Gardez-les sous les verrous

There was need for a man to play a father figure in Don't Turn 'Em Loose and RKO got Lewis Stone over from MGM and he's perfect as the Judge Hardy like father who gets appointed to the state parole board of his midwestern state.

Bruce Cabot is his son and they think he's abroad working as an engineer, but in reality he's a John Dillinger like criminal operating under an alias. In fact a lot of the Dillinger legend gets worked into the plot of this movie.

When Stone in his official capacity meets up with Cabot in his criminal persona at last is the climax. What follows after is the crux of the film.

This so far is Bruce Cabot's best performance on screen. How easily he slips in and out of a loving son and a public enemy is something to behold. Lewis Stone's anguish at seeing what he really has raised is outstanding acting. And you will not often see James Gleason as the hero cop.

Others in here are Betty Grable as Cabot's wholesome sister and Grace Bradley as his luckless moll who betrays him.

This one is a sleeper from RKO.

This could/should have been a break-out role for Bruce Cabot (Robert Webster/Bat Williams, Criminal) just like the PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) was for James Cagney. Cabot though already had his chance in KING KONG (1933) and by 1936 had firmly established himself as a dependable character actor. In this film he does show he had more to offer and was particularly effective as a murderous sociopath.

Webster/Williams has two (2) lives, as Webster respected engineer and Son of John Webster (Lewis Stone) pillar of society. Then as Williams a criminal mastermind who uses the parole system to duck in and out of prison at his convenience. John Webster is finally confronted by the truth just prior to his Daughters Wedding, Mildred Webster (Betty Grable). Webster/Williams once more gets off, black-mailing his Father now on the Parole Board, though trying for one more BIG SCORE meets his undoing.

At 65" the film moves right along at a quick pace and would not disgrace the efforts over at WARNER BROTHERS. RKO being very efficient and turning out these programmers needed in filling out its release schedule and theater chain. Also to cover expenses for such flops as MARY OF Scotland. A film that cemented Katherine Hepburn for being 'Box Office Poison' through the balance of the 1930s.

There is a lot to like in "Don't Turn 'em Loose" and that is why it was so frustrating when the film seemed to lose its way towards the end of the film. It's really a shame, as up until then it was awfully good.

When the film begins, a real scum-bag, Bat Williams (Bruce Cabot), manages to fool the stupid parole board into releasing him. Soon, he's on a crime spree--killing and stealing. Heck, he even kills his friends he's so mean. However, the creep hides a secret life--a nice family who thinks he's been out of the country working when he was instead in prison. They don't realize just how horrid he is. Eventually, Williams ends up in prison again and once again the board is more than willing to let him out again--but this time there is a twist--his father is on the board. While this is a neat twist, what follows really disappoints. It's a shame, as Cabot was wonderful as this sick creep but the ending just made me cringe it was so ridiculous and hard to fathom.

Robert Armstrong is a vicious criminal who keeps getting paroled by the state board, despite everything that cop James Gleason can do. His father is Lewis Stone, who doesn't know he is a crook; Armstrong has a henchman send post cards from around the world, fooling Stone, wife Nella Walker, and daughter Betty Grable, while he serves his time under a fake name. But Stone is appointed to the parole board, and discovers the truth the hard way.

There was a spate of movies with messages about urging parole reform in the second half of the 1930s. This one offers a bit of argument in that direction with a list of well-known criminals who made parole. Mostly, though, this one cynically blames a corrupt process, hints at bad faith in the boards, and offers criminal thrills with Armstrong, as well as a reaction shot of Stone on seeing Armstrong.

It's directed by Benjamin Stoloff, another of the forgotten, competent directors who flourished in the studio system. His movies show a typical progression, from short comedy in the silent era, to westerns in the sound era, and dramas in the later 1930s. He never got out of the B ranks, and his career stopped right after the war, when the industry turned down. The record vanishes then, with some TV directing in 1960, and a death notice that year. Stoloff was 64 when he died.

Crime story from RKO. when Bat Williams (Bruce Cabot, friend and costar with John Wayne) comes up for parole, his dad, played by hollywood pro Lewis Stone, gives him the thumbs up, that's the start of all the trouble. Cabot was best known for rescuing Fay Wray in King Kong 1933. Co-stars Betty Grable, James Gleason, and Louise Latimer. Latimer quit hollywood the year after making this, but Gleason and Grable went on for MANY more years. so... when Williams returns to his old ways of crime, everything falls apart again. the script, the acting, and the editing are all pretty bad. Grable is Bat Williams' sister Mildred. Grable died quite young.. she was married to musician Harry James for twelve years, and probably best known for "How to Marry a Millionaire". Lewis Stone had been co-star in some REAL big films..Grand Hotel, Queen Christina, Red Headed Woman. James Gleason had made a few silents, but with his dry, sarcastic, sardonic wit, he easily fit into the talkies. it's all very so-so. can't give this one very high marks; it's mildly entertaining, but no surprises or fancy plot in this one. Directed by Ben Stoloff; did some silents, did some talkies, but looks like he didn't win any oscars.