A respected citizen with secret ties to the local mob is faced with revealing his criminal connections to save two innocent people from execution.A respected citizen with secret ties to the local mob is faced with revealing his criminal connections to save two innocent people from execution.A respected citizen with secret ties to the local mob is faced with revealing his criminal connections to save two innocent people from execution.
Vinton Hayworth
- Eddie
- (as Jack Arnold)
Joseph E. Bernard
- Frank - Headwaiter
- (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Richard Cramer
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Cecil Kellaway
- Phillips - Gene's Butler
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaNo publication of the short story, "The Lost Game," by John B. Hymer and Samuel Shipman has been found. It is, however, listed onscreen as the source of the movie. Their play, "Crime," based on the story, opened in New York City, New York, USA on 22 February 1927 and closed in August 1927 after 186 performances. It was produced by A.H. Woods and the opening night cast (with their character names) included Chester Morris (Rocky), James Rennie (Eugene), Douglass Montgomery (Tommy Brown), Sylvia Sidney (Annabelle Porter), Kay Johnson (Dorothy Palmer), Barbara Barondess and Jack La Rue.
- ConnectionsVersion of The Pay-Off (1930)
Featured review
Spend an Enjoyable Hour with the "Law of the Underworld"
"Law of the Underworld" is an interesting variation on the crime films so popular in the 1930s. The story isn't a bad one, although some of the far-fetched plot twists are curious, including some of the naive moves on the part of the young couple; but we must remember the girl (Anne Shirley) is only 18 and the boy (Richard Bond) presumably is only a tad older. Chester Morris carries the show, of course, with his usual strong and haughty persona, all the while also showing his sensitive side. The cast played their roles well. I really enjoyed the discussions and negotiations on the fate of the gang's leadership, which included Lee Patrick in a role that she probably enjoyed tackling. Eduardo Cianelli's Rocky was perfectly and darkly menacing. Effective black and white cinematography and the expansive nightclub sets enhanced the acting skills on display. Also appreciated were the many long takes. And finally, noteworthy too was the use of full-head and face screen shots late in the film, something not often seen in the 1930s. This movie admittedly is by no means great, but it can be entertaining and I would expect happily viewed by followers of old-school crime films.
- glennstenb
- Sep 10, 2019
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime1 hour 1 minute
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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