King of the Underworld (1939)

Director:

Lewis Seiler

Writers:

George Bricker (writer)
W.R. Burnett (story)

Release Date:

14 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Ruthless Killer vs. Lady Doctor ! It's red-blooded action all the way !

Plot:

Niles and Carol Nelson are married doctors who save one of ganglord Gurney's men. Gurney exploits them...

Plot Keywords:

Adrenaline | Author | Blindness | Deception | Doctor

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Joe Gurney
Kay Francis	...	Dr. Carole Nelson
James Stephenson	...	Bill Stevens
John Eldredge	...	Dr. Niles Nelson
Jessie Busley	...	Aunt Josephine
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Dr. Sanders
Raymond Brown	...	Sheriff
Harland Tucker	...	Mr. Ames
Ralph Remley	...	Mr. Robert
Charley Foy	...	Slick
Murray Alper	...	Eddie
Joe Devlin	...	Porky
Elliott Sullivan	...	Mugsy
Alan Davis	...	Pete
John Harmon	...	Slats

Also Known As:

Unlawful (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1939) | USA:Approved (PCA #4405)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Quotes:

Joe Gurney: [Explaining why he shot someone] It says in the book that Napoleon said a good general has got to know when to be just, severe, or mild.

Movie Connections:

Version of Dr. Socrates (1935)

Kay Francis as a doctor comes up against gangster Bogie

In an effort to elevate Humphrey Bogart's star and get rid of Kay Francis, Warners remade Dr. Socrates, giving the good doctor a sex change and making him Kay Francis instead. However, Bogart gets top billing and Francis' role was reduced. It didn't work; Francis kept plodding along until the end of her contract. Also, I still felt she came across as the star in this.

Francis plays a doctor whose husband starts picking up easy money repairing the wounds of gangsters and not reporting on their illegal activities. Eventually, he is killed in a raid, and the police are convinced that Francis was in on it with her husband. Unless she can prove her innocence, she's going to lose her medical license. When she gets a lead on the gang's whereabouts, she sets up shop in the same town.

It's really hard to believe this movie came out in 1939 - it has the look and feel of something done about five years earlier. Bogart is good as a cocky and violent criminal who trusts no one and is too fast with a gun. Stardom is just ahead for the actor, as well as lots less of films like this.

Francis was past the magic age of 30 by this time, and her big star, big film days were behind her. She would soon fall to second leads and eventually move over to Monogram for several films, and, after a couple of early TV appearances, would retire. Everything about Francis embodies the strong '30s career woman, and it's hard to picture her out of the era. She does a great job in this as a determined, classy woman who has to use her wits to get out of a bad situation. An eminently watchable actress.

Worth seeing for Francis and Bogart just before his great career takes off.