By Glenn Erickson
The Widow From Chicago
Brief Synopsis
A woman infiltrates a criminal mob to avenge her brother's death.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Edward Cline
Director
Alice White
Polly
Neil Hamilton
"Swifty" Dorgan
Edward G. Robinson
Dominic
Frank Mchugh
Slug
Lee Shumway
Johnston
Film Details
Genre
Crime
Adventure
Drama
Release Date
Nov
23,
1930
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
First National Pictures
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
5,773ft
(7 reels)
Synopsis
Lieutenant Finnegan of the New York Police Department and Jimmy Henderson, youngest detective on the force, board an inbound train trailing "Swifty" Dorgan, a Chicago gangster en route to work for Dominic, a local underworld figure; Dorgan leaps from the train at a bridge crossing and is thought to be killed. Planting a newspaper story that Dorgan escaped from the police, Jimmy assumes the gangster's identity and joins Dominic's gang; but he is shot down by the mob. Determined to avenge her brother's death, Polly poses as Swifty Dorgan's widow and gets work in Dominic's nightclub. When Dorgan actually returns, Polly persuades him to acquiese to her scheme, and he considers reforming. During an attempted holdup, Polly shoots a detective to protect Dorgan and later unwittingly gets a confession from Dominic that he killed her brother; cornered by police, he uses Polly as a shield, but Dominic and Dorgan shoot it out until Dominic is forced to surrender.
Director
Edward Cline
Director
Cast
Alice White
Polly
Neil Hamilton
"Swifty" Dorgan
Edward G. Robinson
Dominic
Frank Mchugh
Slug
Lee Shumway
Johnston
Brooks Benedict
Mullins
John Elliott
Lieutenant Finnegan
Dorothy Mathews
Cora
Anne Cornwall
Mazie
E. H. Calvert
Captain
Betty Francisco
Helen
Harold Goodwin
Jimmy
Crew
Film Details
Genre
Crime
Adventure
Drama
Release Date
Nov
23,
1930
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
First National Pictures
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
5,773ft
(7 reels)
Articles
The Widow from Chicago -
The great Edward G. Robinson's initial role for First National Pictures sees him playing a tough-talking gangster, but the film isn't 1931's Little Caesar. Just two months before he made film history as Enrico Bandello, Robinson played an underworld boss named Dominic in director Eddie Cline's The Widow from Chicago (1930). The gangland drama is actually a dramatic showcase for Warner Bros. star Alice White, who was more accustomed to romantic musical comedies. Screenwriter Earl Baldwin sets up an unlikely tale of sisterly vengeance. Everything revolves around an expected but unseen hood named 'Swifty' Dorgan (Neil Hamilton), who is coming to New York to work for the kingpin Dominic. When the cops think Dorgan has been killed, a detective impersonates him to infiltrate the gang. The ruse doesn't work, and the detective is killed. Out for revenge, the cop's daring sister Polly (Alice White) pretends to be a dance hall girl and shows up at Dominic's hideout, claiming that she's Dorgan's widow. The unlikely reversals take one more turn when the real Swifty Dorgan shows up, alive and well. Instead of being found out, Polly enlists the Chicago hood to reform and help her get the goods on the evil Dominic. The critics were quick to find fault with The Widow from Chicago. Most felt that the virtuous Neil Hamilton was miscast as a killer, and called out Alice White's performance as little more than coy looks and eye rolling. Variety thought Robinson's performance was 'all out of proportion' but the New York Times praised his tough guy Dominic as 'agreeably despicable.' The consensus was that the intelligent and resourceful Robinson character should never have fallen into the foolish trap laid by the too-nice Hamilton and the unconvincing Ms. White. No matter: just two months later all the reviewers would be talking about Edward G.'s game-changing performance as Little Caesar; The Widow from Chicago was almost instantly forgotten.
By Glenn Erickson
By Glenn Erickson
The Widow from Chicago -
The great Edward G. Robinson's initial role for First National Pictures sees him playing a tough-talking gangster, but the film isn't 1931's Little Caesar. Just two months before he made film history as Enrico Bandello, Robinson played an underworld boss named Dominic in director Eddie Cline's The Widow from Chicago (1930). The gangland drama is actually a dramatic showcase for Warner Bros. star Alice White, who was more accustomed to romantic musical comedies. Screenwriter Earl Baldwin sets up an unlikely tale of sisterly vengeance. Everything revolves around an expected but unseen hood named 'Swifty' Dorgan (Neil Hamilton), who is coming to New York to work for the kingpin Dominic. When the cops think Dorgan has been killed, a detective impersonates him to infiltrate the gang. The ruse doesn't work, and the detective is killed. Out for revenge, the cop's daring sister Polly (Alice White) pretends to be a dance hall girl and shows up at Dominic's hideout, claiming that she's Dorgan's widow. The unlikely reversals take one more turn when the real Swifty Dorgan shows up, alive and well. Instead of being found out, Polly enlists the Chicago hood to reform and help her get the goods on the evil Dominic. The critics were quick to find fault with The Widow from Chicago. Most felt that the virtuous Neil Hamilton was miscast as a killer, and called out Alice White's performance as little more than coy looks and eye rolling. Variety thought Robinson's performance was 'all out of proportion' but the New York Times praised his tough guy Dominic as 'agreeably despicable.' The consensus was that the intelligent and resourceful Robinson character should never have fallen into the foolish trap laid by the too-nice Hamilton and the unconvincing Ms. White. No matter: just two months later all the reviewers would be talking about Edward G.'s game-changing performance as Little Caesar; The Widow from Chicago was almost instantly forgotten.
By Glenn Erickson
