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- 1939
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 46 m
- 1939
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 46 m
Summary Three men attempt to make a living in Prohibitionist America after returning home from fighting together in World War I.
Directed By: Raoul Walsh
- 1939
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 46 m
- 1939
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 46 m
The Roaring Twenties
80
6.0
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Summary Three men attempt to make a living in Prohibitionist America after returning home from fighting together in World War I.
Directed By: Raoul Walsh
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
80
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews
80
87% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
13% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
One of the many classic movies from “the greatest of all years”, 1939 (see also The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind and Stagecoach), this epic gangster flick dares to provide psychological back stories for the characters.
This is an exciting, sweeping vision of American life, which treats crime like the ultimate small business, crushed by the machinations of the truly powerful.
Walsh and producer Mark Hellinger's classic ultra-tough gangster opus about World War I, Prohibition and good-hearted mobster Jimmy Cagney's breezy rise and grim fall. [18 Feb 2005, p.C6]
Raoul Walsh’s essential 1939 gangster movie that turns Prohibition into a tragic nostalgia trip, is a terrifically entertaining film in its own right, rough and witty and fast on its feet in a way that only a ‘30’s Hollywood production could be. But it’s also a historically vital hinge movie of sorts, for its director, for its stars, and even for its genre, which was reaching maturity at the end of the decade that saw its central archetypes created.
By Chris Vognar FULL REVIEW
Because of James Cagney and the story’s circumstances, The Roaring Twenties is reminiscent of Public Enemy. Story and dialog are good. Raoul Walsh turns in a fine directorial job; the performances are uniformly excellent.
By Staff (Not Credited) FULL REVIEW
A trio of writers took New York critic turned studio exec Mark Hellinger’s notion for a “Roaring” era gangster saga and peppered it with enough snappy dialogue to pass for a screwball comedy.
With a commentator's voice interpolating ultra-dramatic commonplaces as the film unreels, their melodrama has taken on an annoying pretentiousness which neither the theme nor its treatment can justify.
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 5 User Ratings
6.0
60% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
20% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Mixed or Average Based on 5 User Ratings
6.0
60% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
20% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Mar 25, 2025
Hay elementos que aportan un toque de frescura a una trama ya algo vista hasta ese momento. La incorporación del narrador, sin duda, es un acierto, y los últimos momentos del personaje principal, el cómo termina siendo un taxista, es otro añadido interesante. Además, que se termine redimiendo es algo que no se ve tan a menudo. Aun así, es otra película de mafiosos y, para este momento, pues creo que está algo saturada y, en términos generales, mantiene lo que se esperaría de una película de este tipo. Aun así, lo hace lo suficientemente bien para ser una buena película y resaltar algo más que otras.
Report
Production Company
- Warner Bros.
Release Date Oct 28, 1939
Duration 1 h 46 m
Tagline The land of the free gone wild! The heyday of the hotcha! The shock-crammed days G-men took ten whole years to lick!
Awards
National Board of Review, USA
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Photoplay Awards
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
