You Can't Beat the Rap! (1936)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Have you ever watched a movie and when it's over not understand a single thing you had just seen? Well, that's pretty much how this four-minute short made me feel. Notorious gangster Roy Gardner is being interviewed by film producer Louis Sonney (MANIAC) as the two are on a boat passing by Alcatrez. Gardner begins telling the folks watching that he wants to start a new life without crime. That's pretty much all there is. Apparently Gardner wasn't too serious as he'd get into some more trouble before eventually killing himself in 1940. This is a pretty bad short but thankfully it's only 4-minutes. It seems to the two are just acting in a few sloppy scenes including one where the producer is pretty much counting down to let Gardner know when to start talking. There are a couple obvious flubs in their dialogue but this adds some surreal moments to the film. Certainly nothing good but rumored to have either been produced, made or directed by the one and only Dwain Esper.