garyjack5

Carl Laemmle constructed a spectacular art deco set at Universal in California to represent the Paradise Club.

A range of characters contribute to the complexity of the story and it makes for interesting twists and turns throughout. Roy Lane(Glenn Tryon) is the dreaming performer trying to make it big with his girlfriend/collaborator Billie Moore(Merna Kennedy). Both play the parts well with Merna being especially good as a naive beautiful dance performer.

Thomas E. Jackson is adept as the inquisitive cop Dan McCorn trying to keep tabs on all the underworld business at the Paradise Club. Like TV's Columbo, he is always calm, cool, and inquisitive.

Robert Ellis plays Steve Crandall, the bootlegger who muscles in on another mob boss (well played by Leslie Fenton). All the friction bothers Paradise Club owner Nick Verdis (a real character played by Paul Porcasi).

Although much of the plot focuses on bootlegger Crandall's attention to the naive Billie, attention shifts when Evelyn Brent's character Pearl gets involved with revenge against the criminals.

It is an eyeful with the elaborate art deco sets and the racy outfits for all the female dance performers.

I was lucky enough to see this one on the big screen and it was worth it.

This film unveils the power behind having a massive attentive audience at a media person's disposal. Lew Ayres plays Larry Wayne, a reporter/gossip columnist a la Walter Winchell in the 20s, 30s and 40s. Larry is both very smart and incredibly attentive to the pulse of city, as he welcomes all of his acquaintances with the phrase "What d'ya know?" He soaks it all up and ejects the best stories on his radio broadcast, which the whole city listens to.

Larry's secretary/assistant "Barton" (Maureen O'Sullivan) has an obvious crush on him and can't figure out why he rebuffs her advances with "don't go soft on me Barton". However, she keeps trying.

Larry is so in the know that he carries significant sway with not only his newspaper editor but also both the police commissioner and several underworld kingpins. They all fear him, respect him and hate him but will listen to any deals that he proffers.

However, things get really interesting when Larry sticks his neck out to act as a liaison between the cops and the mob in a sensationalistic kidnapping case. Almost anything can (and does) happen.

There is a lot of clever dialogue and witty banter throughout the story and some nice performances from Ayres, O'Sullivan, Louis Calhern, Edward Arnold, Walter Catlett and Alan Dinehart.

I was quite happy to watch this one on the big screen.

Although some of the day's movie reviews lauded the fashions of Claudette Colbert and Lilyan Tashman, there is a lot of talent in this stellar cast.

Colbert has to juggle between being a hesitant scared under cover investigator and then moments later play a convincing at ease role with the underworld figures. Tashman has a significant amount of screen time too and she doesn't disappoint in her part either.

Melvyn Douglas starts out as a dashing crime buster, but he is soon framed and becomes a less important character as his friends try to save him from the apparently corrupt legal system.

Also good are William 'Stage' Boyd, Ross Alexander, Harry Davenport and surprise...surprise.. Franchot Tone in his first film role.

The plot may seem difficult to swallow at times but could be considered timely as there are similarities to the real life Seabury Commission of 1931. Those investigations uncovered significant corruption in New York courts and police, leading to the resignation of New York city mayor James Walker in 1932.

Without spoiling the plot, I must say that this is a very good pre-code drama. It is also rare, but if you get a chance to see it....take it!