Crime of the Century
Cast & Crew
Philip Ford
Stephanie Bachelor
Michael Browne
Martin Kosleck
Betty Shaw
Paul Stanton
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On the day that he is released from prison after serving time for a minor offense, Hank Rogers returns to his home town, where he is greeted enthusiastically by his brother Jim, who is a reporter. Jim tells Hank that he is pursuing a story lead, but will soon meet him at their favorite bar. While at the bar waiting for Jim, Hank becomes intrigued by a beautiful woman, Audrey Brandon, and is given an envelope for Jim by Eddie, one of Jim's informants. When he tires of waiting, Hank goes to Jim's apartment, where he finds Audrey. She claims that she is a friend of Jim's and fixes Hank a drink, which turns out to be drugged and knocks him out. When he awakens the next day, he discovers that Jim's papers have been stolen and that Jim has not come home. Jim's editor, Ed Harris, advises Hank to question Richard Waldham, an important industrialist whose illness was being investigated by Jim. When Hank arrives at the Waldham mansion, he meets Waldham's unstable daughter Margaret, who reveals that Jim was there recently, and that she is being prevented from seeing her father by her aunt Agatha; Waldham's vice-president, Andrew Madison; his physician, Dr. Jackson; and Audrey, who is Waldham's secretary. Hank is confused by Audrey's behavior, as she tells him that Jim is in Emporia working on another story. After Hank leaves, Madison, who is Audrey's paramour, orders his gunman, Paul, to go to Emporia and impersonate Jim in case Hank pursues him. Later, Hank tries to romance Audrey, but she insists that she is only interested in rich men. Hank then questions Eddie, who swears that the envelope he gave Hank earlier contained bills for ice delivered to the Waldham mansion. Eddie is about to reveal more details when he is frightened off by a knife-wielding assailant. Determined to find his brother, Hank goes to Emporia, where someone has checked into a hotel under Jim's name. Harris and the police refuse to investigate Hank's suspicions about his brother's absence, as Harris has just received a story with Jim's byline on it. Meanwhile, Margaret overhears Madison talking to the squabbling Audrey and Agatha and learns that they and Jackson have been keeping Jim prisoner. Their plan is to engineer the re-election of Waldham as president of Amalgamated Industries, then declare Madison president after Waldham's death is announced. Desperate to find the truth, Margaret goes to Hank, but they must escape from the homicidal Paul before they can return to the Waldham mansion. There, they learn that Waldham died from his illness several days earlier, and Madison and Agatha have been keeping his body on ice to keep his death a secret until after the stockholders' vote. Hank finds Jim, who is alive although weak from Jackson's attempts to drug him. Audrey then confesses her part in the plan to Hank, and claims that she does care for him. Madison arrives before the police, who have been called by Hank, and is shot in self-defense by Audrey before he can kill Hank. Audrey is in turn shot by the dying Madison. The police arrest Agatha and Jackson, and soon after, Jim jokingly tells Hank that he will meet him at their favorite bar in fifteen minutes.
Director
Philip Ford
Cast
Stephanie Bachelor
Michael Browne
Martin Kosleck
Betty Shaw
Paul Stanton
Mary Currier
Tom London
Ray Walker
Don Costello
Earle Hodgins
Garry Owen
Charles Cane
Charles Wilson
Frances Morris
Frederick Howard
David Fresco
Donald Kerr
David Sharpe
Emmett Vogan
Bill Duray
Crew
Ed Borschell
Thomas A. Carman
Richard Cherwin
Gano Chittenden
Walter H. Goetz
William Hagens
William Hagens
Reggie Lanning
Howard C. Lydecker
Theodore J. Lydecker
Bob Mark
John Mccarthy Jr.
William J. O'sullivan
Adele Palmer
Lewis Physioc
James Redd
O'leta Rhinehart
O'leta Rhinehart
Gordon Schaefer
John Stransky Jr.
Wm. P. Thompson
Robert Tobey
Howard Wilson
Allen Wood
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Shadows of Sing Sing.
