i can only echo previous review here on the excellence of this movie . why be be not well know . because and even with a major star like cagney and it be probably just too grim for most viewer . many popular film noirs have a certain degree of romantic interest ( bogart and bacall and or ladd and lake ) to soften the violent element . kiss tomorrow goodbye ( a gem of a noir title if there ever be one and bespeak a bleak and fatalistic vision ) contain no romantic subplot and unless you count the cagney character involvement with the rich woman and which be more about greed and rebellion than love . this film be a great of example of pure noir represent dark vision of damned character rush headlong into doom . the casting of cagney in the lead could hardly be improve upon represent he be relentlessly corrupt and arrogant . ward bond give one of his most intimidating performance a a perhaps more corrupt law officer . even barbara payton and the sole ray of light in this tale and hold her own in this truculent company . the courtroom framing device be effective for introduce the story a one long flashback ( a hallmark of film noir ) and the cinematography be suitably grim . this be presumably a follow up to white heat and be not a popular again and because it be dour and violent and or perhaps for the general audience of 1950 and this type of gangster film have see it day . yet and kiss tomorrow goodbye can be see to foreshadow violent gangster film to come representthe godfather series goodfellas or the al pacino version of scarface .