There is a slight romance, as Mal shows an interest for the nice girl Trudy (Dorothy Patrick ) who worked for Vince and who now works for Mal. Taking advantage of the situation, Mal now heads the syndicate. A disgruntled bookie, in a state of panic at being forced out of business by the syndicate, comes into the office and kills Vince. When the syndicate cracks down on the local bookies, Mal ignores their plight and sides with the cruel boss of the central operation. The more successful he becomes, the less scruples he has about being a full-time criminal. Mal thereby forces himself in as a partner. When Mal feels he is being played for a sucker by his boss who is getting very rich from his savvy in electronics, but paying him only a $150 weekly instead of cutting him in for a share of the illegal profits, Mal is ready to double-cross him by re-rigging the phones. Mal wires all the bookies in California so that they can get the racing results as soon as they are announced at the track. Mal uses his technical skills as a telephone repairman to rig the phones. It’s a noir story, shot handsomely in B/W, depicting Mal’s rise to power in the world of California bookies and his inevitable downfall caused by greed and bad judgment.Īfter losing heavily to his bookie Chippie (Sammy White ) at the horses, Chippie introduces Mal to the big wheel behind the operation, Vince Walters (Barry Kelley), thinking that they can help each other out. This film was made as an answer to that crime expose. At the time this film was being made there were national newspaper stories about the dangers of bookmaking. But the dissolute Mal is not satisfied with his low pay and seeks crooked ways to supplement his income. Mal Granger (Edmund O’Brien) has great ability in telephone repairs, where he works for the telephone company. No incident happened.Ī convoluted form of the American Dream rags-to-riches tale. “This moralistic tale spins an interesting take on the criminal genius who falls and the sycophant crime bosses, who can’t be stopped completely.”įilm was supposedly made under police protection, as the studio was threatened by racketeers for making a film that exposed their racket. Pete Wright), Robert Osterloh (Gizzi), Sidney Dubin (Mendel Weiss) Runtime: 102 Columbia 1950) Newman screenwriters: Richard English/Francis Swan cinematographer: Franz Planer editor: Bert Jordan cast: Edmund O’Brien (Mal Granger), Joanne Dru (Gail Mason), Donald Porter (Larry Mason), Sammy White (Chippie Evans), Dorothy Patrick (Trudy Maxwell), Barry Kelley (Vince Walters), Otto Kruger (Carl Stephans), Howard St.
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