A Dangerous Profession (1949)

Ex-policeman Vince Kane is a partner with Joe Farley as bail bond brokers, but retains his ties and friendship with the police and Detective Nick Ferrone. Ferrone picks up Claude Brackette,... See full summary »

Director:

Ted Tetzlaff

Writers:

Warren Duff, Martin Rackin

Stars:

George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O'Brien

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Raft	...	Vince Kane
Ella Raines	...	Lucy Brackett
Pat O'Brien	...	Joe Farley
Bill Williams	...	Claude Brackett
Jim Backus	...	Police Lt. Nick Ferrone / Narrator (as James Backus)
Roland Winters	...	Jerry McKay
Betty Underwood	...	Elaine Storm
Robert Gist	...	Roy Collins, aka Max Gibney
David Wolfe	...	Matthew Dawson

Storyline

Ex-policeman Vince Kane is a partner with Joe Farley as bail bond brokers, but retains his ties and friendship with the police and Detective Nick Ferrone. Ferrone picks up Claude Brackette, a brokerage clerk, as a suspect in the securities robbery in which a policeman was killed, and Kane goes with him when the detective searches Brackett's apartment, and Kane finds that Brackett's wife, Lucy, is his former sweetheart. She insists her husband is innocent and pleads with Kane to get him out on bail but she has only $4,000 of the $25,000 needed. A mysterious emissary puts up $12,000 and Kanes, over Farley's protest, makes up the rest from the company's money. Brackett is murdered after his release. For Lucy, Kane investigates and finds that Brackett had dealings with night club owner Jerry McKay and a hoodlum named Roy Collins. Suspecting McKay was in back of the robbery, Kane begins a campaign in which he himself behaves like a crook, and demands a heavy bride from McKay for his ...

---

Plot Keywords:

police officer killed | bribe

---

Taglines:

Thieves and Killers are my Clients!

---

Genres:

Drama | Crime

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bail Bonds Story

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

The Big Snooze

I wouldn't exactly call this a noir, although it is a hardboiled detective yarn. It reminded me of The Big Sleep mainly because of its rambling story line. Raft is no Bogart and Ella Raines is no Bacall. His stiff delivery gets tiring after you realize he really doesn't have anything interesting to say. Her sultriness falls far short of what's required for the role of bad girl. And her hair is incredibly awful.

The photography was above par. When the character of Lucy is introduced in the story, you just see the back of her hat. Then there's a close-up, and well, it's just Ella Raines. The script is a lot of yak, some of it's kinda good, but it's still mainly a yakfest. I gave-up after 55 minutes.