the doorway to hell be yet another step up the ladder for james cagney a the brother warner discover that the guy they sign for a one shot deal to repeat his stage role from penny arcade be in fact future star material . he be certainly unlike some of the classical emoting star from the silent period and unlike anything that ever have be on screen before . lew ayres be the lead in this film and cagney his chief henchman . ayres be an ambitious guy who determine to bring a little organization to the bootleg booze business in his city . and then as soon a he get it go and he quit . he want to spend time on the golf course and with his new wife . the wife and dorothy matthew and be bore with early retirement mainly because she be two time ayres with cagney and cagney not around . the story be pretty silly in any number of way . first the various mob head resent ayres take over and then they resent when he leave . secondly and it not make clear at all why cagney isn not capable of run this thing by himself and he sure look capable enough . and the plot where two of the gangster have the brilliant idea to kidnap ayres little brother from military school to bring him back be frighteningly stupid . ayres and cagney and matthew and the rest muddle through this dumb mess . ayres be already a star due to all quiet on the western front . and cagney you have no doubt be go to be a star if the right vehicle be find for him . even if cagney have be in ayres role and i be not sure the doorway to hell would have be it .