''Confessions of a Vice Baron'' is a 1943 American

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 ...

directed by

S. Roy Luby Solomon Roy Luby (8 August 1904, New York City - 19 August 1976 in Los Angeles) was an American animator, editor, and film director. He used the pseudonyms of Roy Claire, Roy S. Luby, J. Roy Luby, Roy Luby, Sol Luby, and Russell Roy. Biograph ...

, William A. O'Connor,

Melville Shyer Melville Jacob Shyer (September 28, 1895 – September 14, 1968)According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searc ...

, and Herman E. Webber. The film was created using edited footage for the flashback scenes from ''

Mad Youth ''Mad Youth'' is a 1940 American film directed by Melville Shyer. The film is also known as ''Girls of the Underworld'' (American reissue title). Plot summary Divorcée Marian Morgan (Compson) hires a male escort Count DeHoven (Willy Castello), ...

'' (1940), '' The Wages of Sin'' (1938), ''Smashing the Vice Trust'' (1937), ''Race Suicide'' (1937), and '' The Pace That Kills'' (1935). Willy Castello appeared in each of these films except for ''The Pace That Kills''. The film is also known as ''Skid Row'' (American reissue title).

Plot summary

Notorious mob boss James "Lucky" Lombardi looks back upon his life and career on the night of his execution. The flashbacks picks up when Lucky, born and raised on the Balkan Peninsula, tries to marry into money and goes to the U.S. to find himself a wealthy bride. He has no luck, despite his name, and instead makes an attempt to bluff his way forward, pretending to be count De Kloven, a rich aristocrat. As De Kloven, Lucky gets hired to escort the prominent socialite Mrs. Lola Morgan, but quits when she wants him to be her lover. Instead he tries a new disguise, as Rudolph Von Hertsen, and gets involved in another racket with a Dr. J.M. Randall, performing abortions and selling unwanted babies. When the racket is disclosed, Lucky moves on to the business of pimping young women into prostitution. He goes as far as to trick naive young women into laying their lives in his hands, selling them as sex-slaves, thus entering into the business of

white slavery White slavery (also white slave trade or white slave trafficking) refers to the slavery of Europeans, whether by non-Europeans (such as West Asians and North Africa, North Africans), or by other Europeans (for example naval galley slaves or th ...

. He soon becomes the head of such an organization. His right-arm man, Nick goes to lengths to get new merchandise for the business, and kidnaps Dorothy, a young, blonde schoolgirl. The election of a new ambitious district attorney causes Lucky problems, but he refuses to slow down. Lucky falls in love with a beautiful woman named Lois, but his affections are not returned, and she has to run for her life from his long lawless arms, with the help of one of Lucky's more goodhearted men, Harry. When Lucky discovers what Harry has done he has him killed, and is ultimately arrested and convicted of murder. The new district attorney manages to get him sentenced to death. We return from the flashbacks to present time, where Lucky has learned his lesson: that crime doesn't pay.

Cast

Willy Castello Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

as Lucky Lombardi aka Count de Hoven / Van Hersten / Kilonis *

Lloyd Ingraham Lloyd Chauncey Ingraham (November 30, 1874 – April 4, 1956) was an American film actor and director. Biography Born in Rochelle, Illinois, Ingraham appeared in more than 280 films between 1912 and 1950, as well as directing more than 100 f ...

as J.M. Randall, alias Dr. Havens (edited from ''Race Suicide'') (archive footage) * Lona Andre as Florence Davis (edited from ''Race Suicide'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *Dean Benton as Harry, a young henchman (edited from ''Smashing the Vice Trust'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Betty Compson Betty Compson (born Eleanor Luicime Compson; March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in ''The Docks of New York'' and ...

as Mrs. Lucy Morgan (edited from ''Mad Youth'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Lester Dorr Lester Dorr (born Harry Lester Dorr; May 8, 1893 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor who between 1917 and 1975 appeared in well over 500 productions on stage, in feature films and shorts, and in televised plays and weekly series. Even ...

as Eddie's henchman (edited from ''Smashing the Vice Trust'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Sam Flint Sam Flint (born Samuel A. Ethridge; October 19, 1882 – October 17, 1980) was an American actor. Flint appeared in more than 230 films, often as a "judge, lawyer, military officer, senator, sheriff, chief of police, or doctor." Flint was ...

as Martin Standish, gang lawyer (edited from ''Smashing the Vice Trust'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Selmer Jackson Selmer Adolf Jackson (May 7, 1888 – March 30, 1971) was an American stage film and television actor. He appeared in nearly 400 films between 1921 and 1963. His name was sometimes spelled Selmar Jackson. Jackson was born in Lake Mills, Iowa an ...

as The District Attorney (edited from ''Smashing the Vice Trust'') (archive footage) (uncredited) * Donald Kerr as Man at Party House (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Noel Madison Noel Madison (born Noel Nathaniel Moscovitch; April 30, 1897 – January 6, 1975) was an American character actor in the 1930s and 1940s and appeared in 75 films, often as a gangster. Born in New York City, Madison was the son of actor M ...

as Nick, Procurer at Nightclub (edited from ''The Pace That Kills'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *Veola Vonn as Lois, the nice girl (edited from ''Smashing the Vice Trust'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Constance Worth Constance Worth (born Enid Joyce Howarth; 19 August 1911 – 18 October 1963) was an Australian actress who became a Hollywood star in the late 1930s. She was also known as Jocelyn Howarth. Early life and career She was born in Sydney, Austral ...

as Judy (edited from ''Wages of Sin'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Carleton Young Captain Carleton Scott Young (October 21, 1905 – November 7, 1994) was an American character actor who was known for his deep voice. Early years Born in Fulton, Oswego, New York, Young was the second and only surviving child of St ...

as Bruce, Judy's date (edited from ''Wages of Sin'') (archive footage) (uncredited) *

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

as Fat Pearl (edited from ''Wages of Sin'') (archive footage) (uncredited)

Soundtrack

Nona Lee Nona may refer to: Places * Nona, Missouri, an unincorporated community in United States * Nin, Croatia, also known as Nona in Latin ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Nona, which had its see there; now a Latin titular bishopric * Tor di Nona, a small ...

- " All I Want Is You" (in footage from '' The Pace That Kills'')

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Confessions of a Vice Baron 1943 films American drama films American black-and-white films 1943 drama films Films directed by S. Roy Luby 1940s English-language films 1940s American films