Behind the Mask (1932)

A federal agent goes undercover to infiltrate a drug smuggling operation headed by a mysterious Mr. X, a criminal mastermind whose identity is unknown even to his henchmen. Mr. X is also ... See full summary »

Director:

John Francis Dillon

Writers:

Jo Swerling (story), Jo Swerling (dialogue),

Stars:

Jack Holt, Constance Cummings, Boris Karloff

Cast

Cast overview:
Jack Holt	...	Jack Hart aka Quinn
Constance Cummings	...	Julie Arnold
Boris Karloff	...	Jim Henderson
Claude King	...	Arnold
Bertha Mann	...	Nurse Edwards
Edward Van Sloan	...	Dr. August Steiner / Dr. Alec Munsell / Mr. X
Willard Robertson	...	Capt. E.J. Hawkes
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Agent Burke

Storyline

A federal agent goes undercover to infiltrate a drug smuggling operation headed by a mysterious Mr. X, a criminal mastermind whose identity is unknown even to his henchmen. Mr. X is also running a bogus hospital where victims are killed on the operating table, and their coffins stuffed with narcotics. The drug-filled coffins are then buried in a cemetery.

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Plot Keywords:

coffin | undercover | drug smuggling | federal agent | cemetery | 

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Taglines:

A Slinking Fiend - Skulking Terror - Mad Murder!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Secret Service

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Part of the SON OF SHOCK package of 21 titles released to television in 1958, which followed the original SHOCK THEATER release of 52 features one year earlier. This was also one of the 12 Columbia titles, the other 61 all being Universals.

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Goofs

A dummy, thrown from the airplane by the pilot, instead of the pilot himself, to fool the people in the boat, would not be able to pull the ripcord on the parachute at the right time, to open it up.

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Quotes

Mr. X: The pain whilst I am cutting through the outer layers of skin will not be unendurable. It is only when I commence to carve on your vital organs that you will know you are having... an experience.

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Connections

Edited from The Criminal Code (1931)

User Reviews

Creepy Columbia Potboiler

A macabre mystery with many elements of the supernatural/shudder scientific genres.

Boris Karloff plays a lead henchman in the service of a mysterious Mr. X. His performance does not suggest a red herring role, but he is sinister enough as a grim-faced gangster to keep one's interest throughout the picture. Early on, it seems possible that the sinister Dr. Steiner played by Edward van Sloan may seem to be a more likely candidate for Mr. X., but his performance raises enough doubts to keep the viewer in a constant state of suspense.

A very fine "B" feature for the night owl crowd.

7/10.

Dan Basinger