James Cagney
Johnny Cave
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Synopsis
An honest former boxer takes a job enforcing fair weights and measures in New York. Routine inspections uncover more than dishonest shopkeepers: influential figures are profiting from a system designed to cheat the public. His refusal to look away makes an unglamorous municipal post the front line of a fight against corruption.
Cast
DirectorsJohn G. Blystone
Inspirations
The story draws on James Edward Grant's pieces for The Saturday Evening Post. Its hero's occupation moves the crime film away from glamorous gangsters toward the less conspicuous public officials who confront commercial fraud.
Behind the scenes
James Cagney made this film for independent Grand National after leaving Warner Bros. A weights-and-measures official served as technical adviser, grounding its struggle against corruption in the everyday work of inspecting businesses.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- James Cagney — Warner Bros. Studio (work for hire) · Public domain
- Mae Clarke — General Photographic Agency · Public domain
- James Burke — Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- Edward Brophy — Affiliated Productions · Public domain
