Gangboy (1935)

In 1935, a movie that shifts the tides of film history is released. That movie is Gangboy. The film follows the story of a man, played by Dick Powell, who starts off as a criminal cowboy but eventually gets phased out by the introduction of the automobile. He moves to New York City and ends up pursuing his dream of acting and singing in a broadway musicals by joining a theater troupe. Little does he know that the theater he works for is owned by the mafia, the boss of which is played by Paul Muni, and they pressure him to get involved. As he returns to his roots he becomes more distant with his love, the beautiful Bette Davis, who wants him to give it all up and start a family with her. He ends up doing just that, realizing that love, family, and most of all, integrity and morality, are the most important things in life. Combining elements of gangster and musical cinema, as well as a dose of a spaghetti western, this film combines popular genres of the time along with delivering a message for the audiences that do not just want mindless entertainment and strong underlying themes throughout. There is something here for everyone to enjoy. But with the Great Depression in mind, people need something to enjoy. With two directors who each have their own strong suits specialized to each genre, this movie has expertise on every aspect.

The cast and crew especially were chosen to play a very specific role suited for their talents. Dick Powell, the leading man, has had a lot of experience in the film musical genre, and is an overall very well-rounded actor. Paul Muni was chosen for his association with the gangster genre, even garnering attention from the Academy. Bette Davis plays her well-known role as the pretty woman. Busby Berkeley is well known for his camerawork while preserving the sound that comes with a musical, and William A. Wellman knows how to do a gangster film right. To help out with the sound aspects to maintain the integrity of the musical scenes, Hans Warren was brought in as a sound engineer, renowned at the time. Warner Brothers Studios was the perfect studio to produce this film, as they too are known for gangster films, as well as musical, and Gangboy is the ambitious project that brings the two together. With all strings pulled, the budget ran a bit too high for Warner Brothers standards, so the upgrade to color was ignored, it was not as if it added a significant amount to the movie as a whole. The Hays Code has been planned for, and the story will tell its more provocative moments metaphorically though the main characters' broadway show, therefore stylishly toning down otherwise violent or overly sexual scenes.

My group and I pretty much completely agreed on every decision and I had a great time doing it. When we put it all together we knew we had struck 1935 film gold.