Bloodhounds of Broadway

American Playhouse. Director Howard Brookner; Producer Howard Brookner; Screenplay Howard Brookner, Colman DeKay; Camera Elliot Davis; Editor Camilla Toniolo; Music Jonathan Sheffner, Roma Baran; Art Director Linda Conaway-Parsloe

Julie Hagerty
Randy Quaid
Madonna
Jennifer Grey
Rutger Hauer
Matt Dillon

Howard Brookner (who died after completing this first feature) and Colman DeKay interweave four of Damon Runyon's famous Broadway short stories [The Bloodhound of Broadway, A Very Honorable Guy, Social Error and The Brain Goes Home] about New Year's Eve on Broadway in 1928. It's a gangster's farce that falls somewhat short of true comic inspiration.

Strong character acting by an all-star cast enlivens this fluffy little piece about romance and gangsters during Prohibition.

There's Harriet Mackyle (Julie Hagerty), who delivered a fine performance as a rich society babe who's throwing the party and invites some local mobsters for added color.

Randy Quaid as Feet Samuels does a satisfying job as an honorable dimwit who's madly in love with a beautiful, diamond-hungry showgirl, Hortense Hathaway, very adeptly played by Madonna.

Matt Dillon gives a rather tepid performance as Regret, Broadway's lousiest horse player, especially in comparison with Jennifer Grey, who does a good job as Lovey Lou, an angel-faced showgirl in love with Regret.

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1989. Running time: 101 MIN.

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