The Time of Your Life
“FROM THE GREAT STAGE PLAY!”
Joe spends a lot of his time at Nick's Pacific Street Saloon. Tom, who credits Joe with once saving his life, stops by regularly to run errands for Joe. Today, Tom notices a woman named Kitty when she comes into Nick's, and he quickly falls in love with her. Meanwhile, a distraught young man repeatedly calls his girlfriend, begging her to marry him. Nick himself muses on all the various persons who come into his bar, some to ask for work and others just to pass the time.
Details
Release Date: 9/3/1948
Runtime: 109 minutes
Languages: English
Director: H. C. Potter
00Production
Companies: United Artists, William Cagney Productions
Countries: United States of America
Where to watch · US
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Reviews
CinemaSerf
I reckon that for all but maybe the last five minutes of this, James Cagney spends his time - and his money - sitting at a table in William Bendix' "Nick's" bar watching the customers come and go; each with a tale to tell. It is a very gently paced film; Cagney is almost guru-esque as he dispatches his devoted, if a bit simple, pal "Tom" (Wayne Morris) on various seemingly pointless errands as he listens to a variety of short stories from an aspiring tap-tancer (Paul Draper); a cowboy who has maybe had a touch too much desert sun (James Barton) and the shameless gossip (Ward Bond). It does build, slowly, to a climax of sorts - but that doesn't really matter; it is largely devoid of action - it's an observation of routine daily life with just enough spice to keep it interesting; and an appearance from Cagney's own sister, Jeanne, at the end as the love interest for the doting "Tom".
