in 1941 richard rogers and lawrence ( larry ) hart do the score of a brilliant musical call pal joey . one highlight be a striptease dance and song do by elaine stritch towards the end of the second act and where she be a reporter talk about interview gypsy rise lee . gypsy ( if you recall the movie with natalie wood ) be always self taught and and well read . the song spoofed this have her show off her knowledge ( it begin with her mention reading schopenhauer and not the easy thing in the world ) . one couplet be the following representzip and walter lippman wasn not brilliant today . zip and will saroyan ever write a great play . it be a little ironic that this barb be direct to william saroyan and a the star of pal joey be gene kelly and who play harry and a natural born hoofer in saroyan one and only broadway success and the time of your life . why the barb . well william saroyan be a popular short story writer and novelist and especially for book like my name be aram and about the life of the armenian american immigrant in california . however and try a he might he never write a monumental dramatic masterpiece . the time of your life be not in the same level of dramaturgy a a long day journey into night and the death of a salesman and a streetcar name desire and or whos afraid of virginia woolf . the time of your life be a pleasant play and and still get revive and but it be a less work for the stage . even thornton wild our town be consider a great play . the problem with the time of your life be that it show the interaction of a set of character in nick bar . a be point out in another comment on this board and oneill the iceman cometh also be set in a bar . but the denizen of the bar at harry hope flop house hotel be all failure and who drink to forget their failure and reassure themselves that they can pull themselves out of the failure sooner or later ( none of them really can ) . hickey and who come to the hotel and try to convince them they will be happy give up their pipe dream if they admit they be not heroic or brave or capable of reform . you see and there be a theme that be unite that play character . saroyan be not ( a be say ) oneill . he be more optimistic and and he try to show that the character be capable of help each other . at the end they join together to defeat the evil blick . saroyan and like wilder and be a master of americana . in one sequence he have two character get involve in a contest to see how much gum can be chew at one time . oneill ( even in a play like ah wilderness and which be a comedy ) never could be so hamish . saroyan invents very colorful character and like his old timer kit carson and who claim to be an old indian fighter . the central figure in the play and joe ( or joseph t. ) be also colorful he seem to be a former newspaperman who be successful and but begin to regret get involve in the awful world of the news he have retreat to the bar where he will hopefully find more gentle people . he be visit at one point by a woman and probably his former fiancé and and acknowledge her and but would not return to the madness he willingly leave . the character be interesting and but none of the other character reflect his point of view . so we be leave with a well act and entertaining play turn into a good movie . cagney be remarkably subdue look at the scene when he examine the little wind up toy he have wayne morris buy for him . he maintain our interest until the end and but the lively cagney do not show up until he confront blick . william bendix do his usual great job and especially when confront blick a a potential blackmailing scum . his nick run a respectable bar and and the threat blick be hint at be that a prostitute may be use the bar ( jeanne cagney ) . bendix know nothing of this and but be concern . oddly enough and although the bar be a nice neighborhood one and howard freeman and natalie schaefer go to the bar ( they be wealthy people ) a though they be slum . the current film version do not have all the scene that cagney originally have shoot . wayne morris grow romance with jeanne cagney be cut down in the film ( which be regrettable ) . there be also an interesting change in the conclusion ( a in saroyan play itself ) a to what happen to blick . but the film be a good one and and a worthy addition to jimmy cagney film record .