The Musketeers of Pig Alley (Short 1912) ⭐ 6.6 | Short, Crime, Drama (original) (raw)

If you have ever wondered where Jimmy Cagney got some of his mannerisms, watch this film.

Elmer Booth and Harry Carey, early in the movie, portray two New York gangsters so much in the same way Cagney would 20 years later that you almost don't need any other reason to watch "Musketeers."

Watch Carey, playing an un-named character, hitch up his pants. Just great!

This is available in a poor print at YouTube, but watching it there -- or trying to -- will either irritate you or, I hope, drive you to find a good copy to own.

I saw this many years ago in a Griffith retrospective in Los Angeles, and have been in awe of it ever since.

Like so much Mr. Griffith did, it just set the standard for great film-making.