The Penalty (1941)

Director:

Harold S. Bucquet

Writers:

Martin Berkeley (play)
Harry Ruskin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Find the Blonde and Get the Gangster!

Plot:

The son of a murderer is entangled in his father's crimes and is sentenced to a rehabilitive farm, where he learns a new way of life. |

Plot Keywords:

Logger | Reward | Murder | Farmer | New York City

Cast

Edward Arnold	...	Martin 'Stuff' Nelson
Lionel Barrymore	...	'Grandpop' Logan
Marsha Hunt	...	Katherine Logan
Robert Sterling	...	Edward 'Ted' McCormick
Gene Reynolds	...	Russell 'Roosty' Nelson
Emma Dunn	...	'Ma' McCormick
Veda Ann Borg	...	Julie Jackson, Stuff's Moll
Richard Lane	...	FBI Agent Craig
Gloria DeHaven	...	Anne Logan
Grant Mitchell	...	Judge
Phil Silvers	...	'Grapevine' Hobo
Warren Ashe	...	Jay, Stuff's Henchman
William Haade	...	Johnny Van Brook, Stuff's Henchman
Ralph Byrd	...	FBI Agent Brock
Edgar Barrier	...	'Burnsy' Burns
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fay Holden	...	(scenes deleted)
William Bailey	...	Man in Courtroom (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Arthur White, Man Who Got 12 Workers (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Loganville Police Chief (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Shorty (uncredited)
Mimi Doyle	...	Candy Salesgirl (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Bank Manager (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Newspaper Truck Hopper (archive footage) (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Coney, Stuff's Henchman (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Detective at Bank Robbery Scene (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Worker (uncredited)
William Lally	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
George Lynn	...	George, Police Operative (uncredited)
Alonzo Price	...	Police Capt. Harbridge (uncredited)
Don Rowan	...	Taylor, Big Worker Socked by Shorty (uncredited)
Tim Ryan	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Gus Schilling	...	Parkins, Bank Teller (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Policeman at Bank Robbery Scene (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	State Trooper with Machine Gun (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Worker (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Harold S. Bucquet

Writing credits
Martin Berkeley		(play "Roost")
Harry Ruskin		(screenplay) and
John C. Higgins		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jack Chertok	....	producer

Original Music by
David Snell

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters		(as Ralph Winters)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Ryan	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Randall Duell	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde De Vinna	....	photographer (uncredited)
Charles Lawton Jr.	....	location camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrober

Music Department
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1941) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Also Known As:

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #7082)

Filming Locations:

Inglewood, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

You will see the police use the Thompson Submachine Gun 1928 model with the 50 round drum magazine and the bad guys using the BAR-Browning Automatic Rifle. Bonnie and Clyde are famous for using the BAR, which unlike the Thompson which uses a pistol round, the BAR uses a rifle round with extreme penetrating power.

An excellent cast in a fine movie

"The Penalty" is really about the character played by Gene Reynolds. It's a role similar to the one he had in "The Get-Away," another excellent film. He was a fascinating, intense young actor. He was sort of a teen-aged John Garfield. (I understand that the actor went on to win numerous Emmys producing for television. That's fine. Who knows how he would have matured and what sort of roles, if any, he would have got had he remained with acting.) The movie begins with the fine Edward Arnold in his usual genial manner. He is hiring men for a job, assuring them in a fatherly manner that they'll be paid well. But quickly we see that they are being hired as his stooges for a bank robbery. And that he yes, is fatherly: He is the father of the Reynolds character, who worships him.

Arnold plays one bitter, nasty guy. And he's teaching his son to be as cold and cynical as he is. His girl friend, played by the entertaining Veda Ann Borg, may not worship him. But she worships the furs and other finery his ill-gotten money buys her.

The bulk of "The Penalty" takes place on a farm where Reynolds is sent while dad is on the lam. No more about the plot other than to mention the people in this new home: Robert Sterling is excellent as the farmer. Marsha Hunt is appealing as his lady friend, the local schoolteacher. Lionel Barrymore is her father. As he often did, he plays variations on his standard persona: When he's talking about young Reynolds or young Sterling, he could as easily be speaking of young Dr. Kildaire.

The movie has a little of everything: It's exciting and suspenseful. It's funny at times. And it's sad. I recommend it very highly.