Crime, Inc.

Jim Riley is a columnist who writes his daily Crime Reporter column discussing the moves and killings of noted racketeers. Riley gets much of his information from gangster Bugs Kelly, a friend, who is trying to leave the underworld and its business organization Crime, Inc. by testifying at a grand jury hearing on the organization. The heads of Crime, Inc. learn of Bugs' motives and put a hit out on him eventually nailing him at a carnival. Riley, now under investigation since Bugs was a close confidant of his, decides to turn states' evidence and appear before the grand jury. Crime, Inc. plans to be a bit more sadistic with the rubbing out of Riley by using Riley's sweetheart (and Bugs' sister) nightclub singer Betty Van Cleeve. Average and interesting poverty row gangster film with a good story and plot that does have some interesting twists. The ending does not seem to deliver the explosiveness promised from the earlier parts of the film but the crime does not pay mantra does take effect. Actors are decent here (surprised to see Carillo play a non-Hispanic speaking role here) but nothing special. Rating, 5.

Crime, Inc. is one of those films that had it been done at a major studio it might have been a classic. It bears some resemblance to the MGM classic The Secret Six that starred Clark Gable, Wallace Beery, and Jean Harlow a decade and a half earlier.

It also borrows a bit from Sherlock Holmes in that there is a thesis that crime is a tightly controlled business and there's a Moriarty like head of it in this city. When the identity of this particular Moriarty is revealed we can understand why the police have been powerless to crush the crime syndicate.

The stars of this PRC film are Tom Neal as a crime reporter, Martha Tilton as a nightclub singer, and Danny Morton who is an independent operator and won't join the crime syndicate. Tilton is his sister and Morton's been a confidential source for Neal.

A nice group of character players are in this one and they make it worth a look, people like Harry Shannon, Grant Mitchell, Sheldon Leonard, Don Beddoe, and Leo Carrillo. Most interesting is Lionel Atwill as a mob attorney, offbeat casting for him, but it works.

But pedestrian direction and a script with enough holes in it to look like it was used for target practice consign Crime, Inc. to a mediocre fate.

Considering that this film is from tiny PRC, you'd expect it to be complete crap. However, it's a rare case where this B-movie production company actually made a pretty dandy film. I can only assume it was by accident judging by most PRC films!

The story is about a town riddled with organized crime. The problem is so bad that even many in the police department are working for the mob. But reporter Jim Riley (Tom Neal) has an inside source. It seems he's dating the sister of a crook who hates this mob and he feeds Jim information. Unfortunately, the man is eventually discovered and killed. Does the town have any chance for rooting out these criminals and what role will Jim have in all this?

The cast for this has a lot of decent character actors, such as Lionel Atwill, Grant Mitchell, Leo Carillo and more. This is unusual for PRC as is the competent writing. Well worth seeing.

If you want to see this film, the worst thing you can do is read IMDB's Storyline section, as it divulges WHO the criminal masterminds are! This is unusual and weird.

The director Lew Landers was a prolific film maker during the thirties, forties, fifties.... Hundreds of them, as Sam Newfield, Edward L Cahn, William Nigh.... It was difficult to find a movie to emerge from the mass of yarns. This one is a good time waster, enjoyable but so forgettable. Good directing but a predictable and lame story. Nothing really gritty, as it could have been. There were hundreds of them during those years, nearly one decade before the TV industry wave which will transform this kind of stuff thru episodes frame. Lew Landers was a good technician, a good yes man for the producers. A director without any trademark.

When two mobsters are gunned down in a big city cafe, "Daily News" crime reporter Tom Neal (as James "Jim" Riley) decides to investigate. He is correct in seeking out handsome pal Danny Morton (as Mike Egan) about the shooting. For some unexplained reason, Mr. Morton's mob inclinations don't seem fully known to Mr. Neal, although Morton screams RACKETEER and goes by the name "Bugs Kelley" while posing as a life insurance agent. He should be a dead giveaway.

More bodies drop as gangster Leo Carrillo (as Anthony "Tony" Marlow) and celebrated criminal lawyer Lionel Atwill (as Pat Coyle) man their battle stations. Meanwhile, protagonist Mr. Neal becomes aroused by the debonair Morton's beautiful singing sister Martha Tilton (as Betty). Ms. Tilton uses the name "Betty Van Cleve" professionally, apparently to further emphasize her cleavage. Morton tells Neal, "She's sweet and over 21," to give his blessing. "Crime, Inc." is hard to fathom.

*** Crime, Inc. (4/15/45) Lew Landers ~ Tom Neal, Martha Tilton, Leo Carrillo, Danny Morton