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Violent criminal Bat Williams (Bruce Cabot) is released from prison on parole. He wastes no time getting back to robbing and killing. We discover Bat is really Robert Webster and he comes from a nice family. They believe he's an engineer working in South America. He left them years before and turned to a life of crime, dropping in every once in awhile to let them know he's still alive. Soon enough, Bat's back in prison. When he comes up for parole again, he's surprised to see his father (Lewis Stone) on the parole board.

Interesting crime drama from RKO. Cabot is great as the cold-blooded desperado. Stone's character reminds you a lot of Judge Hardy until the ending. No heartwarming father & son talks here! James Gleason nails it as the tough police detective determined to put Cabot away. Grace Bradley, future Mrs. Hopalong Cassidy, is Cabot's sexy moll. Betty Grable plays his sister and she's full of pep. The movie takes a cynical view of the prison parole system. They didn't choose that title for nothing. Can't say that I blame them much.

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.

Bruce Cabot jumps off the screen as the hardened criminal. You know how they say Marlon Brando and then James Dean revolutionized acting during the 50s? Well, Bruce Cabot does it here in 1936.

All the acting is first-rate - Lewis Stone, James Gleason (always liked him), Louise Latimer and others. Personally I thought Betty Grable's character was sort of silly in this one! But Bruce Cabot was ahead of his time in naturalness, a real person.

The story shows the true difficulties in raising children. As a parent you cannot be responsible for your child's actions as an adult - we are each our own person, for good or bad. All a mother or father can do is guide your kids along the right path while they are under your roof - but then they are on their own.

Robert Webster - Alias Bat Williams (Bruce Cabot) is up for parole. His wife and baby have shown up to plead his case. He gets released. The wife turns out to be his gun moll and the baby is a rental. He rejoins his gang to rob a milk creamery. It ends with killings. Bat goes home to his family who are clueless to his criminal life. Father (Lewis Stone), mother, sister Mildred (Betty Grable), and ex-girlfriend Letty Graves all treat him like a returning hero.

It's a great start. I love the opening section. After he goes home, it's just not that intense. I don't really care enough about Bat to worry. He could get killed or caught. It doesn't matter to me. I would have like for him to stay with his gang. That's a recipe for a fun cops and robbers gangland confrontation. Something occurs to me when John gets his shocking revelation. This should be John's story. His dilemma is much more compelling. It also needs to have an even darker ending.

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.