Hard To Handle

All pace in the first scene for star James Cagney as Hollywood PR man Lefty, backstage at his dance marathon contest, scheming with his pretty distracted partner Mac (John Sheehan), in Hard To Handle, 1933, story by Houston Branch, screenplay by Bob Lord and Wilson Mizner.

Hollywood widow landlady Ruth Donnelly is looking to scam a furniture buyer (William H. Strauss) while her daughter Ruth (Mary Brian) is still soaking her feet, after winning a dance marathon, with some help from her promoter boyfriend Lefty (James Cagney), who was himself robbed of the prize she was supposed to get, in Hard To Handle, 1933.

Joining director Mervyn LeRoy’s breakneck opening, Allen Jenkins the MC at an outrageous Hollywood dance marathon, the last two couples standing are (second-billed) Mary Brian with Matt McHugh and Sterling Holloway with Mary Doran, before we meet the promoter, above-the-title billed James Cagney as Lefty, in Warner Bros.’ Hard To Handle, 1933.

A hustling public relations man (James Cagney) promotes a series of fads in Hard To Handle (1933).