Franchot Tone
Howard Malloy
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Synopsis
A prosecutor begins questioning a death that has been dismissed as suicide, then follows the murder of a journalist toward an extremist organization. Offers of help from influential figures make the inquiry more dangerous rather than easier. The noir connects a criminal investigation with the manufacture of political influence and public fear.
Cast
DirectorsFletcher Markle
Behind the scenes
Fletcher Markle's New York crime film includes brief appearances by such established stars as Henry Fonda, Marlene Dietrich and John Garfield. Reviewers disagreed about this unusual attraction: recognising the guests could distract from the investigation and its serious treatment of racial intolerance.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Franchot Tone — Russell Ball · Public domain
- Jean Wallace — Joseph H. Lewis · Public domain
- Marc Lawrence — trailer screenshot (King Brothers Productions - Monogram Pictures) · Public domain
- Myron McCormick — film screenshot (United Artists) · Public domain
