Curfew Breakers
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Alexander J. Wells
Paul Kelly
Alex Wells
Cathy Downs
Regis Toomey
Sheila Urban
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After undercover detective Edwin Carter is murdered while investigating a ring selling narcotics to juveniles, Los Angeles police lieutenant Lacey and his assistant Anderson assign male and female undercover officers, Reagan and Ames, to replace him. When Lacey questions Coach Bettger, who works at a local high school, the coach tells him that a hypodermic syringe was found in the possession of Ray Bowman, one of his students. Although Bowman claimed that the needle was required for his diabetic condition, there is no mention of diabetes in his medical file. Bowman is now missing so Lacey and Bettger go to his home and learn from his guardian aunt, who has just returned from out of town, that she has not seen Bowman in over a week. Meanwhile seventeen-year-old student Julie Barnes hitches a ride with school football player Dick Williams, then meets her older, drug-dealing boyfriend, James Milton. When Lacey checks in with Ames, who is working undercover as a car-hop at a drive-in restaurant, he learns that she and Reagan are holding a party for some of the teenagers and that Reagan is beginning to infiltrate the gang. Julie phones Dick at the gas station where he works and persuades him to take her to the party, in the hope that drugs may be available there. While Bettger addresses a meeting of the school's PTA officials, a number of the students are at a rock 'n' roll dance at which Bowman, desperate for a fix, approaches Milton. Later, Bowman is found dead and the coroner determines that he died of strychnine poisoning. Unknown to the police, Milton poisoned Bowman because he knew the police were searching for him and could cause problems for the dealers. At the party, although Dick has refused to take any drugs, Lacey arrests him and Julie as they leave. Another addict is arrested and after going through the agonizing detoxification process, eventually agrees to help Anderson and Lacey in setting up a buy with his dealer, Milton. Later, two other addicts rob a gas station and shoot the owner. Notified about the robbery, the police pursue the addicts' car, and in the ensuing chase, it crashes and burns, killing one of the boys. The other escapes through a train yard to an abandoned warehouse, but is pursued by Lacey and Anderson and falls to his death. The gun used by the boys is recovered and proves to be the weapon that killed Carter. Lacey believes that Milton was involved in Carter's murder but lacks sufficient evidence until Bettger tells him that Dick and a suddenly reformed Julie have formed a school committee to fight narcotic use and want to talk with him. When Lacey shows Julie the distinctive gun used in the holdup, she remembers seeing it in Milton's possession and his telling her that he had previously borrowed it from the boy who died in the crash. With the weapon identified and Julie as a witness, Lacey successfully prosecutes Milton for Carter's murder.
Director
Alexander J. Wells
Cast
Paul Kelly
Alex Wells
Cathy Downs
Regis Toomey
Sheila Urban
Marilyn Madison
Michael Henry
Cullen Wheelas
Larry Getz
Byron Foulger
Henry Younge Jr.
Roy Irwin
Jack Edwards
Crew
Gordon Avil
Paul Dunlap
Charles E. King
Harold Mckenzie
Wm. L. Nolte
Stuart O'brien
Carrol Sax
Tom Shaw
Paul Stanhope
Theron T. Triplett
Alexander J. Wells
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Based upon the onscreen titles of the print viewed, the film's original pre-release title appears to have been Narcotics Squad. An additional onscreen title, Curfew Breakers, under which the film was reviewed by The Exhibitor, was probably added later. The film also played in Los Angeles in 1957 as Hooked!. Actor Byron Foulger's surname is misspelled "Folger" in the onscreen credits. The character listed as "Julie Bishop" in the cast credits is called "Julie Barnes" in the film.
