Desert Death

IMDb RATING

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A man kills his cousin in the desert, then assumes his identity and tries to collect insurance on himself.A man kills his cousin in the desert, then assumes his identity and tries to collect insurance on himself.A man kills his cousin in the desert, then assumes his identity and tries to collect insurance on himself.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

YOUR RATING

3User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Top cast6

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Raymond Hatton

George aka Old Lesh

Harvey Stephens

Bob Mehaffey

Erville Alderson

Sheriff
(uncredited)

Richard Carlson

MGM Reporter
(uncredited)

John Hyams

Burton James
(uncredited)

Arthur Stone

John Collins
(uncredited)

Director
- George B. Seitz
Writer
- Albert Ottenheimer
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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7.3

The Young in Heart

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Richard Carlson is the narrator for this 3rd entry in the 'Crime Does Not Pay' series of shorts that Warners ran in theatres (1935 - 1947). He would later become, arguably, one of the kings of the 1950's Sci-Fi B's, and he probably was best known for two of those 1950's classics - 'The Creature From The Black Lagoon' & 'It Came From Outer Space'.

Quotes
MGM Reporter: From your experience, Mr. James, do you believe that crime does not pay?

Connections
Followed by A Thrill for Thelma (1935)

Soundtracks
Appassionato in A minor
(uncredited)
Music by Domenico Savino

User reviews3

Review

Featured review

7/10

Very enjoyable.

During the 1930s and 40s, MGM made a string of "Crime Does Not Pay" shorts--all of which illustrate excellent police work and serve to convince viewers that crooks ultimately WILL get caught. It's interesting, but these films usually showed a lot more realistic police procedures than the regular movies at the various studios (many full-length films portrayed the cops as idiots). In addition, they tell great stories that even when seen today are quite satisfying.

This story begins with the investigation of a traffic death. While the Sheriff readily believes that it was all an accident, the investigator thinks that MAYBE Old Lesh knows a lot more about this and that it was actually a cold-blooded murder! Well written, very entertaining and a nice case of smart police work. Worth seeing.