The Fire Raisers

This movie had three things going for it from my viewpoint. It has Leslie Banks as the lead; Francis L. Sullivan in a major role; and most importantly, it's an early film from Michael Powell. I was pleasantly surprised.

Banks is a hard working and disliked insurance investigator, willing to threaten and reward minor criminals for return of stolen goods to the insurers -- with a nice cut for himself. He's doing well, but when an expensive wife and slow horses catch up with him, he gives into temptation, in the form of Sullivan, who has organized a ring of arsonists and wants an investigator who will look the other way. When affairs turn sour...

It's a nice, if unpretentious story, carried along by some very good actors, and the direction of Powell, who keeps things moving along at a lively clip.