Unpretentious, lively little C movie which clocks in at barely over an hour, was shot in six days for $20,000 but proved profitable and launched the King Brothers as producers. It shoves an awful lot of plot in its tiny running time - within the first 15 minutes the female lead has seen her former gangster father gunned down, grown up in an orphanage, gotten fired, and taken the rap for her useless boyfriend having killed someone while drunk driving. She becomes an arch criminal after getting out of prison but still has a heart of gold - as shown by her wanting to donate money for a park, and ultimately take down some gangsters.
In case there wasn't enough plot, there's two boys who grew up in the orphanage with the girl, one who is a decent engineer, the other who is a gangster - plus Alan Ladd as an undercover agent being a gangster being in love with the girl's best friend, who has time to sing two songs.
The acting is very strong - Joan Woodbury is solid in the lead, Jack La Rue impresses as the gangster (I wish he'd had more screen time), Alan Ladd is a little stiff but has charisma in the sort of role that would become his bread and butter (he's got the looks and the voice already). (When Eagle Lion re-released it as Gangs Inc - they gave Ladd top billing.)
It's no classic and they really shoved in a lot of plot. Also some key emotional moments are missed - I feel they lack a La Rue-Woodbury love story and the ending is very abrupt. But it certainly moves and to not have affection for films like this feels just plain mean.
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