Diagonaldi Very well executed

Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

st-shot Free of the nagging headaches of White Heat James Cagney once again goes to his bread and butter gangster role for the second time in row after putting it on sabbatical for a decade. He's no Cody Jarret but homicidal nonetheless.Ralph Cotter (Cagney) busts out of prison with the help of an inmate's sister (Barbara Payton). Returning to his life of crime other opportunities become available when he switches his identity. Soon he has a pair of corrupt cops in his pocket while being ably assisted by a crooked lawyer and the cash begins to roll in. When he falls for a society dame matters get tenuous.Unlike Jarrett Cagney's Cotter has the intemperate rage under better control in Goodbye allowing him to convey his cocksure threatening arrogance with a degree of sanity and control. More grounded without the mother fixation it extends his reach in things both criminal and romantic.Barbara Payton in her first big role shines and shows great promise in a career that would nosedive as fast as rise while Falcon detective duo Barton McClain and Ward Bond, stretching his role more than usual, reprise their occupations but this time they are on the take. Luther Adler's corrupt lawyer 'Cherokee' Mandon gives an excellent understated performance buttressing Cagney by being a worthy adversary and advocate in attempting to keep Cotter on his game. Prolific director Gordon Douglas ( 5 features in 1950, 4 more in 51) keeps things moving along at a decent pace with straightforward storytelling and handling of subplots that clearly in comparison lacks the desperation and intensity of Heat but remains a decent follow-up worth the watch.

nomoons11 Man if this character Cagney plays doesn't appear to have the same look, feel and over the topness of his character in White Heat, I don't know what other film does.This was a pretty good but it's not in the same breath as White Heat. Cagney plays a guy who busts outta prison and gets together with a few corrupt officials and regulars to commit robberies for fast dough. In this we meet his helper in his escape, Barbara Payton and the driver. They get involved with corrupt cops and lawyers whoever else to get ahead. The character Cagney plays so closely resembles Cody Jarrett that just by me mentioning it you'll immediately know what your in for. Cagney goes through this film doing whatever he wants to whoever without batting an eyelash. The best part is how all the people around him react. One comment on the time this film was made, late 40's early 50's, there probably wasn't an "institute for cosmic consciousness" in the south. How do we know this was in the south? Well, I know of know other place in the US that had chain gangs(like the one Cagney escapes from). In this film you see a corrupt ex-mob guy who's running this "new-age" place and I can tell ya folks, ain't know way that place would have existed in the south in that day and time. They would have run them outta the place. Another little fun nugget? Take a look at the end scene where Cagney falls after being shot. If you look close on the left hand side of the screen, you'll see a crew members foot come into the frame for just a second. LoL now that's quality editing.Looking for over-the-topness in your films? This one should suit you just fine. It was pretty obvious Cagney jumped on this one cause of how well White Heat previously. It works but don't expect White Heat.

gullwing592003 James Cagney is in top form in this rare & obscure gem, obviously made to cash in on the success of White Heat. If you enjoyed White Heat you will relish Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye. Cagney does not disappoint & shows that he is still at his best as a gangster. No matter how evil & despicable Cagney was you could never really hate him. That was how charismatic & electrifying James Cagney was & only he could have played Cody Jarrett & Ralph Cotter. Cagney is more in control & more clever & manipulating as Ralph Cotter. Everyone gets sucked in & gets caught in his web from Crooked Cops played by Ward Bond & Barton Maclane, a crooked lawyer (Luther Adler), the moll (Barbara Payton), the wealthy businessman & his spoiled daughter. I like the scene where Cagney sets a trap for Inspector Webber (Ward Bond) by recording a conversation about plans for a bogus heist on record to blackmail & use against him to get what he wants. Cherokee Mandan says "Let's try it on for size", he gets Ralph a gun permit & later Cagney even gets the inspector to give him a policeman's uniform to undermine & cash in on a criminal racket."Any business that pays 50 grand is a good business to be in". Cagney seemed unstoppable & was in control of every situation, pushing the envelope & it's easy to see why Holiday Carlton (Barbara Payton) had to kill Cagney in the end for killing her brother during the prison break. I almost wished he hadn't of gotten killed by her because it seemed like the rich father & his daughter had some kind of good influence on him, Ezra Dobson later approves of their marriage & decides not to have it annulled & offers Cagney a proposition of managing his daughter's money(Helena Carter)who's richer than her father. When she asks Ralph why he carries a gun she asks to see it & intentionally tosses it in the water. "You don't need it any more", he was heading in a new direction & starting a new life of respectability & leaving his criminal life behind. Or would Ralph have just gotten greedy to their millions of $$ & bumped them off as well or would he have reformed ? We'll never know. Watch this movie, I highly recommend it !!

alant15 Hi, It's actually a right hand drive car but alas I can't be positive with the identification of it. I too thought it was a Mercedes but now know it probably isn't. It could well be an Hispano Suiza though. If you do an image internet search on this car a very similar one comes up albeit with a spare wheel attached to the door but it wouldn't be unknown for this to be removed by the production company because it got in the way. What I can say though is that it can decelerate from 110mph to 20mph in half a second (ha!)I will watch this with interest.I agree that it is a great film though. Film4 have just shown it for the second time to my knowledge. Hope they show Love Me Or Leave Me soon, a favourite of mine and apparently of Cagney himself. In both these films Cagney was in his early 50s, being born in 1899 but still believable as a character.