The Public Defender

I had eschewed watching "The Public Defender" for years because I incorrectly assumed it would be a creaky and stuffy courtroom drama. Wow, I must stand corrected! This is a smart, sophisticated, and beautifully-filmed movie about the defense of the public in general by a team of good guys working anonymously under the radar, not a criminal on trial by jury. The acting is superb thanks in large part to the direction J. Walter Ruben and the fluid camera work. Richard Dix proves himself once again to be a master technician in the acting world; his easy execution with a sprinkling of effortless "bits of business" is on fascinating display.

There is nothing creaky or old or stodgy about this film, seeming as it does to be five or more years ahead of its time in terms of all film making parameters, including the story's screenwriting. As one would expect from early in 1931 there is nearly no music involved in the exposition, which only serves to make this mystery adventure all the more compelling. This is a fine film that should not be passed over for decades, as it was in my case. Don't let this happen to you!

This is a great early pic from RKO and one of the best! Picture the team of Richard Dix, Paul Hurst, and Boris Karloff as good guys?! They are out to clear the father of Dix's childhood sweetheart who they feel was wrongly accused of some crimes! Dix is great as the crusading hero who goes out of his way to offer his aide to the lovely Shirley Grey. There is plenty of action and mystery as the police try to catch the mysterious figure known as "The Reckoner"!. A mysterious figure who is committing some robberies and is stealing some strange items. This is sort of an early Green Hornet and Shadow type character. You will enjoy the fine performance by Dix. He has some great scenes and some great facial expressions! It was a pleasure to see the trio working together in this film and the ventures they get into! I would recommend this film to all "B" movie and mystery film buffs!! The direction is excellent and we see a great supporting cast with some fine performances also! Get a copy and sit and relax and enjoy this fine early classic!

I watched this movie recently because I like Richard Dix. I expected it to be another 1931 courtroom crime drama but while it did concern crime, it was quite different. I concluded this had to be the blueprint for the Mission Impossible series and was pleasantly surprised by a tightly written caper movie that could have come right out of the today's plot lines. Richard Dix is a home grown crime fighter, has a willing crew and pulls off some very precisely timed insertions and escapes collecting information to put the bad guys away. If you are into old movies and want one not in the mold of anything else at the time, this is it. Well worth watching.

To most, Pike Winslow (Richard Dix) is just some rich playboy living off Daddy's fortune. However, there is quite a bit more to him than this--he is a crusading masked hero whose calling card announces that he's 'The Reckoner'! And, with his two friends (Paul Hurst and Boris Karloff), they are out to right wrongs.

The film begins with a bank officer getting accused for the bank's shortage of funds--and all the other officers ganging up on him to place this blame. However, Winslow know the man and his family and can't help but think he's being railroaded. So, the Reckoner and his friends go to work--stealing documents from the real crooks that would implicate them.

All in all, this B-movie plays a lot like a very well-written and understated series film--such as Bulldog Drummond, the Saint, the Shadow or the like. But, the film is better written and quite exciting compared to a typical film of the genre. Too bad they didn't make some sequels--I would have enjoyed seeing further adventures of the Reckoner. Of course, given that 1931 also saw Karloff in "Frankenstein", perhaps he just better things to do than appear in more of these films.

Taped this Richard Dix film in the early 70's and never realized that Boris Karloff made an appearance in this film. Dix(Pike Winslow) plays a Robin Hood in this film and seeks to correct all the wrong doing of blue collar executives in high places,(which sounds like 2003)who try to cheat people with their share holdings. Pike leaves his calling card, "The Reckoner", which means you are in trouble and will likely go to jail. He has sidekicks, namely Boris Karloff(Professor) who do all the undercover work so Pike Winslow can get them behind bars. A sweet charming and sexy looking young blond girl(or lady like she wants to be called) Barbara Gerry (Shirley Grey) fell in love with Pike when she was 12 and he was 18. Winslow finds out that her father has lost his entire fortune to these crooks and she will be out in the street with her aunt. The acting and film direction is fantastic, all the actors were very professional. This was Shirley Grey's first film debut and Boris Karloff was eager for work and was beginning to be seen in Hollywood, around the time of "Criminal Code" and "Frankenstein". I noticed that Max Steiner wrote the music for his film and was uncredited. This was a great film classic that I was happy I taped years ago and will enjoy for many years in the future. Richard Dix had a great magic in his acting that will live on forever and

ever.