User reviews

Joan Blondell plays a down-on-her-luck lady who turns to crime. Specifically being a con artist. She hooks up with gangster Chester Morris and before too long she's leading the gang herself. Joan's really the whole show here. She's a big-eyed curvy beauty but she's also smart and tough as nails. She's impossible to dislike and gives an effortless performance. It's a good role for the period, playing a woman who uses her brains instead of her body to get ahead. Chester Morris is good but his part here isn't exactly Boston Blackie. His chemistry with Joan is lacking, as well. Allen Jenkins is fun, which should come as no surprise. Arthur Vinton, who plays a big shot gangster here, sounds just like Ralph Bellamy. I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. It's a good little gangster picture. Fans of the terribly underrated Joan Blondell will like it a lot.

In this before the Code drama Joan Blondell steps into Barbara Stanwyck territory playing a woman who we see rise to the top of the rackets and is pretty ruthless about it. As the film shows us Blondell had it pretty rough as a kid and now she's going to acquire the only thing that matters in this life, money.

Along the way she teams up with another racketeer played by Chester Morris on loan from MGM who's also not a squeamish guy, but wants to settle down with Blondell as long as he leads when they dance. Blondell is not about to let anyone else lead in her life.

I'm surprised this film is not better known if for no other reason than the acclaim that Blondell has received for her performances in those Warner Brothers gangster films. Usually she's just a leading lady for James Cagney etc. but her she's the lead, it's her film and she makes a fine job of it.

If TCM ever broadcasts this, don't miss it. A must for Joan Blondell fans.

Even though "Crime Does Not Pay" is the message here, Joan Blondell and Chester Morris play the wisecracks with style. Definitely a feminist slant to a story of a woman crime-boss wannabe who refuses to have sex with her co-workers. Entertaining and involving (I joined the heroine in her desire to save her frontman from the hitmen's bullets), although the ending was a little hard to take. Good stuff from Sterling Holloway as a friendly cab-driver.

Character actress/star Joan Blondell makes the most of Blondie Johnson, appearing first as a down-and-outer fired from her previous job because she wouldn't put out for the boss and then developing as an assertive, sassy, gang leader. She's is determined to get ahead in a man's world, and uses her snappy sense of humor, and both her sensitivity and her sensuality to move to the top and earn the respect of her fellow mobsters--simultaneously shooting for romance with (boring) Chester Morris.

After the film is over, it really doesn't seem like we've watched a gangster movie, simply because Warner Brothers knew how to be topical by suggestion, and in the period when this film was made, a good deal could be broadly hinted at that was frowned upon in later years: making money the easy way through prostitution, evoking fear in others through protection rackets, and particularly in this film, making a woman boss of the mob. It all looks like great, harmless fun. But after about 1934 and the Production Code, for most actresses it was back to domesticity and the kitchen for almost thirty years!

It's a zippy 67 minutes with a familiar Warner's cast, including silent star Mae Busch, the ubiquitous comedy relief Allen Jenkins, and as the "other woman," cynical Claire Dodd. Today there's more than enough menace in a gangster film, another brutal murder just around the corner, another bloodbath waiting; if there's any fun to be had, it's happening elsewhere. But once upon a time one could easily sit through an escapist double feature with this, essentially a gangster romp, as a starter, and perhaps an Edward G. Robinson or Cagney film as the longer main feature. Now you can enjoy this whenever you want a little break!

When the story begins, Blondie Johnson (Joan Blondell) is broke and destitute. However, instead of waiting and hoping things will get better, she decides to take life into her own hands and devote herself to a life of crime. However, she's not looking at any petty crimes but wants to be a crime boss....something pretty much impossible back in 1933. And, after connecting up with Danny (Chester Morris), she begins her rapid ascent to the top. But there's one problem in her future....no matter how she tries to become tough and hard-bitten, she's still a lady.

This is generally a very good film. However, the ending portion disappointed me because up until then, Blondie was a good character...but at the end she inexplicably grows a heart. Inconsistent....but despite this it's still worth your time if you like classic films.

Almost a typical Warner Brothers gangster film but with an interesting twist. Someone at Warners realised two things: gangster movies made money and 'women's films made money - why not combine these two genres! Essentially this was conceived as a female version of Little Caesar which sounds like a terrible idea. It is however surprisingly not terrible - indeed, it's really quite good.

Although there's no innovative direction, spectacular sets or memorable moments, there's never a dull moment, you can empathise immediately with characters and it's totally engaging and immerses you completely into the depression-soaked urban America of the early thirties. What almost makes this a classic is Joan Blondell. Unlike with most of her films, there's no lingering shots of her rolling up her stockings or slipping into a negligee. Here she is totally believable as the woman who has climbed from absolute poverty to be the strong , respected leader of her organisation. She achieves this not through her sexuality but like Cagney and Robinson did, by her strong will and her brain. She manages to convey virtually every emotion known to man without defaulting into sentimental melodrama. Maybe this is not one of her more well known performances but it's definitely one of her best.

... to quote James Cagney from Blonde Crazy as he tries to talk Joan Blondell into joining him in his con artistry. In this film though, Joan is the one who has the big ideas.

The film opens with Blondie Johnson (Joan Blondell) pleading with a relief agency for help. She is jobless - she actually quit her job because the boss kept trying to get physical - and she hasn't been able to find another job in months. She and her mother were kicked out of their apartment and into the rain, mom got sick as a result, and the both of them are living in a spare room in a store, but the department of health may kick them out at any time. The relief agency can't help, and Blondie returns to the store she calls home just in time to see a sheet pulled over mom's face. She gets sappy happy lips service from a priest about her situation, and all of this just makes her decide that from this point forward she is going for money the easy way.

A toughened Blondie pulls a series of cons, each getting successively bigger with bigger payouts. Along the way she meets Danny Jones (Chester Morris) actually somebody she conned who tracks her down. In spite of the initial mutual distrust, they hit it off. Danny works for big time gangster Max Wagner, and she and Danny pull some cons as part of his gang. Max doesn't like Danny's newfound independence - funny that he never realizes Blondie is the real brains and the real threat - and it becomes necessary to eliminate Max if Danny is to continue having a pulse. Blondie is now the actual head of the operation, but makes Danny the titular one, probably because she is a woman and figures nobody will accept that. But the success goes to Danny's head, he takes up with a gold-digging musical comedy actress (Claire Dodd), and thinks he doesn't need the rest of the gang who put him where he is. Complications ensue.

This thing has a totally downbeat ending that it really didn't need to have because the production code is a year away. I'd say don't watch this if you are into Joan Blondell's lighter entries, although it is well done and I always thought that Joan Blondell's best combination of films and performances was during the precode era at Warner Brothers.

"Blondie Johnson" is a marvelous piece of film fun, made just before the era of the speakeasy was to conclude. As recounted in other reviews, the story is engaging and is a so-called "gangster movie" with a difference. The fun dialog goes on relentlessly with generous helpings of stellar interactions. This movie contains, additionally, an eye-boggling march across the screen of sparkling Art-Deco interiors and Depression-era fashions. The cast is comfortably familiar to movie buffs, with Joan Blondell demonstrating that she could do plenty more than just look beckoningly doe-eyed with those expressive eyes of hers. In the early 1930's she was often merely just a bubbly presence, but in this film she skillfully hypnotizes the willing viewer with plenty of varied emotion and determination, demanding recognition as a fine actress. In sum, this film is a treat for us movie fans of early WB and First National pictures, just as the studio began to create films containing confident fluidity of exposition. Highly enjoyable!

Here is a Pre-Code Gangster Movie with, wait for it, a Female Mob Boss. There is an Interracial Couple (Japanese/White), a Low-Cut Peek at Joan Blondell, and some Bullet Blood. That's about it for the Pre-Code Highlights although there is some Bedroom Banter that would Later become Taboo. A Friend asks "Blondie, why don't you give him a tumble?" for Example.

It's got typical Warner Bros. Snappy Patter and Chester Morris' forever present Dangling Cigarette is Stereotypically "charming". The Script Employs a Clever Con on a Jewelry Store, some Hard-Boiled Inner-Gang Violence and Always has Blondie with the Upper Hand.

Another Highlight in this Atypical Depression Era Movie is when Blondie gets Frisked by a Cop "Woman", She finds a small caliber pistol Tucked Away very close to a Forbidden Location, that even in a Pre-Coder is Rarely Referenced or given any Attention, and the Scene does not Shy away from the Search as the Dyke like Cop has Her Hands right where they don't Belong.

Worth a Watch for its Decisively Differentness and the Always Pleasing to the Eye Joan Blondell, where She, not Only Her Character, more than Holds Her Own with Her Tough Guy Companions.

Deserves a higher average rating - this is a very entertaining pre-Code film, with meaningful Depression content, a strong female character in the role of a gangster boss, snappy dialogue, and the effervescent (and underrated!) Joan Blondell.

Blondell is a self-made woman who rises out of poverty through her intelligence and grit, hardened by a boss who harassed her, and after getting no relief for her ailing mother, turns to crime in her desperation. She's tough but she's also playful and has a heart, and Blondell plays the part with great range, elevating the film.

The film has some nice pre-Code elements, the biggest of which is course Blondell at the top of an organized crime operation (just a year later, such a role would not be possible). A gangster (Chester Morris) is drawn to her, and one of her friends bluntly asks her why she doesn't "give him a tumble," but she says "business before pleasure," determined to be a self-made woman. There are also some smaller bits. Blondell alludes to having had a sister who got pregnant as a teenager, and then unable to get a doctor, died, making us think of a back-alley abortion. In supporting roles, there is an interracial couple that is simply accepted, and the Asian-American actress (Toshia Mori) speaks non-stereotypical lines.

The film does not have the same ruthless edge that other gangster films have from the period. Blondell makes it clear she's out to earn money and she doesn't mind conning the system that has betrayed her, revealing the age's deep cynicism. In another one of the film's small moments, however, her character shows an underlying sweetness when Morris gives her an expensive bracelet, and she says that even if it had come from the ten cent store she would have liked it, because of "the fact that you did get it, and were considerate of my feelings." What a lovely little line that is. The film has some silly bits (e.g. how improbably Blondell dupes a jury into getting Allen Jenkins off) and the ending is a little syrupy, but overall it was refreshing to see this take on the genre.

1933 was a great year on average for films, and this was a great period for Joan Blondell as well - the films Blonde Crazy (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), Union Depot (1932), Three on a Match (1932), Footlight Parade (1933), and Gold Diggers of 1933 all come to mind. I don't know if this is better than any of those, but it's in their category, and must-see for Blondell fans.

Joan Blondell is poverty stricken, but determined to survive, in "Blondie Johnson," a 1933 Warner Brothers film also starring Chester Morris, Allen Jenkins, and Sterling Holloway.

Blondie (Blondell) and her sick mother are not considered hardship cases. They live in the back of a store, Blondie can't find a job, and her mother is in need of care. After being denied funds, she returns home to find that her mother has died in her absence. She decides she's waited long enough for something good to happen. She's going to make things happen, but she's going to use her brains, not her body, to do it The next time we see Blondie, she's all decked out after working in a dance hall. She takes a cab ride and she and the driver (Holloway) work a scam that nets them a tidy sum at the end of the night. Unfortunately one of the people they worked it on is Danny Jones (Morris), a racketeer, and he catches her in a Chinese restaurant, which is not exactly the hospital she claimed she was headed to for work. They team up, with Blondie having ambitions toward being a crime boss.

Good movie with the always delightful Blondell and likable Chester Morris. The end of the film is jarring; it's abrupt and different in tone from the rest of the movie. Still, it's a quick-paced, well acted film.

'Blondie Johnson' appeared as a recommendation here when a while back reviewing another film starring Joan Blondell. It immediately intrigued me as the idea was really intriguing and actually my kind of film, and Blondell was always a delight and worth watching. Especially excelling in wise-cracking roles seen notably in her outings with James Cagney, and one of the best at that type of role at the time and during the pre-code period (rivalled in my opinion only by Jean Harlow).

While it may not be one of her best overall films, 'Blondie Johnson' is still a good deal of fun and definitely shows off how much of a talent Blondell was. It was great too to see more of a grittier, at times more sensitive and not quite as comedic side to her while also still maintaining and not in any way losing what it was that made her so appealing. Which was her sass and sensuality. 'Blondie Johnson' had all the right ingredients to be great and was frequently, but the leading man and ending brought it down a bit.

So many great things here. Blondell is wonderful, she commands the screen effortlessly and looks very photogenic. She has her usual sassiness, while also allowing for more vulnerability and grit which helps make her character interesting and easy to invest in. Allen Jenkins is colourful support, while Disney regular Sterling Holloway amuses and endears. Mae Busch and Claire Dodd are good too.

The film looks stylish and is beautifully framed and lit. It also has the right amount and type of atmosphere, not an uncompromising sort of atmosphere but not a too soft-focused one. The script has snap and edge and the story is compelling and intriguing with a good deal of entertainment value and not much predictability. The direction is taut enough while allowing breathing space.

Chester Morris however struck me as rather dull and didn't seem at ease in a part that doesn't have that much meat. His and Blondell's chemistry together doesn't sadly have enough spark, it's functional but that's it.

Also found the ending too abrupt and sappy, tonally jarring with all that came before and like it was lifted out of another film.

Other than those drawbacks, they are outweighed by the numerous things done (very well). Well worth watching. 7/10

Blondie Johnson (Joan Blondell) is struggling in the midst of the Great Depression after losing her job. Her beloved mother dies from bad accommodations. She has no options left. She is determined to get lots of money and is willing to get it with her brains in criminal ways. She is approached by gangster Danny Jones (Chester Morris).

This is a female centric gangster flick. It's a minority in that sense. The dame's in charge. That's worth a pretty penny. She does need to do more gun play. Without more action, the tension falters somewhat. It leans a bit too much on the romantic melodrama.

While most of the movies in this period tried to find some new way of telling the detective story, many worked on the gangster side as well. Today, we don't quite appreciate the cleverness in the variety. I think in part because the things that didn't get embedded in the form just aren't seen even if you watch the movie.

Superficially, this is a story of a poor gal who climbs her way to the top of the gang ladder and falls in love along the way in spite of herself. And it has some snappy dialog of the type common in gangster movies of the era. But it has ambitions beyond that, getting darn close to sex as power, sex as beneficial crime. Blondie not only has to fight male kingpins, but she has to best their molls too.

All the sex is implied here, odd because of the time: before the code was enforced. But it permeates, even in the earliest scenes where Blondie is impoverished because she refused a screwing by the boss.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Joan Blondell, doing what she does best...playing a sassy, sexy, pre code con artist...is the only sensible reason to stay with this cliche ridden, visually undistinguished, Warner Bros. 30s gangster pic. Notice how the scenes without Ms. Blondell simply wither and die and that the not very compelling Chester Morris and. Earle Fox are better when she's around. That's the mark of a good actor and star, both of which Ms. Blondell very much was. C plus.

Probably the earliest example of why you shouldn't chew bubblegum, it's incredibly off putting.

Besides that this movie has a fantastic feel and vibe to it. All the characters are believable and over the top at the same time. The story moves quickly but I feel that's how it was back in those days.