After playing a Gangster for the better part of four years, Cagney was allowed a curveball in 'G-Men'.Though not without a little prodding to the Warners, Jimmy turned the tables and finally portrayed the law, in one of the better F.B.I. films to this day.Breaking from his standard typecast, Cagney gets to show a little more range in a restrained lawman looking to use the law as his vehicle of payback.A great turn as well paced and scripted film.For Cagney fans or just old school movie lovers, bring the popcorn.

Ever since G MEN was sold to commercial TV, all prints to this 1935 theatrical release were taken from the 1949 reissue commemorating the FBI's 25th anniversary with a tag-on three minute prologue featuring am F.B.I. Chief (David Brian) addressing his classroom of rookies on what they are about to see, something he labels as "the grand-daddy of all FBI pictures." Following his brief profile about the FBI's history, including the fact that the agents weren't allowed to carry guns to protect themselves against mobsters, a rule that has since changed, Brian starts the projector to play the motion picture ....'G' MEN (Warner Brothers, 1935), directed by William Keighley, starring movie tough guy James Cagney in Hollywood's first of its kind film tribute to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, better known as the F.B.I., "special agents," government men, or "G" Men as the title implies, who risk their lives bringing dangerous criminals to justice. Instead of placing Cagney as a public enemy, he gets the opportunity working on the side of the law rather than against it. Unlike latter imitations produced in the 1940s or television's popular series, THE UNTOUCHABLES, 'G' MEN does not detail its story though flashback(s), off screen narration not documentary style, though quite a novel idea for 1935, but provides an exciting story with scenes suggested on actual occurrences (namely the famous Wisconsin lodge massacre), car chases, kidnappings and giving audiences the run for their money with Cagney along with the G Men violently shooting it out with many (Hollywood) gangster types.The story introduces James "Brick" Davis (James Cagney) as an honest lawyer with no prospects of ever getting clients. He proves his honesty by refusing a bribe from the corrupt Joseph Krantz (Edwin Maxwell) to defend a guilty client. As for his background, the script reveals Brick as a tough street kid guided to the right direction by a father figure named McKay (William Harrigan), a crime boss who not only gave him a decent upbringing but put him through law school. Because Eddie Buchanan (Regis Toomey), his college pal now working for the Department of Justice, had been gunned down by mobster Brad Collins (Barton MacLane - in excellent portrayal) during an arrest of notorious gangster Danny Leggett (Edward Pawley), Brick avenges his friend's death by closing his office and join forces against crime as a "G" Man for the F.B.I, in Washington, D.C. While going through the training process along fellow rookie Hugh Farrell (Lloyd Nolan, in film debut), Brick nearly loses his chance with the bureau when Jeff McCord (Robert Armstrong), his superior, who never liked Brick very much, receives a report disclosing his association with McKay and other mobsters, but through his knowledge and effort to give out their identities, Brick shows how much of an asset he could be to the bureau.For his female co-stars, Cagney is supported by capable Warners stock players, Margaret Lindsay and Ann Dvorak. Lindsay plays Kay, a night nurse by profession. As with her brother, Jeff, she takes an immediate dislike towards Brick because of his wiseacre personality. Ann Dvorak appears as Jean Morgan, singer and dancer at McKay's night club. Although a very close friend of Brick's, her association with the underworld thickens with her marriage to the homicidal Brad Collins. Although her part is actually small, she's most beneficial to the story highlighted by her noteworthy telephone booth scene.Aside from the usual plot development process leading to an exciting second half of the story, G-MEN includes musical numbers in a night club with Ann Dvorak vocalizing "You Bother Me An Awful Lot" (by Sammy and Irving Kahl); followed by popular tunes of the day originally introduced in other Warner Brothers productions as Al Dubin and Harry Warren's "Lullaby of Broadway" (vocalist unknown), instrumental background score of "I'm Going Shipping With You" from GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935; and instrumental dance number, "Go Into Your Dance" (with Ann Dvorak and chorus girls)lifted from GO INTO YOUR DANCE (1935).G MEN is one for the time capsule and worth looking back at the use of many outdated technology/ machinery used in capturing criminals, especially the fingerprinting lab process for example, indicating how the technology has prospered over the years. In spite of its age, G MEN, occasionally presented on Turner Classic Movies and available either on video or DVD formats, still delivers as great entertainment, especially during its second half. While G MEN was generally responsible for starting a cycle of FBI films, followed by SPECIAL AGENT (1935) with George Brent; BULLETS OR BALLOTS (1936) with Edward G. Robinson, and much later THE FBI STORY (1959) with James Stewart, G MEN is packs a wallop as "the grand-daddy of all F.B.I. films," thanks to the know-how performance of the legendary James Cagney. "Don't tell him I said so." (****)

This movie was fast paced and depicted brutal scenes. Lots of the machine gunning by the FBI against the crooks reminded me of the Bonnie and Clyde movie of the 1960s. I could just see Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway being shot full of holes while in their car.I love Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy. In real life, Cagney was a Master Tap Dancer, which is a very high honor for a tap dancer to achieve. The year G-Men was made, he played Bottom in Midsummer Night's Dream. He is famous for the grapefruit in the face routine. He was in all those gangster movies, playing the bad guy, but in G-Men he is actually on the good side of the law. This is a nice switch.I was hoping he would throw the guy in the wrestling scene (or whatever sport that was), but I did not see that happen. He did at least get enough training to go out after the bad guys, considering he had spent some time in a law office as a desk-potato, lol.Cagney was a very talented and versatile performer, and is always inspiring.

Super Cagney vehicle. Fast paced, terrific acting, gripping story line, Cagney as compelling as ever. The movie was an enormous hit in its day and boosted the FBI in the public mind. It started the movie trend for looking at things from the lawman's side instead of the crooks and Cagney, Raft, Edward G, and all the tough guys suddenly became cops. In the next two years there were 60 movies made along these lines showing the lawmen at work. It was a big boost for Cagney's career as there had been some negative feedback on his always playing the bad guy and this movie opened new doors for him. Hard to understand the reviewer that thought it was corny with old cars etc, this was made in 1934 about the those times, what would he expect, ridiculous comment he should stick to new stuff as he clearly doesn't appreciate the old gems.. Acting, script, direction, this is all first rate. Mike L