For a film made 35 years before that Infamous kidnapping, this film is pretty ahead of its time. George Murphy, already a star of musical comedy, was like Jake Paul in the sense that he wanted to get away from song-and-dance rolls and take on tougher characters. Here, he's a gruff reporter who goes undercover in the mob and faces two major criminals played excellently by Leon Ames and Eduardo Cianelli who's way of delivering lines is very crafty and manipulative.
In his relatively small time on screen, Cianelli is chilling, making me wonder how he would have been as a horror film actor rather than the crafty villains such as his evil scientist here. As Murphy's secretary, Dorothea Kent has great timing. A scene with the kidnapped girl's parents (Charles Trowbridge and Mary Forbes) is nail biting and sad. The clever writing adds to the strength of the performances, and for a B film from a secondary studio, this one is a surprise entry in the dozens of above-average films that came out during Hollywood's greatest film year.
In his relatively small time on screen, Cianelli is chilling, making me wonder how he would have been as a horror film actor rather than the crafty villains such as his evil scientist here. As Murphy's secretary, Dorothea Kent has great timing. A scene with the kidnapped girl's parents (Charles Trowbridge and Mary Forbes) is nail biting and sad. The clever writing adds to the strength of the performances, and for a B film from a secondary studio, this one is a surprise entry in the dozens of above-average films that came out during Hollywood's greatest film year.