BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

HeadlinesExotic Boring

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

kapelusznik18 ***SPOILERS*** Tom Neal is crusading crime reporter Jim Riley who's connection with mobster Bugs Kelly, Danny Morton, who's being pressured to join the syndicate. It's the Idreaded syndicate who controls most of the politicians as well as police in the state as well as D.A's office. Being an independent mobster who doesn't like to take orders as well as kick back to the syndicate Buggs signs his own death warrant when he has syndicate big shot Pat Coyle, Lionel Atwill, kidnapped and held for a $100,000.00 ransom in order to get it off his back. With the syndicate coming to Coyles rescue, by finding him and killing his captors,Bugs end up on the syndicate's sh*t end of the stick when he's tracked down with one of his goons in a Conley island wax museum and gunned down has he sitting in a fake electric chair having a smoke.Meanwhile Jim got to know and fall in love with Bugs sister night club singer Betty Van Cleve, Martha Tilton, who just happened to be the late Bug's sister who had no idea what her brother, he told her he was an insurance agent, was involved in. On top of all that Jim is now under investigation by the local D.A in what he knew, if anything, about Bug's murder and who was responsible for it. Playing it safe Jim now also in the cross hair of the syndicate ends up going on his own in order to get the goods on it before he ends up getting rubbed out, like his friend Bugs, for knowing too much.***SPOILERS*** Using 1945 state of the art electronics and photography Jim gets the evidence on the syndicate as well as those in the police and city and state politics that it controls just when he was about to get indited for withholding evidence in Bugs' murder. And it was a number of those in the police and D.A's office who were prosecuting Jim who ended up getting busted for using their office to do the syndicate bidding! With his job done and the bad guys now safely behind bars Jim can now concentrate on hooking up Betty by getting married and putting all of this-Crime reporting- behind him. P.S It was later that year that Tom Neal was to star in what was to be his signature movie "Detour" that turned out to be one of the most significant "Film Noir" movies of that genre.

Cristi_Ciopron A gangster movie with a good supporting cast: Leonard, Beddoe, Atwill as a lawyer and the chairman of the mobsters' syndicate, G. Meeker. As for Carrillo, billed as the star of the movie, he looks like a perfidious, untrustworthy oldster, which was good for the role. The leading actress, nice but unskilled, seemed a Stanwyck wannabe. Neal is legendary, but I have never found him convincing or likable. Be it as it may, the role he makes here is passable.The acting highlight belongs to Leonard.The fact is they assembled quite a cast, partly by recycling veterans.The 2nd thing it's the exciting and eventful script it has: 'the invisible government', the organized crime, the syndicate, the rub-outs; one of PRC's best written movies, and one of their sensationalist dramas made in the '40s. Stultified audiences have been taught to despise them.By both look and story-line, it reminded me of '70s mafia movies made in Italy.This movie's reputation is unfair. Stylistically, unconsciously, it was way ahead of its time. The storytelling is very compelling. The reporter isn't idealized at all.For movie buffs endowed with a catholic sympathy, with catholicity of taste, for that elite of movie buffs, with the availability's of acknowledging good acting, and the awareness of its nature, and of wonders that enhance those offered by the stage, these fun-houses have the dimension of an acting fair.

JoeB131 Okay, all the things we've expected to find from Poverty Row productions- Bad sound.Uneven lighting.confused, incomprehensible plot.Cheap Sets.Washed up actors who worked for bigger studios working for booze money. Kind of what "Direct to DVD" movies are today.Usually, we find these movies in DVD collections because no one bothered to copyright the few messed up copies that are left, and they get picked up at garage sales.

dbborroughs Reporter uses his friendship to mobsters to get the goods on the corruption and rackets in his city.Very good crime drama with a sterling cast (Tom Neal, Leo Carillo, Lionel Atwill, Sheldon Lenoard) keeps things moving with crisp dialog and a pace that just moves along at a clip. I really liked this since it just moves from the opening minutes when a shooting in a nightclub grabs and holds your attention. Definitely worth a look.7 out of 10 (If you're looking for a copy I would avoid some of the bargain basement copies since they are over scanned and crop out characters. Its worth spend more than a buck or two to pick this up.)