The movie features a large ensemble cast: Lewis Stone, John Mack Brown, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Marjorie Rambeau and Ralph Bellamy.
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Made at MGM, the film was written by the popular scribe Frances Marion
Bootlegger Johnny Franks recruits a crude working man called Louis “Slaughterhouse” Scorpio as part of the gang of mob boss Richard “Newt” Newton.
In due time, Scorpio becomes the head of the organization himself.
He is prosecuted by a secret group of six masked crime fighters, aided by newspaper reporters Carl Luckner and Hank Rogers.
The film was Ralph Bellamy’s first screen role in what became a six-decade career. Despite being billed seventh in the cast, Clark Gable has considerable screen time and greater impact.
Beery and Gable made Hell Divers (1932) the following year, this time with Gable’s role and billing as large as Beery’s.
Beery, Harlow and Gable would work together again four years later in the seafaring adventure China Seas (1935), but with their billing reversed–all three names (Gable, Harlow and Beery) above the title.
The film earned $708,000 in the US and Canada and $286,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $148,000.
Cast
Wallace Beery as Louis ‘Slaughterhouse’ Scorpio
Lewis Stone as Richard ‘Newt’ Newton
John Mack Brown as Hank Rogers
Jean Harlow as Anne Courtland
Marjorie Rambeau as Peaches
Paul Hurst as Nick ‘The Gouger’ Mizoski
Clark Gable as Carl Luckner
Ralph Bellamy as Johnny Franks
John Miljan as Smiling Joe Colimo
DeWitt Jennings as Chief Donlin
Murray Kinnell as ‘Dummy’ Metz (alias of Fink)
Fletcher Norton as Jimmy Delano
Louis Natheaux as Eddie
Frank McGlynn Sr. as Judge
Theodore von Eltz as District Attorney Keeler
Credits:
Directed by George W. Hill
Written by Frances Marion
Produced by George W. Hill, Irving Thalberg
Cinematography Harold Wenstrom
Edited by Blanche Sewell
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date: April 18, 1931
Running time: 83 minutes
Budget $494,000
Box office $994,000
