This was quite the little known film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Jimmy Cagney. The first part of the film is slow going as Hawks warms us up for the finale. Hawks showed his mastery of action filming especially with the last two car racing sequences and then finishes up with a laugh out loud ending involving two ambulances racing to the hospital. Cagney is his usual pugnacious self at times, but shows off his acting range when he’s down and out trying to get one more chance to race.

I wanted to see this for two reasons: 
Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Blondell and to see how the medical profession was depicted. I got an added bonus of seeing real early Clark Gable before the pencil moustache.

This has so much going for it. Combine Freaky Friday with most slasher movies from the 80’s. Throw in Vince Vaughan from his funny days. Add in Kathryn Newton showing some mean girls acting chops. Blend in some gyrl power. Make sure you keep it at an R rating. A few honest to goodness jumpstarts and gore scenes just to keep it real. Sit back and enjoy for about an hour and forty minutes!

I was captivated by the scenes of the desert and especially the oasis. Add to that a morality tale in which a peasant who has been robbed, is able to eloquently articulate his case. Ultimately, it’s  an optimistic fable with great location shots. And it’s brief and on the Criterion Channel.