The Roaring Twenties

Walsh shoots the rise to the top and equally quick descent gangster film in a fast-paced semi-documentary style ( using newsreel clips , popular music from the period and a reporter's voice-over)  ,keeping it true only to a certain point and fictionalizing it to keep it exciting as an entertaining film.  Three soldiers meet on the ww1 battlefield in 1918.  One is the all good lawyer Lloyd Hart (Jeffrey Lynn) , one the thoroughly bad George Hally (Humphrey Bogart) ,  and the third , an everyman named Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) .  Eddie is smitten with a girl , Jean Sherman (Priscilla Lane) who has been corresponding with him  from home.  When the war ends Eddie returns to New York and hooks up with buddy  Danny who is a Gabie.  Unable to find work, Eddie is forced to share the driving of Danny's cab.  In the meantime, prohibition takes effect and Eddie discovers that bootlegging is the way to get rich.  At the onset he meets Panama ( Gladys  George)  who turns out to be his only friend.  Cagney as usual dominates  the picture.  He is his usual cocky Irish tough guy but with character flaws.  Although Cagney dominates every scene he is in , the more ominous gangster in the film is played by Humphrey Bogart in one of his best performances prior to assuming character roles in the late 40s.  However the best turn of  The  Roaring Twenties is by alternate female lead Gladys George , billed lower but with comparable screen time and oodles more screen presence.  A well-crafted screenplay with memorable scenes, newsreels , well-crafted gun-play, authentic costumes and hairstyles reflecting the Roaring Twenties are an added plus here.