Brilliant engaging from start to finish. Every scene with Cagney and Day is compelling. All the songs are great, and Doris Day's sing of the jazzy numbers is outstanding. One that can be watched over and over again.

This is really a 2 person film, as either Jimmy or Doris is in virtually every scene of this bio of 1920's & 30's singer and film star Ruth Etting. Cagney is once again playing a gangster, the role no one did better. Marty (the Gimp) Snyder is a hood on the peripheral edge of show business, he runs a company that supplies a linen service to the various clubs in Chicago. He's not a two bit punk, but he doesn't have the credibility or notoriety of a Capone or Nitti. He is well known, feared and respected in the speakeasy's and clubs and the owners are more than willing to introduce him to the various showgirls and dancers, which is where he first encounters Ruth Etting, working in a dime a dance dive. Cagney is playing a character similar to his roles in "Public Enemy" and "White Heat." He's cocky, arrogant and possesses an ability to manipulate and coerce to get what he wants. In the case of Ruth Etting, it is initially sex, but he can also see that she has an incredible singing talent which he can exploit as her manager. She is willing to be controlled, as long as he can advance her career. Marty Snyder does get things done, but Ruth Etting has to decide if his obsessive control and eventual stalking is worth it. Doris Day is superb in this dramatic role that also calls for quite a bit of singing and dancing within the context playing Etting on stage. For those used to her in the frothy WB musicals of the 40's or early 50's or in the light romantic comedies she would do later, this is something that shows what a truly excellent and versatile actress she was. She is also smoking hot, as she shows off an excellent body in some sexy outfits that she performs the various song and dance numbers in.

If there ever was a movie musical that cried to be taken onto the stage, it is "Love Me or Leave Me". The sultry Ruth Etting has survived the test of time thanks to vintage footage of her performing in a variety of musical shorts and feature films, but for years, all most people knew about her was what they had seen in this movie. Five years after co-starring in the light-hearted "West Point Story", Doris Day and James Cagney were reunited for this, and there is no comparison. They exude fire in their performances as a dime a dance girl (a la "Sweet Charity" circa 1927) and a racketeer hiding behind a laundry business. Cagney encounters Day while on the job, tells her he can move her into stardom after she is fired, and at first thinking he is only a masher, she finally relents and allows him to assist her. But Cagney isn't doing this for nothing; His price is high, and his emotions won't allow her to say no. After taking her from Chicago nightclubs to the Ziegfeld Follies, their violent fights result in marriage, but predictably, happiness is not forthcoming. He is jealous of her success as well as a pianist (Cameron Mitchell) who loves her from afar, and the trapped Day feels like a fly in his web. Everything explodes when they go to Hollywood to make a movie, and real-life scandal prevails.This movie heats up like a depression era speak easy the moment it stars. You know you are not dealing with Warner Brothers Doris Day anymore; This is MGM's Doris, and much like the same year's "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (Susan Hayward as Lillian Roth), it gives a gritty, realistic view of what life was like for a real-life entertainer during this era. Whether crooning "Ten Cents a Dance" ("Come on Big Boy!", she sings with a very subtle shoulder shrug) or dancing to "Shakin' the Blues Away", Day is far from the world of those Gordon MacRae musicals and even the feisty Calamnity Jane. She is solid as a rock here with her acting, and Cagney returns to the kind of role he was doing 20 years before, only grittier and with a nasty sneer overshadowing every crack he makes at her. This is not a man to be messed with.Mitchell's nice guy pianist isn't at all a one dimensional character. He stands up to Cagney, giving him all he's got without fear. Robert Keith, Tom Tully and Harry Bellaver are also memorable as the men who surround Etting and Marty "the Gimp" Snyder. Every detail of this musical is perfect from the costumes, hairstyles and set design, not to mention all the vintage songs that Day sings. With nostalgia all the rage on Broadway again, a musical of this could work very well with the right stars, director and production team behind it.

As a retired history teacher, I always look at the historical accuracy of films and often investigate this on my own before or after I see a film. According to a quote on IMDb, this film is half truth and half fiction. So what, then, is the real story? Well, after some reading, I found that I STILL don't know! I do know some of the film was embellished (for example, Ruth Etting was a headliner BEFORE she met Martin Snyder AND Martin's nickname was "The Gimp" yet his character walks just fine in the film)--but where is that line between truth and fiction and how far over did it go? I sure wish I knew.This is an odd film--a gangster musical. I like gangster films but frankly I felt there was a bit too much singing for my taste--though since the story is about a professional singer, I guess my complaint is very minor. Doris Day plays Etting and her husband is played with lots of gusto by James Cagney. The plot concerns him managing her career and its impact on their marriage. He's a bully and thug--and at first he's an asset. Later, when he alienates practically everyone, he's an obvious deficit and Day leaves him for a piano player. Cagney's reaction is bad--to put it mildly.I know this film has a very good reputation, but I found that after a while I got a bit tired of the movie. Cagney's 'big dumb jerk routine' got a bit old (how can a man YELL for an entire film?!) and Day's 'nice girl routine' seemed fake. At least to me, it was hard feeling sorry for the character, as she seemed to willingly make a deal with the devil--so to speak. Portraying her as a victim seemed disingenuous. So, rather one-dimensional and unlikable characters made this a bit hard to love. Still, the quality of the production was high--and I did enjoy it. I just didn't love it.