Tonight's Movie: A Lion is in the Streets (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

James Cagney stars in A LION IS IN THE STREETS (1953), just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

Cagney plays a Louisiana peddler named Hank Martin who initially comes off as a nice guy, if perhaps overly energetic.

Hank marries schoolteacher Verity (Barbara Hale), though he can only provide a ramshackle cottage after their wedding. Verity takes the condition of her new home in stride, but starts to wonder about Hank's character when he reads a book after convincing their neighbors to fix up the place.

Unbeknownst to Verity, Hank later starts an affair with Flamingo (Anne Francis), who has known Hank since childhood. In fact, Flamingo is so devastated to learn of Hank's marriage that she attempts to feed Verity to a bayou alligator!  Flamingo is determined to seduce Hank and it doesn't take long to convince him to make her his mistress.

Hank becomes enmeshed in local business and political shenanigans, not to mention a murder case; he ultimately runs for governor but ends up selling his soul for votes.

A LION IS IN THE STREETS is kind of a mixed bag. The script by Luther Davis, based on a novel by Adria Locke Langley, is uneven and oddly paced, jerking the viewer from one situation to another without pausing for long to allow for character development. This is one of those cases when 88 minutes might have been a few minutes too short.

Cagney's amped-up performance, played with little introspection, becomes annoying as his imperfections are steadily revealed. Hank is a first class manipulator, as he reveals to Verity on their wedding day when he discusses how he gets people to do what he wants.

The real star of the show is Hale, who begins as a shy, plain schoolteacher who blossoms when she and Hank fall in love. Verity faces every situation and person she meets positively while also making sure to always do the right thing, for which she ultimately pays a big price. I felt the film was worth seeing in large part for the chance to see such a fine performance from Hale, an actress I always enjoy.

The deep supporting cast is another strong reason to see the movie. This is one of several Cagney films in which his little sister Jeanne plays a key role, and she's effective as the wife of his friend (John McIntire). Other players include Warner Anderson, Lon Chaney Jr., Sara Haden, James Millican, Larry Keating, and Sam McDaniel, to name a few.

Raoul Walsh directed; he collaborated with Cagney on several films, including the recently reviewed Warner Archive release of THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE (1941). The movie was filmed in Technicolor by Harry Stradling Sr.

The lovely Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. Sound quality is excellent.

There are two extras on the disc, the trailer and the seven-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon DUCK! RABBIT DUCK (1953).

While I didn't feel A LION IS IN THE STREETS is top-quality Cagney or Walsh, the excellent supporting cast and attractive Blu-ray print made it worth checking out.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the Amazon Warner Archive Collection Store, Movie Zyng, or from any online retailers were Blu-rays are sold.

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