Glittering 1920s decor surrounds a host of famous faces in
Bloodhounds of Broadway, an adaptation of four stories by Jazz Age scribe Damon Runyon (whose stories were also the basis for
Guys and Dolls). A loser (Randy Quaid) sells his body to science just when his luck turns; a wounded gangster (Rutger Hauer) takes a cab all over town trying to find someone to take him in; the death of a parrot turns a schmuck (Ethan Phillips) into a tough guy; and a pair of bloodhounds track a gambler (Matt Dillon) all over town because of the sausages in his pocket. The swank look of
Bloodhounds of Broadway has more depth than its characters; the dialogue has all the jargon of Runyon but none of the rhythm. Madonna and Jennifer Grey play lovelorn flappers, Julie Hagerty is a bird-brained socialite, and Steve Buscemi and author William S. Burroughs make cameo appearances.
--Bret Fetzer
Reader Reviews
This film is certainly entertaining, and is, as many professional reviewers have said, the best film adaptation of works by Damon Runyon. The only reason I would not give it five stars is that in many scenes, the dialog cannot be heard. I find myself pumping up the volume to "jet engine blast" levels while people are talking, only to have to grab the remote and quickly turn it down again when a sudden burst of music threatens to break the glass in the windows. The compromise has been to use the subtitles, which at least let me find out what is being talked about. You would think that the sound engineer, particularly in a film which relies heavily on slang terms and offhand remarks, would have been extremely careful about making sure the dialog was audible. But if you don't mind reading your way through the film, or you have the sensitive hearing of the average canine (and a strong familiarity with 1920's slang expressions) then you'll find the rest of the film top notch.
