How a 1939 gangster classic captured the rise and fall of the Prohibition era
In short: Raoul Walsh’s The Roaring Twenties remains a definitive portrait of the American underworld. Starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, the film traces the trajectory of three soldiers returning from the Great War, only to find themselves entangled in the bootlegging rackets and the eventual collapse of the 1929 stock market.
The narrative follows Eddie Bartlett, George Hally, and Lloyd Hart, who first cross paths while serving in the military during the final stages of World War I. Upon their return to civilian life, their paths diverge sharply: Lloyd pursues a career in law, George enters the illicit alcohol trade, and Eddie attempts to make a living as a cab driver. Eddie’s accidental involvement in delivering illegal liquor leads to his arrest, but he eventually leverages his cab fleet to build a bootlegging empire, hiring Lloyd as his legal counsel.
As the criminal enterprise expands, tensions rise between Eddie and George. Their partnership is defined by violence, including the murder of a former sergeant and a brutal rivalry with a bootlegger named Nick Brown. The film captures the era’s volatility, culminating in the 1929 stock market crash, which destroys Eddie’s business and forces him to sell his assets to George at a significant loss. The personal stakes are heightened by Eddie’s unrequited love for Jean Sherman, who is romantically involved with Lloyd.
The film is celebrated as a classic of the gangster genre, serving as both a narrative of the era and an homage to early 1930s cinema. It marked the final collaboration between Cagney and Bogart, who had previously appeared together in Angels with Dirty Faces and The Oklahoma Kid. Despite a complex production history—including multiple replacements for the role of Panama Smith and a change in directors from Anatole Litvak to Raoul Walsh—the film maintains a perfect critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for the American Film Institute’s list of top gangster films in 2008.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Roaring Twenties
- Also: Wikidata — The Roaring Twenties · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — The Roaring Twenties · CC0
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/entertainment-the-roaring-twenties.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics
