''Crime Does Not Pay'' was an

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

anthology

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

series of

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the human pelvis, pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" b ...

that ran from 1935-1947. Each episode was around 20 minutes in length and composer-conductor

John Gart John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

provided the music. It later spawned a

radio series A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...

of the same name. The radio show was recorded and broadcast at MGM's New York station, WMGM. Written by Ira Marion and directed by Marx B. Loeb, it aired for two years (October 10, 1949-October 10, 1951), including repeats. It moved to the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...

for its final run (January 7-December 22, 1952). For the most part,

B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

actors were featured but occasionally one of MGM's major stars would make an appearance. These included

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

Everett Sloane Everett H. Sloane (October 1, 1909 – August 6, 1965) was an American character actor who worked in radio, theatre, films, and television. Early life Sloane was born in Manhattan on October 1, 1909, to Nathaniel I. Sloane and Rose (Gers ...

Ed Begley Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...

, John Loder and

Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television. He is best remembered for his role as majordomo Max on the 1980s mystery television series ''Hart to Hart''. Early ...

. After the play, the actors usually returned to speak with the audience as themselves.

Film series episodes

* ''

Buried Loot ''Buried Loot'' is a 1935 American crime film, the first installment of 50 Short film, shorts in the ''Crime Does Not Pay'' series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and released to theaters between 1935 and 1947.Kehr, David (2012)"Justice Served, J ...

'', with Robert Taylor * ''Alibi Racket'' * ''Desert Death'' * ''A Thrill for Thelma'' * ''Hit-and-Run Driver'' * ''The Perfect Set-Up'', with William Henry,

Helene Chadwick Helene Chadwick (November 25, 1897 – September 4, 1940) was an American actress in silent and in early sound films. Early life and career Chadwick was born in the small town of Chadwicks, New York, which was named for her great-grandfathe ...

Frank Shannon Francis Connolly Shannon (27 July 1874 – 1 February 1959) was an Irish people, Irish actor and writer. Career A Stage (theatre), stage actor and silent film pioneer, Shannon made his screen debut in 1913's ''The Artist's Joke''. He la ...

, and Robert Dudley * ''Foolproof'' * ''

The Public Pays ''The Public Pays'' is a 1936 short crime film directed by Errol Taggart. In 1937, it won an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel). The film shows a dramatization of actual court records which tell the story ...

'' (Oscar winner) * ''

Torture Money ''Torture Money'' is a 1937 American short crime film directed by Harold S. Bucquet. In 1938, it won an Oscar for Best Short Subject, Two-reel at the 10th Academy Awards The 10th Academy Awards were held on March 10, 1938 to honor films rel ...

'', with Edwin Maxwell and George Lynn (Oscar winner) * ''It May Happen to You'', with

J. Carrol Naish Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American actor. He appeared in over 200 credits during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Naish received two Oscar nominations for his supporting roles in the films '' Sahara ...

* ''Soak the Poor'' * ''Give Till it Hurts'', with Janet Beecher, Clay Clement, and Howard Hickman * ''Behind the Criminal'', with Edward Emerson, Walter Kingsford,

Anna Q. Nilsson Anna Quirentia Nilsson (March 30, 1888 – February 11, 1974) was a Swedish-American actress who achieved success in American silent movies. Early life Nilsson was born in Ystad, Sweden in 1888. Her middle name Quirentia is derived from her ...

, and Joe Sawyer * ''What Price Safety!'', with Lionel Royce, George Huston, and John Wray * ''Miracle Money'', with John Miljan, Boyd Crawford, Robert Middlemass, and Fred Warren * ''Come Across'', with Bernard Nedell, Bernadene Hayes, Rita La Roy, and Donald Douglas * ''A Criminal Is Born'' * '' They're Always Caught'', with Stanley Ridges, John Eldredge, Louis Jean Heydt, and Charles Waldron (Oscar nominee) * ''Think it Over'', with Lester Matthews, Charles D. Brown, Donald Barry and

Dwight Frye Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as R ...

* ''The Wrong Way Out'', with Kenneth Howell and Linda Terry * ''Money to Loan'', with

Alan Dinehart Mason Alan Dinehart Sr. (born Harold Alan Dinehart; October 3, 1889 – July 18, 1944) was an American actor, director, writer, and stage manager. Biography Dinehart initially studied to be a priest, but he turned to the theater instead. ...

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He return ...

, John Butler,

Addison Richards Addison Whittaker Richards, Jr. (October 20, 1902 – March 22, 1964) was an American actor of film and television. Richards appeared in more than three hundred films between 1933 and his death. Biography A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Richa ...

, and Tom Collins * ''While America Sleeps'', with Richard Purcell, Lenita Lane, Egon Brecher, and Fred Vogeding * ''Help Wanted'', with

Tom Neal Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. (January 28, 1914 – August 7, 1972) was an American actor and successful amateur boxer best known for his costarring role in the critically lauded film ''Detour'', for having a widely publicized affair with actress Ba ...

, Jo Ann Sayers, Clem Bevans, Edward Pawley, and Truman Bradley * ''Think First'' * ''

Drunk Driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is invo ...

'', with Richard Purcell, Jo Ann Sayers, and Richard Lane (Oscar nominee) * ''Pound Foolish'', with Neil Hamilton, Lynne Carver, Gertrude Michael, and

Victor Varconi Victor Varconi (born Mihály Várkonyi; March 31, 1891 – June 6, 1976) was a Hungarian actor who initially found success in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, in silent films, before relocating to the United States, where ...

* ''Know Your Money'', with Noel Madison, Dennis Moore, Charles D. Brown, William Edmunds, John Wray, and

Adrian Morris Adrian Grant Morris (18 May 1929 – 6 December 2004) was an England, English painter. Early life Morris was born in London, England. He spent his childhood in rural Somerset before the family moved to the United States, where he attended the ...

* ''Jack Pot'', with

, Ann Morriss, Edwin Maxwell, and

Jean Rouverol Jean Rouverol (July 8, 1916 – March 24, 2017) was an American author, actress and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s. Life and career Rouverol was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of pla ...

* ''Women in Hiding'', with Marsha Hunt, Jane Drummond, Mary Bovard,

C. Henry Gordon C. Henry Gordon (born Henry Racke; June 17, 1883 – December 3, 1940) was an American stage and film actor. Gordon was born in New York City, New York. He was educated both in New York and abroad in Switzerland and Germany. For some years ...

, and

Granville Bates Granville Bates (January 7, 1882 – July 8, 1940) was an American character actor and bit player, appearing in over ninety films. Biography Bates was born in Chicago in 1882 to Granville Bates, Sr., a developer and builder, and Adaline Bates ...

* ''Buyer Beware'' * ''Soak the Old'', with

Ralph Morgan Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann (July 6, 1883 – June 11, 1956), known professionally as Ralph Morgan, was a Hollywood stage and film character actor, and the older brother of Frank Morgan. Early life Morgan was born in New York City, the eig ...

and

George Cleveland George Alan Cleveland (September 17, 1885 – July 15, 1957) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1930 and 1954. Career Cleveland was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. His first appearance on the stag ...

* ''You, the People'', with C. Henry Gordon, Byron Shores, Paul Everton, and Matt McHugh * ''Respect the Law'', with

Moroni Olsen Moroni Olsen (June 27, 1889November 22, 1954) was an American actor. Life and career Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah to Latter-day Saint parents Edward Arenholt Olsen and Martha ( Hoverholst) Olsen, who named him after the Moroni found in the ...

, Richard Lane,

Frank Orth Frank Orth (February 21, 1880 – March 17, 1962) was an American actor born in Philadelphia. He is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Inspector Faraday in the 1951-1953 television series '' Boston Blackie''. Career By 1897, Ort ...

, and William Forrest * ''

Forbidden Passage ''Forbidden Passage'' is a 1941 American short crime film directed by Fred Zinnemann. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 14th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel). Summary This short film is part of the '' Crime Does No ...

'', with Addison Richards, Wolfgang Zilzer,

Hugh Beaumont Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1909 – May 14, 1982) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series '' Leave It to Beaver'', originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963; and as private detec ...

, and George Lessey (Oscar nominee) * ''Coffins on Wheels'', with

Darryl Hickman Darryl Gerard Hickman (born July 28, 1931) is an American former actor, screenwriter, television executive, and acting coach. He started his career as a child actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood and appeared in numerous TV serials as an adult. ...

, Tom Baker, Allen Lane, and

Cy Kendall Cyrus Willard Kendall (March 10, 1898 – July 22, 1953) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1935 and 1950. Kendall's heavy-set, square-jawed appearance and deep voice were perfect for wiseguy roles such ...

* ''Sucker List'', with Lynne Carver, Noel Madison, John Archer, and George Cleveland * '' Don't Talk'', with Donald Douglas, Gloria Holden,

Barry Nelson Barry Nelson (born Robert Haakon Nielsen; April 16, 1917 – April 7, 2007) was an American actor, noted as the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond. Early life Nelson was born in San Francisco, the son of Norwegian immi ...

, and Harry Worth (Oscar nominee) * ''For the Common Defense!'', with

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. Ba ...

, Douglas Fowley, Horace McNally, and

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II. Johnson was described as the embodiment o ...

* ''Keep 'em Sailing'' * ''Plan for Destruction'' * ''Patrolling the Ether'' * ''Easy Life'' with Steven Geray, Bernard Thomas, and William "Bill Phillips * ''Dark Shadows'' with Henry O'Neill, Morris Ankrum, Arthur Space and Paul Guilfoyle * ''Fall Guy'' * ''The Last Installment'' with Walter Sande, Cameron Mitchell, William "Bill" Phillips, Bob Lewis and Addison Richards * ''Phantoms, Inc.'' with

Arthur Shields Arthur Shields (15 February 1896 – 27 April 1970) was an Irish actor on television, stage and film. Early years Born into an Irish Protestant family in Portobello, Dublin, Shields started acting in the Abbey Theatre when he was 17 years old. ...

Harry Hayden Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

and

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reicher; December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Early life Reicher was born in Mu ...

* ''A Gun in His Hand'' with Tom Trout, Richard Gaines and Anthony Caruso (Oscar nominee) * ''Purity Squad'' with

Byron Foulger Byron Kay Foulger (August 27, 1898 – April 4, 1970) was an American character actor who over a 50-year career performed in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions. Early years Born in Ogden, Utah, Byron was the second of four ...

Dick Elliott Richard Damon Elliott (April 30, 1886 – December 22, 1961) was an American character actor who played in over 240 films from the 1930s until the time of his death. Early years Elliott was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Career Elliott p ...

Morris Ankrum Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum; August 28, 1897 – September 2, 1964) was an American radio, television, and film character actor. Early life Born in Danville, Illinois, Danville in Vermilion County, Illinois, Vermilion County in eastern ...

, and Frank Fenton * ''The Luckiest Guy in the World'' with Barry Nelson,

Eloise Hardt Florence Eloise Hardt (September 17, 1917 – June 25, 2017) was an American film and television actress. Life and career Hardt was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, the daughter of a Cherokee mother and German father. When she was 13, her family s ...

, George Travell, Milton Kibbee and Harry Cheshire (Oscar nominee)

Home video

The

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...

has released the entire series of 50 shorts on DVD-R as ''Crime Does Not Pay: The Complete Shorts Collection''. Some episodes can also be found as extras on DVDs and Blu-rays of classic MGM films of the period: * ''The Public Pays'' is on ''

Wife vs. Secretary ''Wife vs. Secretary'' (or ''Wife versus Secretary'') is a 1936 comedy drama directed and co-produced by Clarence Brown and starring Clark Gable as a successful businessman, Jean Harlow as his secretary, and Myrna Loy as his wife, supported by Ja ...

'' (1936) * ''Drunk Driving'' is on ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story o ...

'' (1939) * ''Jack Pot'' is on ''

I Love You Again ''I Love You Again'' is an MGM comedy released in 1940. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy, all three of whom were prominently involved in the '' Thin Man'' film series. Plot In 1940, while on a cruise, sto ...

'' (1940) * ''Don't Talk'' is on ''

Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including ''Lost Horizon'' and ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' list ...

'' (1941) * ''For the Common Defense!'' is on '' Mrs Miniver'' (1942) * ''Purity Squad'' is on '' Without Love'' (1945) * ''The Luckiest Guy in the World'' is on ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...

'' (1945) * ''Women in Hiding'', ''You, the People'', ''Forbidden Passage'', ''A Gun in His Hand'' and ''The Luckiest Guy in the World'' are on the documentary ''Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light'' (2006). This was originally a bonus DVD in the "Film Noir Classic Collection: Vol. 3" box set.

References

{{reflist

External links

''Crime Does Not Pay''
film series on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''Crime Does Not Pay''
radio show at Zoot Radio
''Crime Does Not Pay''
radio show at the

Internet archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

''Crime Does Not Pay''
(1949-1951) at Vintage Radio Logs 1940s American radio programs 1950s American radio programs American radio dramas Mutual Broadcasting System programs Anthology radio series