Acting
Bogart's sneering villainy proves he was always magnetic.
Direction
Lloyd Bacon crams social commentary into exploitation runtime.
Director
Lloyd Bacon
Humphrey Bogart
John "Czar" Martin
George Brent
Denny Jordan
Gloria Dickson
Nora Jordan
Allen Jenkins
Skeets Wilson
Walter Abel
Hugh Allison
Henry O'Neill
Governor
Penny Singleton
Gladys Christie
Anthony Averill
Dave Crane
Oscar O'Shea
Pop Wilson
Elliott Sullivan
Charlie Smith
Fay Helm
Mrs. Charlie Smith
Joe Downing
Joe Pender
Norman Willis
Gus Hawkins
Don Rowan
Cliff Kimball
Irving Bacon
Counter Man (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released same year as Angels with Dirty Faces, part of Warner's 'social problem' crime wave. Bogart made six films in 1938—this was his villain era before The Maltese Falcon rewired his career.
The 'protection racket' plot mirrored real Teamsters corruption and congressional investigations into labor racketeering that dominated 1930s headlines.
US
