What a great name for a gangster film - "The Boss of Big Town"; it conjures up visions of racketeering, mob warfare and violent shoot outs. In fact, the film is a little more reserved than that, focusing on corruption and payoffs in the city food industry. The 'big town' of the title is never mentioned by name, so in that regard, take your pick.
Mike Lynn (John Litel) is the general manager of the city market when his vendors start receiving demands for payoffs or face retribution. He's called down by mobster Craige (John Miljan) to invite participation so business goes on without a hitch. Instead of accepting, Lynn becomes determined to expose the corruption and put Craige out of the rackets.
The twist in the film is a familiar one to anyone who's seen enough Westerns of the same era, it turns out that Lynn's boss Moore (H.B. Warner) at the city market is the brains behind the shake down. There's even a showdown of sorts with a twist as well. With reporter Linda Gregory (Florence Rice) watching Lynn's back, Craige arrives on the scene to take out Moore, and in turn is shot by police inspector Torrence (Lloyd Ingraham) in a moment of incredible timing. I got a chuckle out of the ending, reminding me of John Wayne in virtually every one of his Lone Star films from the mid 1930's. The final scene closes with Mike Lynn in a clinch with his reporter girl friend, in an unlikely match up that the film barely hinted at with all that went before.
If you pay attention, you'll get a kick out of an early scene when Mike uses a phone to call for an ambulance for an injured market vendor - the phone doesn't have a cord!
Also, stay sharp for Inspector Torrence's remark about one of the shop owners - he calls him a 'Polak'.
Mike Lynn (John Litel) is the general manager of the city market when his vendors start receiving demands for payoffs or face retribution. He's called down by mobster Craige (John Miljan) to invite participation so business goes on without a hitch. Instead of accepting, Lynn becomes determined to expose the corruption and put Craige out of the rackets.
The twist in the film is a familiar one to anyone who's seen enough Westerns of the same era, it turns out that Lynn's boss Moore (H.B. Warner) at the city market is the brains behind the shake down. There's even a showdown of sorts with a twist as well. With reporter Linda Gregory (Florence Rice) watching Lynn's back, Craige arrives on the scene to take out Moore, and in turn is shot by police inspector Torrence (Lloyd Ingraham) in a moment of incredible timing. I got a chuckle out of the ending, reminding me of John Wayne in virtually every one of his Lone Star films from the mid 1930's. The final scene closes with Mike Lynn in a clinch with his reporter girl friend, in an unlikely match up that the film barely hinted at with all that went before.
If you pay attention, you'll get a kick out of an early scene when Mike uses a phone to call for an ambulance for an injured market vendor - the phone doesn't have a cord!
Also, stay sharp for Inspector Torrence's remark about one of the shop owners - he calls him a 'Polak'.
