This week’s mystery movie was the 1930 Warner Bros. film Sinners’ Holiday, based on the play Penny Arcade by Marie Baumer, with Grant Withers, Lucille LaVerne, Warren Hymer, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Noel Madison, Evalyn Knapp, Otto Hoffman, Hank Mann and Ray Gallagher.
Screen adaptation by Harvey Thew.
Dialogue by George Rosener.
Photographed by Ira Morgan.
Edited by James Gibbon.
General musical direction by Erno Rapee.
Costumes by Earl Luick.
Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by Louis Silvers.
Directed by John G. Adolfi.
Further information on Sinners’ Holiday is available from the AFI Catalog.
Sinners’ Holiday is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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This week, we had James Cagney’s film debut in a “not suitable for children” film, and it was a pleasure to see him and Joan Blondell (both from the Broadway cast) early in their careers. Fortunately, the print was quite good and the cast was strong.
I don’t expect The New York Times to care for the film, unless its origins as a play bring some positive comments.
Mordaunt Hall approves (October 11, 1930):
The romance of a carnival barker and the daughter of a penny arcade proprietress is well told in the screen version of Marie Baumer’s play, now known as Sinners’ Holiday. There are some tense scenes in this picture, which is at Warners’ Strand, especially that in which Ma Delano, the mother, delivers a tirade on the evils of liquor, which she blames for the weak character of her son…. Grant Withers as Angel Harrigan and Lucille LaVerne as Ma Delano are well cast, but the most impressive acting is done by James Cagney in the role of Harry Delano. His fretful tenseness during the closing scenes is conveyed with sincerity.
For Monday in this week’s “unsuitable” mystery movie, we have a mysterious hot dog vendor.
Update: This is Otto Hoffman.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious guest in a newsboy cap, also Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Noel Madison and James Cagney as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Dan Nather (mystery movie).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Lucille LaVerne.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mysterious fellow), Dan Nather (Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests) and Sheila (mystery movie and both mysterious guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious couple.
Update: This is Evalyn (Evelyn) Knapp and Grant Withers.
Brain Trust roll call: Suz n Chaz (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus connection to mysterious photographer), Stacia (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests plus Tuesday’s Back of the Head Guy), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery woman plus mysterious leads) and Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mystery woman).
For Friday, we have a mysterious couple. And as you can tell, this is definitely an unsuitable movie.
Update: This is Joan Blondell and James Cagney.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery fellow), Dan Nather (Tuesday’s Back of the Head Guy, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Stacia (Tuesday’s Back of the Head Guy and Thursday’s mysterious couple) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Carl Stockdale.
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An interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not….
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If I had to choose between Russell Simpson, Eddie Waller or Percy Kilbride, I’d say none of them.
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I don’t know the actor’s name, but that’s the guy selling “all pedigreed” hot dogs in the opening minutes of SINNERS’ HOLIDAY (1930), James Cagney’s first movie.
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Noel Madison today.
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I think this is Noel Madison with Warren Hymer as BOTHG.
PS: Monday’s hot dog vendor is Otto Hoffman.
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Otto Hoffman and Noel Madison, ‘Sinners’ Holiday’?
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“Sinners Holiday” 1930 with Grant Withers (back of the head guy?) Lucille LaVerne, Otto Hoffman (hot dog guy?) and soon Jimmy Cagney and Joan Blondell. Photographed by my great-great uncle Ira Morgan.
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Ah, it’s SINNER’S HOLIDAY (1930), I knew I’d seen it before but gosh it’s been a long time. Wednesday is Lucille La Verne and Monday is Otto Hoffman, I’m guessing on Tuesday but I think that’s Noel Madison.
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Otto Hoffman, James Cagney and Lucille LaVerne in SINNER’S HOLIDAY.
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Lucille La Verne in “Sinner’s Holiday.” Love the lingo in this one. Cagney’s first movie! And Joan Blondell, too.
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Today’s guest is Lucille La Verne.
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Today’s mystery gentleman is Grant Withers in Sinners’ Holiday.
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Tuesday: I got BOTHG wrong — it’s James Cagney.
Wednesday: Lucille LaVerne.
Today: The real stars of the picture, Grant Withers and Evelyn Knapp.
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Oh I forgot Tuesday’s back of the head guy, that’s Jimmy Cagney. Thursday is Grant Withers and Evalyn Knapp looking cute as a button, as always.
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Evelyn Knapp and Grant Withers.
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Hats off to a crazy couple!
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Blondell and Cagney.
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And there’s James Cagney and Joan Blondell, getting their start at Warner Brothers.
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