The Penalty

1941
Approved
1h 20m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

236

YOUR RATING

Edward Arnold, Veda Ann Borg, and Gene Reynolds in The Penalty (1941)

The son of a murderer is entangled in his father's crimes and is sentenced to a rehabilitive farm, where he learns a new way of life.

Play trailer1:48

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Crime Drama Mystery

The son of a murderer is entangled in his father's crimes and is sentenced to a rehabilitive farm, where he learns a new way of life.The son of a murderer is entangled in his father's crimes and is sentenced to a rehabilitive farm, where he learns a new way of life.The son of a murderer is entangled in his father's crimes and is sentenced to a rehabilitive farm, where he learns a new way of life.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

236

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 1:48

Official Trailer

Photos3

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The police in this film use the 1928 model Thompson sub-machine gun with a 50 round drum magazine while the bad guys use the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle). Bonnie and Clyde were known for using the BAR in their criminal exploits. Unlike the Thompson which uses a pistol round, the BAR uses a rifle round with extreme penetrating power. The BAR was also used by American machine-gunners in WWII.

Goofs
When Roosty pulls the black car over after crossing the bridge, reflections of multiple studio lights can be seen on the car's highly polished door.

User reviews9

Featured review

7/10

Life on the run is no life for a kid.

The cast is pretty top-notch for its time, with two great character actors, Edward Arnold and Lionel Barrymore. Gene Reynolds, as Arnold's smart aleck son, gives a fine performance too. As expected, Lionel steals every scene he's in, and this is one of several films disproving the widely reported myth that Lionel was confined to a wheelchair and never filmed standing again after 1938.

The supporting cast, including Robert Sterling, Marsha Hunt, and a nasty goose named Charlie, all have their moments, but the success of the film hinges on the talents of Reynolds, Arnold and Barrymore.

The climactic scene in which Barrymore and Arnold face off is pretty neat, given the caliber of these two old pros.

The film remains engaging and enjoyable throughout, and the occasional lapses into sentimentality and corniness are easily forgivable. Though not one of the "great" films of the era by any stretch, and more of a B-picture overall, it's still a good, little-known '40's gem.