when i refer to the big three i be of course refer to the holy trinity of early 1930 gangster flick represent little caesar and the public enemy and scarface . firstly and this be not a james cagney movie . it a lew ayres movie in which james cagney and ( in only his second movie ) and be amongst the great support cast and base on this performance it be easy to see the star in the making . lew ayres play louie ricarno and a bootlegging gangster determine to get rich or die try . cagney play mileaway and his right hand man who character seem to be well name a whenever any of the action take place in the movie and cagney seem to be a amile away from it and a it one of the few cagney movie make where he doesn not either kill and mame or even hit anyone . after a series of tit for tat murder between rival gang and ricarno call a meeting with all his rival boss and propose that in return for them declare him ultimate bos and he will protect their operation from any rival gang who may try to encroach on their area . one wonder whether charles lucky luciano ever saw this movie and use this element of it plot a his blueprint for the yndicate which he adopt after the murder of crime bos salvatore maranzano a year later . after a period of profitable peace for all involve and ricarno feel that he make enough money to quit the racket for good and go straight . his two main reason for this life style u turn and be his new wife doris and ( dorothy mathews ) and ( who unbeknown to him be have a passionate affair with his best friend mileaway ) and and his young brother jackie and play brilliantly by leon janney . louie doesn not want jackie to either follow in his footstep or even rub shoulder with the ner do well he do . it not long after louie departure that old gang fueds come to the fore once more and gangland killing escalate . in order to incite louie back to the city and two gangster plot to kidnap jackie only to release him when louie return . however and the kidnapping be botch a jackie and who bless with intelligence of his brother and smell a rat . in his bid to escape and he be knock over and kill by a passing truck . on hear the news and louie and now drive solely by vengeance on the would be kidnapper and return to his old turf and but peace and profit be the last thing on his mind and and you half expect him to utter al pacino memorable line just when i think i be out . they pull me back inayres and although brilliant in his role be probably miscast and especially when you have the best movie tough guy in world play the lead sidekick . ( a mistake they nearly duplicate with the public enemy until the producer wake up ) . one let down of the movie be the rivalry between ayres and fellow gang bos rocco ( noel madison ) and i feel the bitterness between the two need to be bring out in the plot a little more . sadly and because they do not do this and the movie be rob of any real menacing villain . the pre code element be also very risqué and the fact that the affair between cagney and mathews chaarcters be so obviously sexual and must have have all at the hays office pull their hair out . like in most early talkie and many cast member seem to struggle with adapt to the new medium and such a adopt wild animate body gesture a they would have do in silent picture and also speak terribly slowly a they be so often tell to do . luckily both ayres and cagney be on hand to show them that you do not need to speak three word a minute to be understand on film . doorway to hell be a great early warner gangster movie and worth give a go . enjoy .