow-bellied rat, or I’ll give it to you through the door!” With police present, he fires...but Buck has fallen to his death from the window before the lead could do him in. Matt actually doesn’t kill him but he has lost Sue in the process.
Matt may have gained his revenge but lost his soul (and wife) as a result. It’s bittersweet as Sue sells her belongings and is prepared to move out on her own. But Matt, with the drop of a hat, finds the way back into her heart.
Final Grade: (B+)
