well done

I remember watching this as a kid. I was really excited because I was an old movie buff even as a youngster, so the idea of Cagney being in a TV movie was very cool.

I remember watching it and thinking that something wasn't quite right about the voice. It was more than the effects of old age or a stroke. It was as if my brain was scanning his voice every time he spoke, looking for some trace or resemblance to the Cagney voice I was familiar with, and I just couldn't detect anything. I caught on to the dubbing thing, and it seems to me that there are one or two lines in there where he's conversing with Carney, short lines, wherein they let his own voice in there. I read the comment from the gentleman who had been involved in the making of the movie, that the film with Cagney's own voice was far superior to the final cut. It's a shame that they didn't use his own voice, or keep the tracks.

The thing is though, as a kid, I made a audio cassette recording of this movie, and I just listened to it, knowing of course that it wasn't Cagney I was hearing, but just curious nonetheless after all these years.

Even in spite of the dubbing, it's still a good story, moving and well done, with good dialog. Definitely a cut above other TV movies. I'm glad Cagney decided to make it.