Wanted by the Police
Cast & Crew
Howard Bretherton
Frankie Darro
Lillian Elliott
Robert Kent
Evalyn Knapp
Matty Fain
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Although it has been two months since he graduated from high school, young Danny Murphy still has not found a job. Soon after learning that his sister Kathleen is staying at home to help support their mother instead of marrying her boyfriend, policeman Mike, Danny lands a high-paying job at the Williams Garage. The family is happy about Danny's new position, but Danny soon discovers that Williams is a crook. When Danny and Williams drive a car across the state line, they are hijacked by gangster Russo, who reveals to Danny that Williams' racket involves taking stolen cars past the state line, then exchanging them for other cars. Danny escapes from Russo and wants nothing to do with a "hot" car racket, but Williams warns him that he has to continue or else be sent to prison for driving stolen cars. Danny reluctantly goes back to work for Williams and lies to his mother about how he earns the large sums of money he brings home. One day, Danny is forced to drive Williams and his henchmen to Russo's garage, where they set off a bomb. Russo and his men escape, then drive after Danny and Williams. Danny successfully eludes Russo, but during a subsequent high-speed chase on dangerous roads, Russo's car goes over a cliff and the gang is killed. After this, Danny refuses to work for Williams and finally tells his mother what has happened. She then tells Mike, who devises a plan whereby Danny will pretend to continue with the gang but actually be working for the police. When Danny hears Williams planning another robbery, he secretly phones Mike, but is overhead by Williams, who has his men take Danny for a ride. During the ride, Danny manages to speed up the car and frightens the other occupants into revealing their new plans for the robbery. Danny then escapes and is able to inform Mike of the new details. In a final gun battle with the police, the gangsters are all killed or captured and Danny becomes a hero.
Director
Howard Bretherton
Cast
Frankie Darro
Lillian Elliott
Robert Kent
Evalyn Knapp
Matty Fain
Don Rowan
Sam Bernard
Maurice Hugo
Thelma White
Willy Costello
Walter Merrill
Ralph Peters
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Copyright records credit only Donn Mullaly and Sally Sandlin with the story, however, other sources list only Mullaly and Renaud Hoffman. A pre-release news item in Hollywood Reporter referred to the film as Wanted-By Police, and one review listed it as Wanted by Police, however, these May have been errors rather than alternate titles of the film. Acccording to news items in Hollywood Reporter, this was Frankie Darro's first picture for Monogram, and it was originally set to begin production on July 1, 1938. In its review of the film, Film Daily mistakenly identified it as a Republic picture, however, the error was later corrected for the film's entry in the 1939 Film Daily Year Book.
