Time Of Your Life, The

2094. THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE (1948-usa). WITH james cagney,william bendix, wayne MORRIS, JEANNE CAGNEY, BRODERICK CRAWFORD, WARD BOND, JAMES BARTON, PAUL DRAPER, GALE PACE, JAMES LYDON. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by WILLIAM SAROYAN. A powerhouse cast adds luster to this innovative and provocative adaptation of novelist- playwright Saroyan’s time-honored play, which more than anything else is an ode to the exhilaration of life. Virtually the entire setting is “Nick’s Pacific Street Saloon, Restaurant and Entertainment Palace,” a universe unto itself (which actually is no more than a San Francisco dive). The plot-less scenario concerns the hopes and fantasies of a colorful array of characters. First there is the droll and philosophical Joe (James Cagney, in an atypical role). Joe’s “hobby is people.” He holds court a Nick’s as he sips expensive champagne and spends an endless supply of money. Then comes Nick himself, the saloon’s affable proprietor who would rather be at the race track. The naive and none too-bright, Tom, is Joe’s disciple-lackey. Kitty Duval is “a young woman with memories” whom Nick more accurately describes as a faded prostitute. Kit Carson (James Barton, in a scene-stealing performance) is a colorful teller-of-tall tales. These are just some of the vivid personalities who populate Nick’s. Also of note: William Bendix is cast here as Nick. He appeared in the original 1939 Broadway production in the role of a cop, a character played in the film by Broderick Crawford. 99 minutes. Drama