The Big Shakedown (1934)

Director:

John Francis Dillon

Writers:

Niven Busch (screenplay)
Niven Busch (story)

Release Date:

6 January 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

Racketeers flood the market with counterfeit cosmetics and drugs, causing some tragedies.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Digitalis | Toothpaste | Reference To Mae West | Con Artist

Cast

Charles Farrell	...	Jimmy Morrell
Bette Davis	...	Norma Nelson
Ricardo Cortez	...	Dutch Barnes
Glenda Farrell	...	Lily 'Lil' Duran
Allen Jenkins	...	Lefty
Henry O'Neill	...	Mr. Sheffner
Dewey Robinson	...	Slim
John Wray	...	Higgins
Philip Faversham	...	John, the New Salesman
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Regan, the Bartender
Renee Whitney	...	Mae LaRue
G. Pat Collins	...	Gyp (as George Pat Collins)
Adrian Morris	...	Trigger
Ben Hendricks Jr.	...	Spike (as Ben Hendricks)
George Cooper	...	Shorty

Runtime:

64 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

First National Pictures

Quotes:

Dutch Barnes: Lefty, what's our racket?
Lefty: Beer!
Dutch Barnes: Beer, huh, you're five minutes late. We're going into the drug business.
Lefty: Not me. I got a brother doing twenty years for going into the drug business and all they found on him was two decks of coke.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "This Is Your Life: Bette Davis" (1971)

Bad early Davis

It was films like this that caused Bette Davis to flee to England in an attempt to break her Hollywood contract. During the early '30s, she was forced into quickies with weak stories, bland co-stars and mediocre directors and was never given much chance to utilize her talents as a superb actress. She is co-starred here with Charles Farrell, who was a superstar of the silents but didn't seem to click in talkies. (He went on the gain fame on television in "My Little Margie" and personal fame as the mayor of Palm Springs). Ricardo Cortez plays his usual role as a gangster, this time utilizing Farrell's training as a pharmacists to black market bogus drugs. They start with toothpaste!!!!.....but soon move on to more dangerous territory. Frankly, I found the premise just a bit ridiculous and the acting even more so. Miss Davis looks like she would rather be somewhere else and has little to do. Cortez really overdoes it and Farrell is just downright bad. If you like Bette Davis, then you might want to see this film if for no other reason than to get a glimpse of what low grade junk assignments she had to put up with early in her career. Otherwise, it's not worth it.