''Crime, Inc.'' is a 1945 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Lew Landers Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director. Biography Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...

starring

Leo Carrillo Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961) was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist. He was notable for playing Pancho in the television series ''The Cisco Kid'' (1950–1956 ...

Tom Neal Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. (January 28, 1914 – August 7, 1972) was an American actor and Amateur boxing, amateur boxer. Between 1932 and 1934, he was an amateur boxer who fought in many fights. As an actor, he was best known for his co-starring ...

and

Martha Tilton Martha Tilton (November 14, 1915 – December 8, 2006) was an American popular singer during America's swing era and traditional pop period. She is best known for her 1939 recording of " And the Angels Sing" with Benny Goodman. Tilton was born ...

Plot summary

The film centers on Jim Riley, a fearless and principled newspaper journalist who is determined to expose the operations of a powerful and dangerous crime syndicate known as "Crime, Inc." Riley's investigation begins with a series of anonymous tips and leads him into the shadowy underbelly of organized crime, where he uncovers a network of illegal activities, including

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercion, coercive, fraud, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. ...

bribery Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or Offer and acceptance, acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official ...

, and

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

. His relentless pursuit of the truth earns him both admiration and enemies, as he refuses to back down despite the risks. Riley's refusal to reveal his sources to the authorities places him in a precarious position. He faces mounting pressure from law enforcement, who demand that he cooperate, and from the crime syndicate, who will stop at nothing to silence him. Threatened with imprisonment for protecting his sources, Riley remains steadfast in his commitment to journalistic integrity, even as the stakes grow higher. Amid the turmoil, Riley's personal life becomes entangled with his professional mission. He meets and falls in love with Betty Van Cleve, a nightclub singer with a mysterious past. Unbeknownst to Riley at first, Betty is the sister of Mike Egan, one of the syndicate's most ruthless members. This revelation complicates Riley's investigation, as he struggles to reconcile his feelings for Betty with his determination to bring her brother and his associates to justice. As Riley delves deeper into the syndicate's operations, he uncovers shocking secrets that implicate powerful figures in society, including corrupt officials and law enforcement officers. His investigation puts him in constant danger, with attempts on his life becoming increasingly frequent. Despite the threats, Riley presses on, determined to expose the truth and dismantle the criminal empire. The tension reaches a boiling point as Riley gathers enough evidence to confront the syndicate's leaders. In a climactic showdown, Riley must outwit the criminals while protecting Betty and ensuring that justice prevails.

Cast

as Anthony Charles "Tony" Marlow *

as Jim Riley *

as Betty Van Cleve, Betty Egan *

Lionel Atwill Lionel Alfred William Atwill (1 March 1885 – 22 April 1946) was an English and American stage and screen actor. He began his acting career at the Garrick Theatre. After coming to the United States, he appeared in Broadway plays and Hollywood ...

as Pat Coyle * Grant Mitchell as Wayne Clark *

Sheldon Leonard Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Early life Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of middle-class ...

as Capt. Ferrone * Harry Shannon as Police Commissioner Collins * Danny Morton as Bugs Kelley a.k.a. Mike Egan * Virginia Vale as Trixie Waters *

Don Beddoe Donald Theophilus Beddoe (July 1, 1903 – January 19, 1991) was an American character actor. Early years Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beddoe was the son of Dan Beddoe, a Welsh classical singer, and his wife Mary. He graduated from the ...

as Deputy District Attorney Dixon *

George Meeker George Meeker (March 5, 1904 – August 19, 1984 ) was an American Character actor, character film and Broadway theatre, Broadway actor. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Meeker made several films such as ''Crime, Inc.'' (1 ...

as Barry North * Rod Rogers as Henchman Val Lucas

Soundtrack

*Martha Tilton - "I'm Guilty" (Written by

Jay Livingston Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison; March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer best known as half of a composing-songwriting duo with Ray Evans, with whom he specialized in composing film scores and original soundtrack ...

and

Ray Evans Raymond Bernard Evans (February 4, 1915 – February 15, 2007) was an American songwriter best known for being a half of a composing-songwriting duo with Jay Livingston, specializing himself in writing lyrics for film songs. On music Livingston ...

) *Martha Tilton - "Lonely Little Camera Girl" (Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans) *Martha Tilton - "What a Fool I Was" (Written by

Marla Shelton Marla Shelton (October 12, 1912 – February 14, 2001) was an American actress. She appeared in the films '' The Phantom Rider'', ''Flying Hostess'', '' Under Cover of Night'', ''Dangerous Number'', ''When's Your Birthday?'', ''Personal Property' ...

and

Nacio Porter Brown Ignacio Herbert "Nacio Herb" Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American composer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the sc ...

as Nacio Porter Brown Jr.) *"That's It" (Written by Marla Shelton and Nacio Porter Brown as Nacio Porter Brown Jr.)

External links

* * 1945 films American crime drama films 1945 crime drama films 1940s English-language films American black-and-white films Films directed by Lew Landers Producers Releasing Corporation films American crime thriller films 1940s crime thriller films 1940s American films English-language crime drama films English-language crime thriller films {{crime-thriller-film-stub