''Parole, Inc.'' is a 1948 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

film directed by

Alfred Zeisler Alfred Zeisler (September 26, 1892 – March 1, 1985) was an American-born German film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He produced 29 films between 1927 and 1936. He also directed 16 films between 1924 and 1949. Selected filmogr ...

and starring Michael O'Shea,

Turhan Bey Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 192230 September 2012). was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.. Aft ...

Evelyn Ankers Evelyn Felisa Ankers (August 17, 1918 – August 29, 1985) was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably '' The Wolf Man'' (1 ...

and Virginia Lee.

Plot

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

agent Richard Hendricks lies in a hospital bed, dictating the results of his investigation for a report to the California governor. In long flashback scenes, the investigation is reviewed. Following a number of

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

s granted to dangerous career criminals, the governor and state attorney general suspect corruption with the state

parole board A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdiction ...

. Hendricks investigates undercover as an ex-convict attempting to buy a parole for a criminal partner currently in jail. He infiltrates the social circle of another recent parolee of dubious character, Harry Palmer, and asks him how to purchase a parole. The perpetrators of the scandal are secretive and willing to take extreme measures to prevent their exposure.

Cast

* Michael O'Shea as Richard Hendricks *

as Barney Rodescu *

as Jojo Dumont * Virginia Lee as Glenda Palmer * Charles Bradstreet as Harry Palmer *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

as Police Commissioner Hughes * Michael Whalen as Kid Redmond * Charles Williams as Titus Jones * James Cardwell as Duke Vigili *

Paul Bryar Paul Bryar (born Gabriel Paul Barrere; February 21, 1910 – August 30, 1985) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly half a century, he appeared in numerous films and television series. Career Bryar appeared in nearly 220 fil ...

as Charley Newton * Noel Cravat as Blackie Olson * Charles Jordan as Monty Cooper

Reception

In a contemporary review, critic Edwin Schallert of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' called the film "exceptionally good" and wrote: "Michael O'Shea as a government investigator does a fine, clean-cut job which will have the studios questing for him with regularity. The film is well directed by Alfred Zeisler, and has an okay documentary flavor."

References

External links

* * * * * * * (public domain) {{DEFAULTSORT:Parole, Inc. 1948 films 1948 crime films American crime films American black-and-white films Eagle-Lion Films films Films directed by Alfred Zeisler 1940s English-language films 1940s American films