THE LAWBREAKERS – 1961
This unseen gem is well worth the hunt it took to find. An excellent crime film with all sorts of noir flourishes throughout. The film started out as an episode of the television series, "The Asphalt Jungle". This series ran for a total of 13 episodes during 1961. The series was loosely based on the film of the same name, but focused on a detective squad, led by, Jack Warden.
When it looked like the series was going to be a loser on the ratings front, the studio picked the episode, "The Lady and The Lawyer" and decided to expand it into a film for European release.
They used the same director and actors and shot an extra 30 minutes of film to pad out the run time.
The film is very violent, and rather risqué' for a US production of the time. There are plenty of boobs and butts on display, with several semi-nude scenes thrown in for the more "cultured" European audience.
Jack Warden and his crew of Detectives have gotten a tip on a couple of wanted gunmen. They are holed up at a downtown house. They raid the place and discover it is really a brothel, with a healthy assortment of working girls on display. The villains do not wish to come quietly and shots are exchanged, with the crooks on the losing end.
While the raid had been going on, mob bag man, Robert Bailey, drives by the brothel. He sees the action at the house which he relates to the Mob Lt. at the next stop. Mobster Ken Lynch is in charge of running all the mob strip clubs and brothels. He is not amused to hear about the brothel being raided, as it had only been open at that location for a week or so. Bailey is collecting a percentage of the week's take to pass on to lawyer, Robert Douglas. Douglas is the middleman between the local mob and the bosses out east. This amounts to anywhere up to 250 grand a week.
There is however about to be a change in this transfer. Douglas is having cash flow problems. He has a sick wife, an expensive mistress and income tax problems with the IRS. The mistress, Vera Miles, is also his secretary. She tells Douglas that she has a cure for Douglas's cash problems. She wants Douglas to hire a gunman, then hit the house as the bag man makes the cash delivery. The gunman takes the cash, shots Bailey and then takes off. Douglas then collects his share later, then he and Miles can take off out of the country.
Needless to say this idea has more than a few players involved. The man Douglas hires is the same Mob LT. Ken Lynch, who passes the money to bag man, Bailey. Poor Douglas does not know that Lynch and his mistress, Miles, have been busy doing the horizontal mambo behind his back. Lynch and Miles intend to set up Douglas for a fall and keep the loot themselves. Lynch is tired of being middle management and thinks a good time in South America is just what the doctor ordered.
The plan goes off with bag man Bailey eating a bullet and the 200 plus grand grabbed. The Police find Bailey's body and open an investigation.
Douglas calls his eastern contact to tell them about robbery. The East coast Mob sends out their fixer, Robert H Harris. Harris is sure that Douglas has pulled a fast one. The mob knows about his tax problems and figure he is desperate. Harris gives him till 9 that evening to come up with the cash.
The Police see Harris arrive at the airport and had put a tail on him. They tail him to Douglas' office and to a visit with local mob contact, Lynch. They figure something is cooking so they also put a tail on Lynch.
Douglas is soon on the phone to Lynch. He tells him to return the cash or Douglas will let Harris know about his involvement. Lynch agrees to bring the cash to Douglas' office.
Lynch arrives but does not bring any cash. Instead he pulls a large automatic and gives Douglas some extra unneeded ventilation. Lynch is at home when Harris calls about Douglas not showing for his 9 o'clock appointment with Harris. Harris wants someone to rub out Douglas. "We can't have people pulling this sort of stuff. You steal from us, you pay, fix Douglas."
The next morning Miss Miles hits the office and finds Douglas. This of course is according to her and Lynch's plan. Using her best distressed voice, Miles calls the Police and cries out about finding her boss dead. She then removes a small tape recorder from behind an art piece. The Police arrive and figure that Mobster Harris did the deed. Into the can he goes.
Meanwhile, Lynch discovers that there is another curve to the "perfect" plan. Miss Miles calls Lynch and tells him she wants all the cash. She plays Lynch a bit off the tape recording where Lynch kills Douglas. The smart girl had set up the recorder to get some insurance. Cough up all the cash or the recording goes to John Law.
Lynch agrees to a swap, the cash for the tape. They will meet at the busy bus depot in an hour. The Police have been tailing Lynch and see Miles arrive to meet Lynch. They quickly put two and two together. Warden and the rest of the squad are called and arrive just as the exchange is made.
Lynch pulls a gun while Miss Miles bolts for the taxi line. Lynch goes down in a hail of lead while Miles makes it about 10 feet before being gobbled up.
Top film.
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