Smashing the Money Ring

Smashing the Money Ring (1939)

*** (out of 4)

Third film in Warner's Brass Bancroft series once again features Ronald Reagan going up against counterfeiters. This time out he puts himself in prison to keep his eye on a suspect who might not only be passing fake money but also calling shots on people. This third film in the series manages to be the best that I've seen so far and it's fast pace makes for a very entertaining 57-minutes. If you're a fan of Warner prison movies then you'll want to check this out even though it's certainly not the best that the genre has to offer up. The movie has plenty of nice laughs, great fights and it never slows down to take a breathe. Fans of "B" movies will also find this one entertaining even though nothing too original happens. What I enjoyed most was that the movie never slowed down as it starts off dealing with counterfeits and then jumps into racketeers and then it turns into a semi-horror film with a couple murders in the prison done by a man in shadows. All of this adds up to a fun time if you have a hour to kill. Reagan is pretty good in his role, although he's not too believable as a tough guy. His Cagney impression is at times laughable but there is a certain charm to it. Margot Stevenson, Eddie Foy, Jr. and Joe Downing round out the fun supporting cast. George Reeves, the future Superman, can be seen in the courtroom scene if you look closely. The idea of running a counterfeiting ring inside a prison is laughable but that too just adds to the "B" charm of the film.