I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

I wasn't expecting much out of this film because I grew tired of all the cops-n-robbers flicks that Warner Brothers pumped out with stars such as James Cagney. In fact, I almost didn't watch it all. But I'm glad I did, because this film stands out over many other such WB films of the era.Cagney plays a truck driver here, who also fools around with amateur boxing...and has a life-long girlfriend played by Ann Sheridan. Cagney also has a brother, a sort of musical prodigy, and Cagney turns to professional boxing in order to help his brother pay for music school. Meanwhile, however, Sheridan falls for a dancer -- Anthony Quinn -- who helps her professional aspirations to be a dancer on the stage. Sheridan and Cagney drift apart. During a title fight, an opponent makes Cagney go nearly blind by putting rosin on his gloves, which he then rubs into his eyes during the fight. After the prognosis of the blindness is permanent, Cagney operates a newspaper stand, while his brother becomes a successful composer. Of course, in the end, Sheridan and Cagney are reunited.There are a number of nice touches which make this film enjoyable for many types of viewers. While it's about boxing, there isn't so much of it in the film that if you dislike boxing that you won't want to watch. It's a nice period piece in terms of the music and dancing of the era. Cagney, Sheridan, and Arthur Kennedy (as the brother) all have their own stories to tell. Years ago a Thai friend was visiting my home and one evening we watched some James Cagney movie, and when it was done my friend said, "Americans think James Cagney could act?" And, Cagney did have a bit of an unreal style of acting, which is more restrained here. I think he was maturing as an actor in this phase of his career, and it wasn't long after this that he starred in "Yankee Doodle Dandy".So, this is a good starring vehicle for James Cagney. Ann Sheridan shines here as Peggy Nash, and it reminded me that she was very pleasing on the big screen, and is not remembered as well as she should be. I've never been impressed with Arthur Kennedy, but he's satisfactory here. Frank Craven as the "Old Timer" is interesting...he sort of narrates, much as he had done very recently in "Our Town". Anthony Quinn is not very pleasant as the dancer...but handsome...and of course, this was in his phase as a bad guy. Interestingly, Elia Kazan is here as a gangster-type. And venerable character actor Donald Crisp shines as a boxing promoter; what a versatile actor he was! Even Frank McHugh, whom I often find irritating, was pretty good here.I enjoyed this film a lot, and I recommend it.

I'm unashamedly a James Cagney enthusiast--in fact, he's my very favourite actor (like me, he's at least part-Irish, and he's more versatile than Orson Welles), so yes, I tend to be overly generous when I'm watching his films. But I really enjoyed this gangster/boxing hybrid film from the early 40's that, not only sported great acting by Cagney but also had wonderful performances by Ann Sheridan (I'm rather fond of redheads too), Anthony Quinn and a rare acting role for top-notch director Elia Kazan. Yes, it was melodramatic, a tearjerker and overly predictable--people talk about those qualities as if they were bad things.Also being an aficionado of many types of music, particularly jazz and classical, I found it highly compelling of the filmmakers to utilize music as a way of communicating the inexpressible (the trials and tribulations, dreams and pitfalls). Highly recommended for anyone who likes seeing filmmakers think outside of the box for once, and dare to try something different. Especially if you love Cagney and classic cinema as much as I do, I highly doubt you'll be disappointed.

A very memorable role for James Cagney. As a youngster he makes Ann Sheridan his girl and they promise to be together forever. Cagney grows to be a hard working truck driver that has to turn to boxing to make real dough. Another reason for quick bucks is that his girl has grown to be an award winning dancer, but with a scoundrel for a partner(Anthony Quinn). Cagney ends up blind from a beating in the ring; and to make ends meet he operates a newspaper stand. His girl gives up her dancing to take care of him. Elia Kazan turns in a marvelous death scene; my favorite of the movie. Also in the cast: Donald Crisp, George Tobias, Arthur Kennedy and Frank McHugh.

CITY FOR CONQUEST is one of those dated Warner Bros. melodramas from the '40s that gives JAMES CAGNEY another of his pugnacious fighter roles and ANN SHERIDAN is all career minded and good intentions while she is romanced by Cagney. ARTHUR KENNEDY does a standout job as Cagney's composer brother with his eye on the big time concert halls.The tale of New Yorkers with dreams shattered is briskly directed by Anatole Litvak but borders on the melodramatic at every turn. It does give Max Steiner a chance to compose a symphony (supposedly by Arthur Kennedy) that adds some conviction to the story of an ambitious composer.Sheridan and Cagney do nothing here that they haven't done countless times before in other Warner melodramas, with Sheridan alternating between tough and tender with her self-confident charm and Cagney showing the more sensitive side of his character whenever the script calls for it. The main trouble is the lumbering script, which reaches a climax with the big fight scene and then limps painfully toward a slow moving conclusion.It's strange to see upcoming director ELIA KAZAN doing nicely in a supporting role, along with DONALD CRISP, FRANK McHUGH, GEORGE TOBIAS, ANTHONY QUINN, FRANK CRAVEN, LEE PATRICK and THURSTON HALL but there's an uneven mix of boxing and music that somehow doesn't jell into a satisfying enough melodrama. The ending is sure to pull on the heartstrings but seems a bit contrived. Sheridan goes through the entire film lovingly photographed with tear-stained close-ups as she gazes at Cagney, never more so than at the end. Their last scene together is little more than a compilation of clichés.Not one of my favorite melodramas from the Warner mill.Typical line of '40s dialog from Ann Sheridan: "It's just like running through a dark alley and suddenly coming out in warm sunlight."