It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

A mildly comedic drama directed by Alfred E. Green. A selling point is a the first and only time screen icons Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney would appear together on the silver-screen. The established Robinson and the soon emerging star Cagney play together quite well. Robinson plays an immigrant Greek barber, Nick Venizelos; a guys guy hooked on poker. By chance or talent, Nick knew how to win money and lots of it. But not satisfied being the 'big fish in a little pond'; Nick is backed with money from his friends and goes to "the city" to play with the big boys and bigger money. Nick and his fondness for pretty blondes and a poker game does not mix well. Soon he is "taken to the cleaners" by a card shark, Sleepy Sam(Ralf Harolde). But not totally down on his luck, one of his best pals, Jack(Cagney), shows up in time to turn the tables on the sleazy operator, who cheated Nick out of his bankroll.Story line well constructed with better than average dialogue(for the times.) It appears obvious that Cagney does not want to take anything away from Robinson in the scenes they share. And a nice parade of pretty girls. Rounding out the cast: Noel Francis, Evalyn Knapp, Maurice Black, Paul Porcasi and Margaret Livingston.

Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney team up in their only picture together(strangely enough). Robinson plays Nick, an immigrant Greek barber who loves to gamble and can't stay away from a poker game or betting. Cagney plays Jack, his good friend who is amused by him, and he and their other friends bankroll him in a big betting game in the city, though Nick's weakness for women gets him cleaned out in a rigged game, Nick decides to get even by joining in on the racket, which makes him rich at first, but of course things later go wrong, though Jack does what he can to help. The two top actors are once again the whole show in otherwise familiar picture that works because of their star-power.

Two very famous little guys playing cocky guys - Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney; who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe a little more Cagney, as he is just a supporting player here, but overall I had no complaints watching this 1931 film.Robinson was great in the lead as "Nick the Barber," (full name "Nick Venizelos.") Cagney is "Jack," an old friend who is employed by Nick. The Greek is a barber, but he's really a full-time gambler or evolves into that role quickly during this story. He goes from small-town hick to big city boss but the road is bumpy along the way. He gets taken by the big crook in town twice, gets hustled by a couple of blondes (Nick's real weakness) but overcomes all of them to be gambling czar.After Nick's successful jaunts at revenge are completed, the last third of the film is devoted to the city's district attorney trying to get some goods on Nick and put him away and get him out of his city.This movie, as expected considering the year it was made, is very dated but another of those early '30s films that has a lot of snap, crackle and pop to it. The dialog is crisp and edgy with the expressions of the day and everybody is just nasty enough to make them all interesting characters.Robinson, as in "Little Caesar," is super in here, much like the cocky gangster roles Cagney also would play in the same period ("The Public Enemy," "Lady Killer," etc.).The blondes all look similar with the short curly hair of the period and the sexism, racism and other "isms" are all on display here in this fun "gangster movie." The ending was odd but that, too, was the mark of these Pre-Code films which certainly were different. Now that it's out on DVD, check this film out if you're a fan of the early crime genre, or a fan of Robinson's. You won't be disappointed.

Smart Money is famous for the teaming of Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in the only time they shared the screen. Both men had just come off their breakthrough performances in Little Caesar and Public Enemy respectively. Of the two of them, Robinson comes off far the better.I'm not sure why Cagney did this film, more than likely because he was told to and was not yet rebelling against Jack Warner. He's strangely subdued in the part, the usual Cagney bounce and cockiness just isn't there for me. Cagney plays the best friend of Greek barber Edward G. Robinson who in his career played any number of ethnic types. Here he's a happy go lucky barber whose place doubles as a betting establishment. He likes to play, but when friends raise a bankroll for him to try his luck in the big city he gets good and clipped.Robinson's down, but not out. He goes back and clips the clippers and becomes a big gambling racketeer. Problems do arise when he and Cagney quarrel over the same woman.It's definitely Robinson's picture, maybe it's why Cagney and he never worked together again. I would like to have seen them both in a film with a more typical Jimmy Cagney.Still when it's broadcast it should not be missed.