The Wrong Road

Okay, we've seen flicks where the poor prove their ultimate moral worth by overcoming a period of poverty abating crime. This sort of redemption has long proved popular. Here, in a neat twist, a dreamy young couple must prove their moral worth by overcoming a lifetime of privilege that has eventually turned to crime. Disinherited from family fortunes, the couple steals big bucks they hope to luxuriate on after serving time for the theft. But, after serving their time, all kinds of complications ensue threatening to break up their love match.

It's not hard to pick apart the many stretches as the plot develops. Other reviewers have done that job, so no need to repeat it. Nonetheless, Cromwell and Mack make a winning couple whose basic innocence holds the leaky narrative together. And catch Lionel Atwill in a rare good guy role-- I kept expecting crackling arcs of light and infernal laboratories to show up. Also, I kept hoping The Wrong Road would achieve real impact by going down the same road as You Only Live Once (1937), arguably the best of the doomed young couple movies. But this is Republic Pictures and James Cruze, not Walter Wanger and Fritz Lang. Anyway, the 50-some minutes manages a few good moments but fails as a whole to rise above programmer status.

Wrong Road, The (1937)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A man and woman (Richard Cromwell/Helen Mack) who plan on being married are having a hard time with life so they find a get rich quick scheme. The two plan on stealing $100,000 from a bank, hide the money, turn themselves in, stay their prison term and when released, they'll have the money to live on for the rest of their lives but things never work out how you have them planned. This is a half way decent film that remains interesting throughout it's short 52-minute running time. The performances by the two leads are good and Lionel Atwill adds great support as a detective. This seems like a feature version of Buried Loot, which I watched earlier in the year. This was directed by famous silent actor James Cruze who played Jekyll & Hyde in the 1912 version.

I believe a film ought to have at least a modicum of credibility. This is preposterous. It has a pair of spoiled, previously rich kids, stealing a hundred thousand dollars from a bank where the young man works. First of all, how could people running such a business be so stupid. Secondly, they pull the whole thing off and then turn themselves in. You see, they are going to do their time and then return for the money at a later time. Of course, they put the money in a music box which is shipped to Chicago. Why didn't they just hide it somewhere nearby. Since they weren't going to turn themselves in for a while, why not find a good hiding place. It couldn't be that hard. They do a couple of quick years in the joint, then are paroled because of the intervention of a police detective who is chasing the money. He is willing to pardon them if they return the money (more stupidity) because they seem like nice kids. I wonder what he would have done for some poor sap on the street. Anyway, it gets hokier and hokier. An acquaintance of the young man from prison gets into the act. Despite repeated offers to get off the hook, the young man flights to the bloody end to keep the money. It's too much to even respond to. It's like a training film for idiots.

When jimmy and ruth are scraping by, they agree to rob the bank where jimmy worked, until he got laid off. They are ready to go to jail, knowing they will have plenty of cash when they get out. As robert burns told us, "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley." finding the money when they get out turns out to be harder than they planned. Keep an eye out for chester clute, as the auctioneer. Clute and lionel atwill (the insurance man) were supporting actors in so many films. And of course, the awesome marjorie main is in here... one of her seven films, released in 1937! This was ten years before main was ma kettle. My favorite role of hers is in "the women", the 1939 version. Wrong road's story itself is no big deal... even gets kind of preachy by the end. But it's fun to see all these actors just getting started in h-wood. Directed by james cruze. He only directed a couple more after this, and died young at 58. Richard cromwell and helen mack had both been around for a few years when they made this. Mack had done mostly uncredited silent roles, but their careers took off in the talkies.

Everybody in this movie is "nice". The cops are nice, the criminals are nice, heck, even Lionel Atwill is nice! How can you describe this one, it's in a class by itself. The film is basically a "crime does not pay" lesson, typical of the era, with a twist. The twist is that the authorities inexplicably go out of their way to give the perpetrators of a one hundred thousand dollar bank robbery every opportunity to get off with a slap on the wrist.

But to analyze the plot of this one is really a waste of time, since there is very little sense to it. Really, the main premise has to rank among the most preposterous of all time, in a class with 'Reefer Madness' and Ed Wood's 'Jail Bait'.

But if you don't take it seriously (how could you?) you might get some enjoyment out of this one, at least a few laughs. The acting is actually not all that bad, and includes an intriguing early performance by Horace McMahon as a hardened criminal (actually, the one character in the whole movie who is not really "nice"). Lionel Atwill is interesting to see in an uncharacteristic role as a merciful investigator. And Marjorie Main, too, as a pleasant middle-aged lady.

For all the criticism I am throwing at it, I must admit it entertained me, and I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy unintended humor.