Warner Bros. Tough Guys Collection DVD Credits:

Region: 1

Warner Bros. Tough Guys Collection DVD Release Date: 17th July 2006

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Warner Bros. Tough Guys Collection DVD Review:

Whether gangsters, cops, boxers or just men who aren’t afraid of anyone, the same couple actors seem born to play these roles. The Warner Bros. Tough Guys Collection is filled with James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson with Humphrey Bogart as a supporting actor occasionally. The same actors are perfect for each of these “tough guys” films, but what makes the collection great is the unique roles for each of these actors. G Men gives Cagney a chance to play a cop while City for Conquest has him as a sensitive boxer. Each film is a wonder of tough men and fantastic stories. The variety is very wide considering the theme. Instead of a bunch of films about gangsters, there are all sorts of stories, even a few comedies. Each film is also equipped with a great assortment of special features usually not found with classic but lesser known films.

City for Conquest (1940)
This was my favorite film in the collection, because Cagney plays such a kind hearted and gentle soul while still managing to be a tough guy. Each scene draws you further into the soap opera of the lives of three kids who grew up in the city together, only to take completely different paths throughout their lives. The film also holds historical value because of the fact that Elia Kazan has a role in the film, which was before he started directing.
The DVD has a number of great features, including a commentary by Richard Schickel. There is also a new featurette about the women characters in gangster films, which is very interesting for anyone interested in classic cinema. There is also a great deal of vintage footage including newsreels and vintage shorts. Other special features include a radio interview and a blooper reel.

A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
One of the most humorous elements in A Slight Case of Murder is the fact that Edward G. Robinson is poking fun at the role which made him a huge star in gangster films, Little Caesar. A Slight Case of Murder is about a gangster who decides to go straight, but as soon as he does, he begins to lose money. During prohibition he made tons of money because his beer was the only thing available. When he attempts to do the same as soon as it is legal, he finds that the same beer is killing his company.
The DVD has more great vintage newsreels, shorts and cartoons in the Warner Night at the Movies feature. There is also a commentary by film historian Robert Sklar and a featurette about prohibition.

San Quentin (1937)
This prison film starts out great, but suddenly falls short of expectations in the last five minutes. The film seems incomplete, and ends very suddenly without satisfying resolution. Still, the journey to get there is fun. Humphrey Bogart plays a convict and the brother of a woman (Ann Sheridan) who falls in love with the man (Pat O’Brien) brought in to reform the prison the convict brother is doing time at. This coincidence is basis for the entire film, which is sadly not enough to fill a film adequately.
The special features include a Warner Night at the Movies collection from 1937, in the usual vintage style. There is also a featurette about the prison film called “Welcome to the Big House”. There is also a blooper reel and a commentary track by film historian Patricia King Hanson.

G Men (1935)
This crime classic was loosely based on real events. Cagney plays a lawyer who was helped along by a gangster, but when a friend of his is killed working for the law he decides to become a federal agent himself. He uses his resources from the people he knew growing up, but he is always suspected by his fellow lawmen and hated by the gangsters he grew up with.
The DVD has the same Warner Night at the Movies features, this time with a short featuring Bob Hope. There is also a commentary track by film historian Richard Jewell, a new featurette, a classic featurette with Bobby Jones and a blooper reel.

Each Dawn I Die (1939)
Here’s another Cagney film where he isn’t a criminal. This time he plays a newspaper man who is framed and sent away to jail. After years of disappointment in the system, he begins to look at the ways of another convict (George Raft) he has come to befriend. They begin an unlikely friendship as they struggle in the prison together, each with their own plan for escape.
The DVD is filled with more of the same including a featurette about the language in gangster films. This is worth watching as is the commentary by film historian Haden Guest. There is also an extra cartoon, an audio feature from radio programming, and a blooper reel.

Bullets or Ballots (1936)
This undercover cop film stars Edward G. Robinson as a burned out cop that takes a risk going undercover with a deadly group of gangsters that includes Humphrey Bogart. There are all sorts of twists and turns with plenty of suspense, but sometimes the plot gets a bit muddled and tedious to follow. The good thing about the film is that I hardly ever knew where it was going.
The special features include a radio program with many of the actors, another golfing video with Bobby Jones, a featurette about gangsters, and more. There are also the usual assortment of vintage features, and a commentary by film historian Dana Polan.

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Warner Bros. Tough Guys Collection DVD review written by: Ryan Izay