Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueA reporter turned tax agent infiltrates a crime ring to catch a racketeer, working with the mobster's bookkeeper. When she agrees to testify, an informant exposes them and she's kidnapped.A reporter turned tax agent infiltrates a crime ring to catch a racketeer, working with the mobster's bookkeeper. When she agrees to testify, an informant exposes them and she's kidnapped.A reporter turned tax agent infiltrates a crime ring to catch a racketeer, working with the mobster's bookkeeper. When she agrees to testify, an informant exposes them and she's kidnapped.
- Réalisation
- Scénario
- Casting principal
- Jake Andrews
- (as Jack LaRue)
- Joe Durell
- (as J. Carroll Naish)
- Ned Rich
- (as Joseph Sauers)
- Charlie Young
- (as William Davidson)
- Agent Wilson
- (as Joseph King)
- Arcade Manager
- (non crédité)
- Pinball Onlooker
- (non crédité)
- Carston's Henchman
- (non crédité)
- 122 Club Doorman
- (non crédité)
Avis à la une
This is a fairly routine drama with good acting and some solid action. Davis is very young and blonde here, and not as glamorized as she is in other early films - "The Man Who Played God," "Fashions of 1934" or "Ex-Lady" but nevertheless quite pretty. She's a little too classy to be a mob bookkeeper; as the character, however, she exhibits intelligence, which certainly Julie would have. Brent is his usual pleasant self as Bill, and Cortez is a sinister gangster.
The only part of the film that gave me a giggle was the riddling of men with machine guns as they continued to stand until their bodies must have had more holes than Swiss cheese before dramatically falling. Certainly they would have been dead long before the 100th bullet.
Interesting for early Davis and the always good Cortez.
This flick had a good story about trying to bring down a mobster (Ricardo Cortez) with a T-Man (George Brent) posing as a newspaper reporter. You have to suspend belief at some of the story, but it's not 2007! Brent and Davis would join forces later with Bogey and Ronald Reagan in the Oscar-nominated Dark Victory.
Martin Mooney, who provided the story on which this film is based, was a newspaper man and well aware that the government was sending noted racketeers up the river for income tax evasion. Al 'Scarface' Capone was indicted by a federal grand jury for that offense and spent eight years behind bars starting in 1931.
This is a pretty good gangster movie which is lightly referring to Al Capone. It's great to have Bette Davis and she has a pretty good role. It would be nice to have someone just as iconic to be her partner in crime.
I also found Cortez's expressions to be reminiscent of Pacino in the Godfather (or should i say the reverse)...i wonder if Pacino studied this film at some point.
Bette Davis clearly showed great acting chops, but her role was fairly typecast and thus limited her range somewhat. George Brent did just fine...his role was probably the most straightforward. The supporting cast was outstanding...lots of subplots, double-crosses, and idiosyncrasies that enriched the story.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesThe Hays office objected to a bit of dialogue by character Alexander Carston, so rather than reshoot the scene, the sound was eliminated.
- GaffesWhen Richie takes Bill away to the castle, the feet of crew members and camera equipment are clearly reflected on the car.
- Citations
[first lines]
[the Chief of the IRS can be seen in an office, addressing various men. As he explains the necessary information, he can be seen walking around the office. Among the ones present is Bill Bradford.]
Chief of Internal Revenue Service: Gentlemen, as you know, the inability of local governments to cope with crime has necessitated the Federal Government stepping in to protect the American people. Our part of that job is to rid the country of the gambler, the business racketeer, and the illicit profiteer who have been operating within and above the law. The Treasury Department, being limited in their function, has sent you men out to gather information, that will enable us to use the one weapon we have. The Income Tax Law. Millions of dollars in illicit profits from illegal enterprises have been hidden away by these racketeers inside and outside the law. No income tax has been paid on these millions. But that hidden and untaxed money will send these men to prison. We'll rid the country of these men who have so far laughed at every law. Now you men have been called in here today to be told one thing, go after them. Get their books and statements and don't stop until you have the evidence. These are my orders. The dictum of the Secretary of the Treasury and the command of the American People. Now some of you men have been undercover and observing for over a year. You're through observing. You're going into action. If necessary, you'll raid to get this evidence. There's one man, however, we prefer to take alive, Alexander Carston. It's easy enough to kill him, but to put him behind the bars is to prove that the cleverest racketeer isn't smart enough to outsmart the Federal Government.
[the IRS Chief looks at Bradford]
Chief of Internal Revenue Service: You get that, Bradford?
Bill Bradford: [smiles and nods] Yes, sir.
- ConnexionsFeatured in All About Bette (1994)
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Détails
- Date de sortie
- Pays d’origine
- Langue
- Aussi connu sous le nom de
- Agente especial
- Lieux de tournage
- Sociétés de production
- Voir plus de crédits d'entreprise sur IMDbPro
- Durée1 heure 16 minutes
- Couleur
- Mixage
- Rapport de forme
- 1.37 : 1