Criminals Within

I don't mind no frills films if they are intelligent and have an interesting story. But Criminals Within refers to criminal elements in our Army itself working with enemy agents. This one is barely worth a look.

Our protagonist is Eric Linden who is the brother of a scientist working on something or other, we never really find out exactly what, at an army base. When the brother is killed Linden goes AWQL looking for the killers. The problem is that the agents know he's looking for them because of spies on the base.

The spies work out of a cobbler shop where one of the spies on the base, a real Mata Hari played by Constance Worth sends her shoes to be repaired. He always balks saying he doesn't work on women's shoes, but with a little persuasion because secret information is hidden in them he'll work. Worth is the courier, but who's the boss?

No frills I don't mind, but a coherent story is never a frill.

This early semi-noir – which was actually shelved for some two years! – from director Lewis (who would later deservedly acquire a cult reputation) is a thoroughly routine if convoluted programmer, albeit pacy and short enough to be tolerable nonetheless.

Being a wartime production, of course, it involves secret formulas and foreign agents – while the young military hero is, for most of the duration, mistaken for both murderer and spy (actually, the eminent scientist killed in the opening moments is his brother). He's later joined by a female reporter in his effort to outwit the villains – who use a cobbler shop in the vicinity of a U.S. military base (already infiltrated by two members) to pass information to the enemy. For the record, the film includes some now politically incorrect footage involving colored persons employed in servile capacities (even if they get to take part in the climax naturally depicting the comeuppance of the spy ring); by the way, the wrap-up to the film is most abrupt!

Though, as I said, Lewis would eventually become a force to be reckoned with in "Film Noir" (MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS [1945], GUN CRAZY [1950] and THE BIG COMBO [1955]), there's very little evidence of the style typically associated with the genre here. Incidentally, another early film of his I'd watched was the mildly entertaining Bela Lugosi vehicle INVISIBLE GHOST (1941); this, then, reminds me that I've recently acquired another popular 'B' horror effort which Lewis directed – namely THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (1942), starring Lionel Atwill, and which I may get to sooner rather than later on the strength of this (being from the same era and all)

George Lynn has developed a new explosive, and enemy agents have murdered him. Army Intelligence thinks his brother, Corporal Eric Linden may know something about what Lynn was doing, and so do the spies. Who proceed to frame him. Only Ann Doran believes him.

The direction of this PRC movie is credited to Joseph Lewis, but he denied having directed it. I tend to agree, since there are some sequences that indicate that whoever shot it didn't have any idea of how to edit entrances and exits. Credited editor Howard Dillinger is pretty sloppy.

The script is similarly flawed, with no idea of military law, and a free demonstration of the paradox of "military intelligence." Still, it's nice to see Miss Doran get a lead among her almost 400 appearances on the big and little screens.

The plot development of this film is very serviceable -- everything is laid out a half reel to a reel before you need to remember who said what -- and there are no cheats, no "bzzz-bzzz" whispered bits to cover plot holes. It all develops very naturally, with a rather outstanding cast of character actors livening up the proceedings.

Ben Alexander is one of my favourite gentle actors, and he wowed me here. Dudley Dickerson and Bernice Pilot are enjoyable as comedic servants with a central role in moving the plot forward on several occasions. I. Standofrd Jolley is at his handsomest and most sinister -- a great non-Western role for this versatile villain. Ann Doran is nice too. Oh, and Boyd Irwin is so British as an American colonel -- quite splendid -- and kudos too to the prolific Robert Frazier, always good looking in uniform, and an intriguing actor.

The print i saw was remarkably clear and crisp, with good sound quality, something worth mentioning in a PRC picture. The end of the film comes very suddenly -- one wonders if some footage is missing -- and there is no musical score to heighten the drama of some otherwise very tense scenes. In fact, i think that had this film been scored, film critics who like Joseph Lewis' "Gun Crazy" (and who doesn't?) would compare this movie much more favourably to that film noir cult classic than they have. The scenes in which people move from room to room, doors locking and opening behind them, menace just out of sight, are exemplary film-making, but seem dulled a bit due to the complete lack of a score.

Well, i may be in the minority, but i liked this film a lot. I wonder why it was held two years, lacks a proper ending (by which i mean the extra two to three minutes of wrap-up dialogue one would expect), and was released with no score.... Something odd about that. Anyway, It is well worth a look.

But beware, this pure propaganda spy drama has absolutely nothing to do with GUN CRAZY, TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN or even SO DARK THE NIGHT, also directed by this so gifted director, who, despite the fact he was a B director, has his own trademark: interesting camera angles, as also Sidney J Furie - for another period, I admit. This one is a good time waster however, but I did not notice some of those Joseph H Lewis' tricks with the camera and directing trademark. Anyway, it is easy to purchase, so you can try it, don't bother the short length. But if you want to really appreciate this exceptional film maker, start with SO DARK THE NIGHT,made four years later.