The World Gone Mad

A fast paced action drama featuring Pat O'Brian as a hard drinking, woman chasing reporter who is on a first name basis with everyone from the District Attorney to mob chiefs and down to hit men on the street. The story opens with a corporate bigwig contracting with the local mob chief (Louis Calhern) to have the District Attorney killed. The newly appointed District Attorney, who happens to be engaged to one of the corporate bigwigs' daughter, and, is, of course a friend of Pat O'Brian. From here it is a race to expose the wicked corporation, in a sort of 1933 Enron scandal, and to keep the new District Attorney alive.

Remembering that this is a 1933 film, it is years ahead of itself in technology, film noir effects, and settings. Everyone dresses for dinner. Even our fearless reporter has a manservant to whom he gives the night off to allow the plot to thicken unfettered at his Art Deco apartment. One scene has bullet identification, which I thought didn't come into being for another 50 years; however here, performed by our reporter hero, rather than the police.

This dated movie holds up to today's standards, and could have even been a basis for the film Chinatown. The corporate leaders get their rewards, the new District Attorney gets the girl, and Pat O'Brian gets another phone number or two for his private file.

I would rate this movie 5 ½ on a scale of 10.