The St. Louis Kid (DVD), Warner Archives, Drama

Eddie is at the wheel and good buddy Buck rides shotgun on the St. Louis to Chicago run. But there's an obstacle in life's roadway, catching the two truckers in a squeeze between striking farmers and the dairy business. The labor strife turns violent, a farmer is murdered, and Eddie, who is accused of the crime, scrambles to clear his name as well as rescue his sweetie after she is kidnapped by the killers. As Eddie, James Cagney is in his fan-pleasing Depression-era element, rat-a-tat-tatting dialogue and shouldering the heroics of a lickety-split comedy-drama entertainment steeped in the working-class ethos typical of many of the era's Warner films. Comedy-support-actor Allen Jenkins portrays sidekick Buck. Fans may be surprised how the feisty Cagney persona plunges headfirst quite literally; into the rough stuff. A bigger surprise: The slap-down our hero gets from costar Patricia Ellis (Picture Snatcher!).