The Crowd Roars (1932)

An auto racing champion (James Cagney) dumps his longtime  girlfriend (Ann Dvorak) when he takes his kid brother (Eric Linden) under his wing because he doesn't want his brother to be around the "wrong" kind of woman. But when his brother falls in love with a brassy blonde (Joan Blondell), it causes a serious rift in their relationship. Directed by Howard Hawks (BRINGING UP BABY), this pre code drama set in the world of auto racing is quite enjoyable in large part to its cast and Hawks' assured direction. As a pre code, it shows both Cagney and Dvorak and Linden and Blondell coinhabiting without benefit of marriage. The racing sequences are good and Hawks doesn't shy away from the violent deaths on the speedway. Cagney's character is interesting as he's shown as a hypocrite as he lives a free and loose life but hides his girlfriend from his family yet becomes incensed when his kid brother falls in love with a "tramp". Remade in France with Jean Gabin in Cagney's role. With Frank McHugh, Charlotte Merriam and Guy Kibbee.