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Boris Karloff robs banks and Richard Dix judges them—pre-Code chaos with no heroes.
TMDB
64

The Public Defender (1931)

vigilante pulpmoral gray zonepre-Code danger

Overview

DramaMysteryCrime

A mysterious phantom who calls himself The Reckoner vows to expose the crooked bankers who embezzled their company's funds.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
murderescapevigilantereporterrobberypre-codeembezzlementplayboyswindler

Standout Aspects

Acting

Karloff's menacing stillness before his monster fame.

Direction

Ruben keeps 69 minutes lean and morally queasy.

Best for:Solo: Late-night discovery of forgotten pre-Code weirdness.·Rewatch: Spot how they snuck this past 1931 censors.
J

Director

J. Walter Ruben

ReleasedAug 1, 1931
Runtime1h 9m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensitymedium
Tonedark
Feelmedium
RKO Radio Pictures

Top Cast

Richard Dix

Richard Dix

Pike Winslow

Shirley Grey

Shirley Grey

Barbara Gerry

Purnell Pratt

Purnell Pratt

John Kirk

Ruth Weston

Ruth Weston

Rose Harmer

Boris Karloff

Boris Karloff

The Professor

Edmund Breese

Edmund Breese

Frank Wells

Frank Sheridan

Frank Sheridan

Charles Harmer

Alan Roscoe

Alan Roscoe

Malcolm O'Neill

Nella Walker

Nella Walker

Aunt Matilda

Paul Hurst

Paul Hurst

Doc

Carl Gerard

Carl Gerard

Cyrus Pringle

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Detective Brady

Phillips Smalley

Phillips Smalley

Thomas Drake

Symona Boniface

Symona Boniface

Auction Attendee

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Karloff made five films in 1931; this hit theaters months before Frankenstein made him immortal.

Cultural

The 'pre-Code' label matters here—post-1934 Hays Code would never let a criminal protagonist walk free.

Gallery

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