Missing Witness
Cast & Crew
William Clemens
John Litel
Dick Purcell
Jean Dale
Sheila Bromley
Ben Weldon
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When cafe owner Hartman refuses to pay graft to Little Joe Macey's gang of racketeers, his business is destroyed and he is beaten up. Bull Regan, a policeman, is passing by the cafe as the gangsters are leaving and arrests them. In court, however, Hartman succumbs to threats and refuses to identify the criminals. The case against Macey's gang is dismissed, and Hartman is sent to jail for perjury. In response, Inspector Robert L. Lane is appointed special prosecutor. He calls for the city's businessmen to testify against the racketeers, but most are too afraid for themselves and their families to do so. When Regan is assigned to Lane's office, Lane cautions him against bullying the witnesses, adding that a policeman's job is to protect the public. Lane advises him to find witnesses, gain their confidence and then persuade them to tell their stories in court. Regan is sure that his tactics are the right ones, however. He questions Frank Wagner, the owner of a neighboring cafe, and his aggressive attitude convinces Wagner that Regan is part of Macey's gang. Wagner runs to Lane's office, where Lane persuades him to testify. Although Wagner identifies the members of the gang from photos in Lane's office, on the stand, he backs down because of threats Macey made to his wife Gladys. This time, however, Lane is prepared and receives permission to show a film, taken secretly, of Wagner identifying the photos, thereby gaining a conviction. The man behind the gangsters is still at large, so without Lane's permission, Regan visits Macey in prison and offers him a deal if he reveals the name of his boss. Their conversation is overheard and Macey is killed. Lane is furious but decides to give Regan one more chance. They get a break when Mary Norton comes forward with her belief that her boss, Ward Sturgis, is the man behind the gangs. When they investigate her story of a gun battle on Sturgis' yacht, however, they find no signs of a struggle and the books that Mary claims reveal Sturgis' participation in the rackets, have been replaced with fakes. Then a body is found in the bay, and although his features are unrecognizable, the corpse is identified as Sturgis. Mary is then accused of his murder, and Lane sends Regan to arrest her. Regan finds her hiding in a closet, but decides not to arrest her. When he returns to the room to hear her story, she is gone. Later, her purse and some of her clothes are found on a ferry, indicating that she may have killed herself. Regan does not believe that Mary is dead and announces her arrest, hoping to lure her out of hiding. His ruse works and Mary is captured. She tells Regan that Sturgis is not dead, the body was really that of Jennings, her co-worker. As they are leaving the station, they see Sturgis and follow him. Reagan finds him at a hotel, packing to leave. He claims to be a respectable citizen with a different name, but after Regan brings him into the office, Lane tricks him into confessing and the way is cleared for a romance between Regan and Mary.
Director
William Clemens
Cast
John Litel
Dick Purcell
Jean Dale
Sheila Bromley
Ben Weldon
William Haade
Raymond Hatton
Harland Tucker
Jack Mower
John Harron
Michael Mark
Earl Gunn
Louis Natheaux
Veda Ann Borg
Marcia Ralston
Eddie Acuff
Mary Treen
Jack Wise
Paul Panzer
Sandra Ramoy
Fern Barry
Edward Keane
Dick Allen
Walter Young
Ed Stanley
John Hiestand
John Hamilton
Harry Semels
Nina Campana
Frank Orth
John Butler
Wilfred Lucas
Hooper Atchley
Lane Chandler
Bruce Mitchell
Jack Richardson
George Lloyd
Allen Mathews
Leonard Lord
Harry Fox
Hal Neiman
Elliott Sullivan
Sherry Hall
Jack Cheatham
Lee Prather
Pat West
Helen Valkis
Georgie Cooper
Jimmy Fox
Virginia Combe
Moyer Bupp
Frank Marlowe
Lew Harvey
George C. Clark Jr.
George Ovey
Lester Dorr
Joe Cunningham
Milton Kibbee
Willard Parker
Myrtle Stedman
William Worthington
Al Herman
Betty Farrington
Bessie Wade
Mabel Todd
Crew
Lew Baum
Frank Beckwith
Bryan Foy
Kenneth Gamet
Leslie G. Hewitt
Sid Hickox
Miss Mackenzie
Frederick Richards
Bob Ross
Don Ryan
Ted Smith
Jack L. Warner
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Some contemporary sources give the title as Missing Witnesses. Contemporary sources report that the film was inspired by Thomas Dewey's investigations of the rackets in New York City.
