Parole Fixer (1940)

This expose of the U.S. parole system, as seen through the eyes of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, takes dead aim on lawyers who manipulate the justice system in order to get undeserving ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Florey

Writers:

J. Edgar Hoover (book), William R. Lipman (screenplay),

Stars:

William Henry, Virginia Dale, Robert Paige

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Henry	...	Scott Britton
Virginia Dale	...	Enid Casserly
Robert Paige	...	Steve Eddson
Gertrude Michael	...	Collette Menthe
Richard Denning	...	Bruce Eaton
Fay Helm	...	Rita Mattison
Anthony Quinn	...	Francis 'Big Boy' Bradmore
Harvey Stephens	...	Bartley Hanford
Marjorie Gateson	...	Mrs. Thorton Casserly
Charlotte Wynters	...	Nellie
Lyle Talbot	...	Ross Waring
Louise Beavers	...	Aunt Lindy
Paul McGrath	...	Tyler Craden
Wilfred Roberts	...	Frank Preston
Jack Carson	...	George Mattison

Storyline

This expose of the U.S. parole system, as seen through the eyes of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, takes dead aim on lawyers who manipulate the justice system in order to get undeserving convicts parole from prisons. The point is made when FBI agents Scott Britton and Ross Waring are assigned to track down "Big Boy" Bradmore, who after getting an undeserved parole, via the efforts of a shyster lawyer, promptly murders an FBI agent.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | convict | murder | slang | bribery | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 February 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mercadores do Crime

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

User Reviews

An efficient Robert Florey gem

I am surprised that no one has commented it yet. After all, it's a Robert Florey's film, the guy who gave us already some B movies from Paramount Studios, the famous ones I talk sometimes about, starring J Caroll Naish, Loyd Nolan, Anthony Quinn. Very quick and fast paced crime flicks, as Warner ones were.

The story was written by J Edgard Hoover, the famous FBI director for fifty years, and also by Horace MacCoy. It could have been a sort of expose, especially when we watch the beginning of this feature, but there is no off voice, as we could expect. Anthony Quinn plays here a ruthless gangster on parole who kills a cop and participates at a kidnapping. This film also speaks about the problem of hard boiled criminals to whom the justice gives a chance of redemption.

I guess that was the message of this film.