Devil's Mate
Cast & Crew
Phil Rosen
Peggy Shannon
Preston Foster
Ray Walker
Hobart Cavanaugh
Barbara Barondess
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Although he is silent during his march to the death chamber, convicted murderer Maloney, upon seeing the electric chair, announces to reporters and privileged onlookers that he will tell who put him up to the crime. As he is about to reveal the name of the secret underworld boss, who controls the liquor interests of the city, Maloney falls dead. Inspector O'Brien, the assistant district attorney, finds a small poisonous dart behind Maloney's ear and concludes that it could only have been shot by one of four men: McGee, a ward heeler and friend of the murdered man; Natural, a reporter for the Chronicle ; Parkhurst, a philanthropist, scholar and candidate for the prison board; or Clinton, a friend of Parkhurst. When a cigarette holder is found on McGee after he admits that he does not smoke, he is arrested and thought to have blown the dart through the holder. After Natural does not show up at the Chronicle office, reporter Nancy Weaver is sent to find him. She interviews Parkhurst, who takes her to a speakeasy, and she becomes convinced that McGee is not guilty. When she confronts O'Brien, they immediately are attracted to one another as they kid each other with sarcasm, and he gives her permission to carry on her own investigation. Nancy talks with Maloney's sweetheart Gwen, who reveals that the night before his arrest, he frantically tried to call a telephone number ending with "13-13," but she cannot remember the prefix. Although the clue leads to Parkhurst, he has an explanation for O'Brien. Thinking that she will be killed for giving Nancy the tip, Gwen asks Clinton for money to leave town. As they are about to leave for the bank, Gwen honks the horn and then falls over dead. O'Brien finds that she died from the same poison that killed Maloney and arrests Clinton for both murders. Nancy, however, continues to investigate Parkhurst. While she is visiting him, his henchman calls to warn that Nancy knows too much. O'Brien, however, has tapped Parkhurst's line, and he realizes from the conversation that Nancy is there and is in danger. She is kidnapped and about to be killed with another poison dart, when O'Brien rescues her and apprehends Parkhurst. Later, he and Nancy marry.
Director
Phil Rosen
Cast
Peggy Shannon
Preston Foster
Ray Walker
Hobart Cavanaugh
Barbara Barondess
Paul Porcasi
Harold Waldridge
Bryant Washburn
Harry Holman
George Hayes
James Durkin
Gordon Demaine
Paul Fix
George Mayo
Crew
Trem Carr
Leonard Fields
Doane Harrison
Ernest R. Hickson
Carl Pierson
David Silverstein
John A. Stransky Jr.
Jack Sullivan
Ben Verschleiser
Ben Verschleiser
Gilbert Warrenton
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to a Hollywood Reporter news item dated August 3, 1933, this film was retitled He Knew Too Much from Devil's Mate, its title during production. Hollywood Herald reviewed it under the new title, but because all other reviews and the copyright descriptions list the title as Devil's Mate, it seems likely that the original title was retained before release. According to a Hollywood Reporter news item, this was Ben Verschleiser's first production for Monogram. Modern sources list Sam Flint, Henry Otto and Henry Hull as additional cast members. The film was remade by Monogram in 1941 under the title I Killed That Man, which was also directed by Phil Rosen and starred Ricardo Cortez and Joan Woodbury.
