by Ted Davis

Directed by: Raoul Walsh

This review contains a Minor Kitty Carnage Warning for scruffing!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: It’s the Gay Nineties in New York, the time of John L. Sullivan, Carrie A. Nation and Nellie Bly, and predominant roughnecks Chuck Connors (Wallace Beery) and Steve Brodie (George Raft) battle for supremacy in the melting pot of the Bowery, termed the “Liveliest mile on the face of the globe,” gleefully and unhesitatingly using just about every dirty underhanded trick their primal little minds can contrive, a brutal uncompromising contest which reaches a climax when Brodie makes his famous leap off the Brooklyn Bridge. Among the characters caught up in their turbulent wake are wide-eyed innocent Lucy Calhoun (Fay Wray) and delinquent-in-training Swipes McGurk (Jackie Cooper).

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Swipes doesn’t possess many positive traits, other than a confused sort of loyalty and the fact that he likes cats. This affinity for cats is first apparent when Connors tells Swipes to clean up their place, “and throw them cats outta there, too!” This is for naught, as Connors returns home and removes a couple of tabby kittens, one ginger and one grey, from Swipes’ bed while he sleeps, scruffing both kittens as he moves them.

Connors deposits the kittens, gently enough though with distaste, in a wooden box filled with sand and straw (presumably their litter box).

Naturally and promptly, the kittens hop out of the box.

The next morning at least four kitties are visible as nightshirt clad Connors makes his groggy passage down a hallway which could clearly use some cleaning. “Those cats go outta here today!” Connor moans as he carefully watches where he steps.

Later, after receiving some belated yet deserved mild punishment from Connors, a tearful Swipes leaves the joint, carrying a single black kitten.

In a continuity error, when Swipes walks down the stairs outside he is now carrying a bicolor tabby kitten instead.

Swipes eventually ends up settling with Brodie, who professes that he’s crazy about cats and welcomes the black kitten.

At their next meeting, a conciliatory Connors tells Swipes about the new litter of kittens at his place, “four hes and seven shes!” but they are not shown.

Final Mewsings: Kitties have to be smart and tough to survive in the Bowery.

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