Smart Money (1931 film)

Smart Money is a 1931 American PreCode drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros., directed by Alfred E. Green, and starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney, the only time Robinson and Cagney made a movie together despite being the two leading gangster actors at Warner Bros. studios throughout the 1930s. Smart Money was shot after Robinsons signature film Little Caesar had been released, and during the filming of Cagneys breakthrough masterpiece The Public Enemy, which is how Cagney came to play, just this once, the kind of supporting role usually portrayed by Humphrey Bogart later in the 1930s.

Nick Venizelos Robinson, a prosperous smalltown barber, provides his customers with gambling in his back room. He is so lucky that one suggests he go to the big city to take on famous gambler named Hickory Short. Not lacking in selfconfidence, Nick puts up half of the 10,000 stake himself, while the others raise the rest. He leaves the shop under the supervision of his assistant, Jack Cagney, and takes the train into the city.He learns from Marie, the pretty blonde working at the hotel cigar stand, where Hickory is holding his illegal, highstakes poker game. Nick sits down at the game, but loses all his money. Later, however, he sees a newspaper article reporting that the real Hickory Short has just been released from prison far away in Florida. The man he thought was Hickory is actually conman Sleepy Sam Ralf Harolde, and Marie is his girlfriend and accomplice. When Nick foolishly tries to get his money back, Sleepy Sam and the other fake poker players beat him up. After he gets out of the hospital, he vows to get revenge. ........

Source: Wikipedia