A reporter turned tax agent infiltrates a crime ring to catch a racketeer, working with the mobster's bookkeeper. When she agrees to testify, an informant exposes them and she's kidnapped.A reporter turned tax agent infiltrates a crime ring to catch a racketeer, working with the mobster's bookkeeper. When she agrees to testify, an informant exposes them and she's kidnapped.A reporter turned tax agent infiltrates a crime ring to catch a racketeer, working with the mobster's bookkeeper. When she agrees to testify, an informant exposes them and she's kidnapped.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Jake Andrews
- (as Jack LaRue)
- Joe Durell
- (as J. Carroll Naish)
- Ned Rich
- (as Joseph Sauers)
- Charlie Young
- (as William Davidson)
- Agent Wilson
- (as Joseph King)
- Arcade Manager
- (uncredited)
- Pinball Onlooker
- (uncredited)
- Carston's Henchman
- (uncredited)
- 122 Club Doorman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Darling, there is nothing more important than food.
This flick had a good story about trying to bring down a mobster (Ricardo Cortez) with a T-Man (George Brent) posing as a newspaper reporter. You have to suspend belief at some of the story, but it's not 2007! Brent and Davis would join forces later with Bogey and Ronald Reagan in the Oscar-nominated Dark Victory.
Warner Gangster Pic
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A Fed (George Brent) goes undercover to bring down a gangster (Ricardo Cortez) but he's going to need help from the gangster's book keeper (Bette Davis). This is pretty typical stuff from Warner and their gangster pictures but it's brought up a few levels by the impressive cast. I'm not a big fan of Brent but he makes for a good lead here and delivers a fine performance. Cortez steals the show as the gangster and Davis is decent in her role. The supporting cast includes Henry O'Neill, J. Carrol Naish and Joe Sawyer. The story really doesn't contain anything new or fresh but if you're a fan of these Warner pictures then this one should keep you entertained through its short running time.
Warner Brothers doing what it did best
This is a fairly routine drama with good acting and some solid action. Davis is very young and blonde here, and not as glamorized as she is in other early films - "The Man Who Played God," "Fashions of 1934" or "Ex-Lady" but nevertheless quite pretty. She's a little too classy to be a mob bookkeeper; as the character, however, she exhibits intelligence, which certainly Julie would have. Brent is his usual pleasant self as Bill, and Cortez is a sinister gangster.
The only part of the film that gave me a giggle was the riddling of men with machine guns as they continued to stand until their bodies must have had more holes than Swiss cheese before dramatically falling. Certainly they would have been dead long before the 100th bullet.
Interesting for early Davis and the always good Cortez.
Ricardo Cortez is wonderfully evil
If you like these old 30's gangster movies then I highly recommend it.
And of course seeing Bette Davis from very early in her career is quite a treat!
An OK but improbable early Bette Davis crime melodrama with the stars sustaining interest in the action.
Martin Mooney, who provided the story on which this film is based, was a newspaper man and well aware that the government was sending noted racketeers up the river for income tax evasion. Al 'Scarface' Capone was indicted by a federal grand jury for that offense and spent eight years behind bars starting in 1931.
Did you know
- TriviaThe Hays office objected to a bit of dialogue by character Alexander Carston, so rather than reshoot the scene, the sound was eliminated.
- GoofsWhen Richie takes Bill away to the castle, the feet of crew members and camera equipment are clearly reflected on the car.
- Quotes
[first lines]
[the Chief of the IRS can be seen in an office, addressing various men. As he explains the necessary information, he can be seen walking around the office. Among the ones present is Bill Bradford.]
Chief of Internal Revenue Service: Gentlemen, as you know, the inability of local governments to cope with crime has necessitated the Federal Government stepping in to protect the American people. Our part of that job is to rid the country of the gambler, the business racketeer, and the illicit profiteer who have been operating within and above the law. The Treasury Department, being limited in their function, has sent you men out to gather information, that will enable us to use the one weapon we have. The Income Tax Law. Millions of dollars in illicit profits from illegal enterprises have been hidden away by these racketeers inside and outside the law. No income tax has been paid on these millions. But that hidden and untaxed money will send these men to prison. We'll rid the country of these men who have so far laughed at every law. Now you men have been called in here today to be told one thing, go after them. Get their books and statements and don't stop until you have the evidence. These are my orders. The dictum of the Secretary of the Treasury and the command of the American People. Now some of you men have been undercover and observing for over a year. You're through observing. You're going into action. If necessary, you'll raid to get this evidence. There's one man, however, we prefer to take alive, Alexander Carston. It's easy enough to kill him, but to put him behind the bars is to prove that the cleverest racketeer isn't smart enough to outsmart the Federal Government.
[the IRS Chief looks at Bradford]
Chief of Internal Revenue Service: You get that, Bradford?
Bill Bradford: [smiles and nods] Yes, sir.
- ConnectionsFeatured in All About Bette (1994)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Agente especial
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 16m(76 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1




