Special Inspector

Rita Hayworth had made more than 20 films before1938, and it would still be a few years before her star would rise. This is one of the many B films she was in, in supporting roles during the 1930s. This is a good look at a bad film - well, a poor quality one that was more often than not what the poverty row studies turned out in the early years of Hollywood. But for Hayworth, the bulk of movie fans probably couldn't recognize another single cast member in this film.

"Special Inspector" has just enough intrigue about how expensive furs are being stolen in Canada and then taken into the U. S., to keep one watching. But that's about all there is to keep one interested. The lead is played by Charles Quigley, and I don't recall ever having seen him on film before or having heard his name. While he has a good appearance, he can't act his way out of a paper bag. He's very amateurish. But the same goes for just about everyone else in the cast. The actors who play the bad guys in this film are so poor - either hammy, wooden, or unsure of their lines, that I chuckled instead of turning off my screen.

The screenplay has to be partly at fault. But, as I said, it's an okay film to compare for understanding what it took to make good films in the early years of the silver screen. The sets show the tight budgets and little or weak ability of Ken Bishop Productions to even film scenes outdoors and indoors that look real and not something built on a stage or small outdoor lot. According to IMDb, this short-lived film company made just 12 films in four years, 1936-1939. I doubt if there's a single movie fan who ever heard of a single one of them. It's a stretch to even give this film four stars. But it's just about Easter, so I have a pull on my heartstrings to be overly generous.