Jimmy the Gent

A shady genealogist (James Cagney) tries to class up his act to impress a former employee (Bette Davis).

Jimmy the Gent is a surprisingly unremarkable film considering the talent involved.

James Cagney and Bette Davis are both fine, but have little to work with. Cagney spends a good portion of the film beating up Allen Jenkins, and Bette Davis has nothing to do but look good. Behind the camera, director Michael Curtiz delivers a well-cut picture that moves fast but lacks any substance.

There’s just not much here in the way of story. The paper-thin plot involving an heir to a fortune can’t even sustain the brief 67-minute running time, so it’s up to Cagney to mug for the camera fill the empty space. For his part, Cagney is full of animated fire, but without a strong story, his shtick gets old pretty quick.

That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its moments. A few of Cagney’s bits will make you chuckle, and the opening “disaster” montage is original, if nothing else, but these are too few and far between.