Director: John Francis Dillon
Writers: Jo Swerling
Stars: Jack Holt, Constance Cummings, Boris Karloff
Run Time: 1 Hour, 8 Minutes
Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2vJH96g
Synopsis
Two prisoners, Quinn and Henderson, talk about a plan. Henderson advises not trying to escape, but Quinn wants to break out today. Quinn does manage to get out.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Arnold and another man talk about the government and a big dope bust. It seems that Arnold is secretly involved in the drug dealings. Arnold’s servant, Edwards, overhears the whole conversation, and then reports it all to someone else who has a 1930’s voice recording machine.
Meanwhile, the escaped convict, whose name is Quinn, meets up with a partner, and he shoots himself in the arm. Quinn runs towards Arnold’s house, and his daughter likes him. She tends to his gunshot wound. He explains that Henderson told him to come there.
Burke suspects that Henderson is going to be broken out next week, and he intends to follow up on that lead. Sure enough, he gets out.
His first step is to visit Dr. Steiner, who has all the usual mad scientist equipment. Henderson wants to know who the boss is and why he was set up to go to prison. Steiner tells him not to ask so many questions, and that Henderson is to take over Arnold’s work. Henderson immediately recognizes that Burke is following him.
Steiner X-rays Burke, and sees the badge. Steiner tells him to come back tomorrow. Steiner then tells Henderson to kill Burke before morning. The captain awaits Burke’s report on who the mysterious Mr. X is the man behind all the drug problems. The Captain is in a meeting, but is interrupted by a messenger with a package containing Burke’s badge. He’s been killed.
Quinn is now working as Mr. Arnold’s chauffeur, and he’s also sweet on Arnold’s daughter. Arnold, Quinn, and Henderson meet up. Henderson explains that he’s taking over Arnold’s operation, and that Dr. Steiner wants to see Arnold right away. Edwards and Henderson both work for the boss, and he wants Arnold out of the picture. Henderson explains Quinn’s part in the drug operation.
On the way out Quinn passes Steiner coming in. Steiner seems to recognize him. Steiner explains to Henderson that Quinn is a Secret Service man. They both come to the conclusion that Quinn is after their boss.
As Quinn leaves to oversee the freighter, he warns Julie about her father. Arnold explains to her that Quinn’s real name is Hart, and he’s a spy. She tries to warn Hart, but she’s too late. Quinn/Hart does go out on a plane and picks up the drugs as ordered. He drops them off to Henderson and tells “Quinn” to fly out to sea, bail out, and he’ll pick him up. Of course, Henderson doesn’t pick him up. Hart explains later that he put a dummy in a parachute, and he didn’t jump at all.
Dr. Steiner goes to Arnold’s house, and Edwards lets him in. She says he’s sleeping quietly… very quietly. Julie and Hart go to the hospital to see Arnold, who is being operated on as they arrive. Turns out, it’s Dr. Steiner and Edwards doing the operation, and surprisingly, Arnold doesn’t survive. Edwards spots Hart and informs the boss, whom we still haven’t seen, that Hart isn’t really dead.
The Bureau finds the answering machine, and they know that Hart’s been exposed to Mr. X, who is actually Dr. Steiner. Hart wants to dig up Arnold and do an autopsy on the body to prove Steiner killed him.
The cops all march out to the cemetery and dig up the body. They find a huge load of drugs inside the coffin. Steiner/Mr. X has been using the coffins as a way to smuggle drugs.
The bad guys capture Julie and take her to the hospital to do an operation on her as well. Hart rushes over to save her, but he gets jumped from behind. He wakes up to see Dr. Steiner standing over him. The two have a long “I am going to kill you”/”No you won’t” conversation. Henderson has been captured, but he doesn’t actually know who Mr. X is.
Julie comes in and shoots Steiner dead. She releases Hart, and they escape.
Commentary
I realized halfway through this that Dr. Steiner was a stereotypical 1930s representation of what Hollywood thought Jews looked like, and it’s not a flattering representation, since he’s the head of a large criminal enterprise. He’s played by Edward Van Sloan, best known for playing Dr. Van Helsing in the prior year’s Dracula.
Boris Karloff is here, without makeup, playing Henderson, a basic 1930s gangster. He’s surprisingly young, and his accent is different from his later roles.
It’s not even remotely a horror film, although they do have some medical equipment that goes buzz-buzz a few times and they eventually dig up a body in the cemetery. The doctor’s explanation of the surgery he’s about to perform on Hart could be considered horror at the time as well. Still, it’s much more of a crime drama.