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A Lion Is in the Streets

Play trailer Poster for A Lion Is in the Streets 1953 1h 28m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 23% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Tension boils over in a rural Southern community when the tough, idealistic Hank Martin (James Cagney) backs a group of sharecroppers against their corrupt boss, Robert Castleberry (Larry Keating), who has been taking advantage of them. The two sides come to blows, and one of Martin's friends, Jeb (John McIntire), is arrested for murder and must stand trial. Meanwhile, a gangster, Guy Polli (Onslow Stevens), sees the hunger in Martin and makes it possible for him to rise in politics.
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A Lion Is in the Streets

Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody The New Yorker 10/08/2020
The movie offers, amid its hectic and rowdy melodrama, a constant and underlying vision of the crucial power of government to serve the public good-and the ease with which that power can, almost invisibly, be shifted... Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 05/13/2023
2/4
With its central character a boorish politician who convinces the riffraff to pick up arms in an attempt to overthrow U.S. democracy, no one can accuse this of not maintaining a sliver of contemporary currency. Beyond that, there’s not much to recommend. Go to Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine 12/02/2019
James Cagney exhibits much of his old-time bantam force and magnetism in a story about a cottonstate fascist. But the movie compares weakly with All the King's Men, which it resembles. Go to Full Review Alberto Abuín Espinof 02/07/2017
A film with a great cast where the absolute star of the show, never better said, is James Cagney. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 06/26/2011
Uneven but often powerful look at poor people in revolt. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 02/16/2006
B-
Pure Hollywood balderdash. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Blobbo X @Blobbo 05/01/2023 Beautifully restored. Blobbo wonder how RT figures an audience rating of 10% based on 3 reviews. See more 03/13/2015 Cagney is magnetic as always but the script is wanting. See more 08/14/2012 ok late carrer cagney See more 08/27/2011 all star cast makes this one go See more Read all reviews
A Lion Is in the Streets

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Cast & Crew

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Raoul Walsh

Director

James Cagney

Hank Martin

Barbara Hale

Verity Wade

Anne Francis

Flamingo McManamee

Warner Anderson

Jules Bolduc

John McIntire

Jeb Brown

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A Lion Is in the Streets

A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Tension boils over in a rural Southern community when the tough, idealistic Hank Martin (James Cagney) backs a group of sharecroppers against their corrupt boss, Robert Castleberry (Larry Keating), who has been taking advantage of them. The two sides come to blows, and one of Martin's friends, Jeb (John McIntire), is arrested for murder and must stand trial. Meanwhile, a gangster, Guy Polli (Onslow Stevens), sees the hunger in Martin and makes it possible for him to rise in politics.
Director
Raoul Walsh
Producer
William Cagney
Screenwriter
Luther Davis
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
William Cagney Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 23, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 22, 2009
Runtime
1h 28m
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