While Warner Bros. focused on the individual (Rico in "Little Ceasar", Tom Powers in "The Public Enemy") MGM's few early crime films were ensembles ("The Big House") and usually showing the action from the crime fighters' point of view ("The Secret Six", "The Beast of the City"). Frances Marion was quite amazing in her ability to deliver gritty and realistic dialogue - "The Big House" was not her only venture into crime - she also wrote the dialogue and story for "The Secret Six", an unusual crime melodrama from MGM.
Scorpio, nicknamed "Slaughterhouse" (Wallace Beery) is an abattoir worker who is talked into a life of crime by his friends, bootleggers Johnny (Ralph Bellamy) and Nick (Paul Hurst). The gang is run by philosophizing alcoholic lawyer Newton (Lewis Stone) and Slaughterhouse is ambitious to take over from Johnny. In a gun battle between a rival bootlegger, Smiling Joe Colimo's (John Miljan) kid brother is killed and Colimo vows revenge. Johnny tells Colimo that it was Slaughterhouse that killed his kid brother (even though it wasn't) - Johnny wants him out of the way, he is getting too ambitious. But Scorpio survives a shoot-out on the wharf and Johnny's days are numbered.
Time passes and "trigger happy" Scorpio is now the boss and under Newton's guidance, he invades the city. He is now wealthy and has also inherited "Peaches" (Marjorie Rambeau), Johnny's moll, although Scorpio now has his eyes on Anne.
Two newspaper reporters Carl (Clark Gable) and Hank (John Mack Brown, just loved his sweet southern accent) vie for the attentions of Anne (a ravishing Jean Harlow). There was such a rapport between Harlow and Gable - a real natural friendliness. This was the first of their 6 pairings. Unbeknownst to Hank, Carl is working with the "secret six" - "representing the greatest force for law and order in the United States" . Hank is also working on a hunch - that the same gun killed Johnny and Colimo - and goes to Scorpio's house to confront him. Snooping around, he finds the gun. Hank is shot dead on a train but not before Anne reveals her love.
She now insists on testifying against Scorpio - even at the risk of her life. When the jury retires there is much discussion - one of the jurors passes around a diamond encrusted cigarette case - a gift Scorpio uses to bribe people. He is found not guilty this time, but the "secret six" have an ace up their sleeve.
It is a ripping good story about the rise of a cold blooded killer - like "Little Caesar" but without the raw realism of that film. MGM went more for style.
Highly Recommended.
Scorpio, nicknamed "Slaughterhouse" (Wallace Beery) is an abattoir worker who is talked into a life of crime by his friends, bootleggers Johnny (Ralph Bellamy) and Nick (Paul Hurst). The gang is run by philosophizing alcoholic lawyer Newton (Lewis Stone) and Slaughterhouse is ambitious to take over from Johnny. In a gun battle between a rival bootlegger, Smiling Joe Colimo's (John Miljan) kid brother is killed and Colimo vows revenge. Johnny tells Colimo that it was Slaughterhouse that killed his kid brother (even though it wasn't) - Johnny wants him out of the way, he is getting too ambitious. But Scorpio survives a shoot-out on the wharf and Johnny's days are numbered.
Time passes and "trigger happy" Scorpio is now the boss and under Newton's guidance, he invades the city. He is now wealthy and has also inherited "Peaches" (Marjorie Rambeau), Johnny's moll, although Scorpio now has his eyes on Anne.
Two newspaper reporters Carl (Clark Gable) and Hank (John Mack Brown, just loved his sweet southern accent) vie for the attentions of Anne (a ravishing Jean Harlow). There was such a rapport between Harlow and Gable - a real natural friendliness. This was the first of their 6 pairings. Unbeknownst to Hank, Carl is working with the "secret six" - "representing the greatest force for law and order in the United States" . Hank is also working on a hunch - that the same gun killed Johnny and Colimo - and goes to Scorpio's house to confront him. Snooping around, he finds the gun. Hank is shot dead on a train but not before Anne reveals her love.
She now insists on testifying against Scorpio - even at the risk of her life. When the jury retires there is much discussion - one of the jurors passes around a diamond encrusted cigarette case - a gift Scorpio uses to bribe people. He is found not guilty this time, but the "secret six" have an ace up their sleeve.
It is a ripping good story about the rise of a cold blooded killer - like "Little Caesar" but without the raw realism of that film. MGM went more for style.
Highly Recommended.