The Counterfeiters (1948)

Scotland Yard cop goes undercover to catch a gang of counterfeiters.

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writers:

Maurice Conn (story), Fred Myton,

Stars:

John Sutton, Doris Merrick, Hugh Beaumont

Cast

Cast overview:
John Sutton	...	Inspector Jeff MacAllister
Doris Merrick	...	Margo Talbot
Hugh Beaumont	...	Philip Drake
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Louie Struber (as Lon Chaney)
George O'Hanlon	...	Frankie Dodge
Robert Kent	...	Tony Richards (as Douglas Blackley)
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Norman Talbot
Pierre Watkin	...	Carter (as Pierre Watkins)
Don C. Harvey	...	Dan Taggart (as Don Harvey)
Fred Coby	...	Piper
Joi Lansing	...	Caroline - Art Model (as Joy Loveland)
Scott Brady	...	Jerry McGee (as Gerard Gilbert)

Storyline

Scotland Yard cop goes undercover to catch a gang of counterfeiters.

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Plot Keywords:

counterfeiter | counterfeit | counterfeiting

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Genres:

Action | Crime

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

To mystiko tis halkinis plakas

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fortune Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Scott Brady, using the name Gerard Gilbert (his real name was Gerald Kenneth Tierney, younger brother of Lawrence Tierney and Gene Tierney). This was the only time he used that name.

User Reviews

Entertaining B noir

This nicely done low budget B-noir has Hugh Beaumont as the very unpleasant head of a counterfeiting ring. Three minutes in and old "Ward Cleaver" is laying a vicious beating (for 1948) on undercover cop John Sutton. John Sutton is an undercover detective following the trail of phony money from London to L.A. Doris Merrick plays Beaumont's dolly. Lon Chaney, in a role he played many times, is Beaumont's rather dim-witted heavy. The story revolves around several sets of 20 dollar plates. The bodies pile up as everyone makes a grab for the plates. Each of the gang members decide they should be in charge of the profits. This of course means plenty of the old knife to the back nastiness. Merrick is especially good as she plays one gang member off against another. An unbilled Scott Brady appears as a junior member of the gangland varsity. When Chaney foolishly uses counterfeit cash at the racetrack the Police have the lead they need. With John Law hot on their trail the gang rents a boat and heads for South America. The mandatory number of fisticuffs, gunplay and dead bodies ensue before order is restored. Look quick and you can catch Joi Lansing in a bit part. The rest of the cast includes, George O'Hanlon, Don Harvey and Fred Colby.

The director of this quick little B was Sam Newfield. Newfield helmed hundreds of low rent films under various pseudonyms. These films included, APOLOGY FOR MURDER, MURDER IS MY BUSINESS, BLONDE FOR A DAY, WESTERN PACFIC AGENT, MONEY MADNESS and HI-JACKED. The d of p was James Brown who likewise worked mainly on low-rent fare.