Movie spotlight
The Crime Patrol
Prizefighter Bob Neal (Ray Walker) is in debt to gangster Vic Santell (Hooper Atchley) for training expenses. Santell orders Bob to take a dive in the fourth round so Santell can recoup prior gambling losses. Taunted by his ring opponent, Bob wins the fight. Realizing that his profession and underworld characters connected to it are causing him problems, Bob decides to join the police force. After taking nurse Mary Prentiss (Geneva Mitchell) to a drive-in restaurant where the total bill is a depression-era cheap eighty-two cents, Bob and his fellow officers round-up a gang of fur thieves in a warehouse shoot-out.
Insights
Plot Summary
A police detective is framed for a crime he didn't commit and must go on the run to clear his name. He teams up with a former gangster and a nurse to expose a larger conspiracy involving corrupt officials and dangerous criminals.
Critical Reception
Upon its release, 'The Crime Patrol' received moderate attention as a B-movie offering. Critics noted its fast pace and pulpy crime elements, though some found the plot predictable and the acting somewhat uneven. It has since gained a cult following among fans of early crime dramas for its gritty portrayal of urban lawlessness and its efficient storytelling.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its energetic pacing and suspenseful crime narrative.
Criticized for occasional plot contrivances and less-than-stellar performances.
Appreciated by genre fans for its straightforward and unpretentious approach to crime fiction.
Google audience: Audience reception data for 'The Crime Patrol' (1936) is not readily available through standard Google user reviews.
Fun Fact
Although released in 1936, the film's themes of police corruption and criminal underworld dealings were somewhat prescient of later, more acclaimed noir films.
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