The Secret 6 (1931)

After rising bootlegger Slaughterhouse Scorpio eliminates his gangland competition, two reporters and a cabal of six businessmen work to expose him.

Director:

George W. Hill (as George Hill)

Writer:

Frances Marion (story and dialogue)

Stars:

Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Johnny Mack Brown

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Wallace Beery	...	Louis Scorpio
Lewis Stone	...	Richard Newton - Attorney at Law
Johnny Mack Brown	...	Hank Rogers (as John Mack Brown)
Jean Harlow	...	Anne Courtland
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Peaches
Paul Hurst	...	Nick Mizoski - the Gouger
Clark Gable	...	Carl Luckner
Ralph Bellamy	...	Johnny Franks
John Miljan	...	Joe Colimo
DeWitt Jennings	...	Chief of Police Donlin
Murray Kinnell	...	Metz - the Dummy
Fletcher Norton	...	Jimmy Delano
Louis Natheaux	...	Eddie
Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Judge (as Frank McGlynn)
Theodore von Eltz	...	District Attorney Keeler (as Theodore Von Eltz)

Storyline

Bootlegger/cafe owner Ralph Bellamy recruits crude working man Wallace Beery to join his gang which is masterminded by crooked criminal defense lawyer Lewis Stone. Beery eventually takes over Bellamy's operation, beats a rival gang, becomes wealthy and dominates the city for several years until a secret group of 6 masked businessmen have him prosecuted and sent to the electric chair with the help of rival crusading newspapermen Clark Gable and Johnny Mack Brown. Waitress Jean Harlow is torn between her love for the honest newsman Brown and her financial dependence on her generous boss, Beery.

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Plot Keywords:

shot in the arm | slaughterhouse | reporter | bootlegger | death row | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

18 April 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Secret Six

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$494,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The $20,000 per year Ann states that she pays for rent on her apartment would equal about $312,000 in 2016.

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Goofs

Although supposedly set in Chicago, after the shoot-out in the bar, as the gangs drive off on the rear-projection in the background can be seen the large vertical sign for the Metropolitan Theater in Los Angeles (at the corner of 6th and Hill Streets). That footage was also shot in 1929 or before as during that year Paramount bought the theater and renamed it "The Paramount). The distinctive 5-globe Llewellyn Iron Works streetlights are also a giveaway those shots were done in L.A.

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Quotes

Carl: Oh, baby, you got a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. You know, I'd sure like to take you around and introduce you to my Aunt Emma.
Anne: What a break for Aunt Emma!

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Jean Harlow (1962)

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Soundtracks

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played at the party for Scorpio

User Reviews

Worth watching to see Clark Gable before he was a star

This is an odd movie on two accounts. First, the plot for this movie appears to have been stolen by Warner Brothers just four years later in SPECIAL AGENT. Both films feature a newspaper reporter who is actually a government agent. And both have these reporters gaining close access to mob leaders in order to convict them of tax fraud. I just can't believe the story parallels are just coincidental. Second, while he receives very low billing, Clark Gable is given one of his first starring roles. Despite the low billing, he is second only to Wallace Beery in the film in regard to time on screen and importance to the story.

As mentioned above, this film concerns Gable getting close to mobster Beery in order to help a secret grand jury gain enough information for an indictment. However, unlike SPECIAL AGENT, there is more emphasis on the exploits of the mob leader and the newspaper reporter's role is slightly less prominent. While the film was certainly more original that SPECIAL AGENT, the film wasn't quite as polished and seemed a bit shrill. As a result, if you only want to see one film, SPECIAL AGENT is probably a slightly better film.