This Monogram low-budget crime drama is actually an interesting diversion. Typical of the early 40's, and well worth watching. A young ambulance driving intern doctor, Tom Bradon(Richard Cromwell), takes the offer to help the police after his buddy Patrolman O'Connor(Jack C. Smith)is gunned down. Needing money to start his own practice and marry his sweetheart nurse(Rita Quigley), Dr. Tom goes undercover and becomes the doctor for the Jim Grosso(John Miljan)gang; the very one's responsible for his pal's death. He may lose the love of his life, but the police convince him he is doing a favor for the whole community. Other players: Herbert Rawlinson, Mary Gordon and Mary Ruth.
4 Reviews
Nothing Endearing Or Charming About This
boblipton18 August 2019
Richard Cromwell is a doctor spending his time as an ambulance driver. He and nurse Rita Quigley are in love and plan to get married and open an office in private practice. One evening, when they are celebrating their engagement at a lavish night club, John Miljan, who runs the club as a front, calls him into his office. He has just been shot -- by the cop he has just killed; the cop was Cromwell's best friend. He offers Cromwell lots of money not to report the gunshot wound, and thus Cromwell is recruited as a mob doctor. Miss Quigley doesn't know exactly what is going on, but the blood she has to wash out of Cromwell's shirt after this incident makes her break off the engagement.
Will Cromwell redeem himself? Will Miljan be brought to justice? Will Miss Quigley finally agree to marry Cromwell? Do I care? I'm not going to spoil this movie for you, so I'll only answer the last question. No, I did not care what happened in this movie. Some of the issues I had with it include its paint-by-numbers plot, an adorable, curly-haired young moppet who sings "Those Endearing Young Charms", and Miss Quigley's apparent inability to speak a line as if she were not squinting at very small print. This is odd, because she was on loan-out from MGM, where they actually hired actors.
I blame director Edward Finney. It's one of five movies he directed. Most of the time he was a producer or executive at Poverty Row studios. According to the story he told, he tried to convince the head of Grand National to film ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, instead of SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT, the mega-flop that is usually blamed for destroying the ambitious studio. If that is true, it only demonstrates he was as effective an executive as a director.
Will Cromwell redeem himself? Will Miljan be brought to justice? Will Miss Quigley finally agree to marry Cromwell? Do I care? I'm not going to spoil this movie for you, so I'll only answer the last question. No, I did not care what happened in this movie. Some of the issues I had with it include its paint-by-numbers plot, an adorable, curly-haired young moppet who sings "Those Endearing Young Charms", and Miss Quigley's apparent inability to speak a line as if she were not squinting at very small print. This is odd, because she was on loan-out from MGM, where they actually hired actors.
I blame director Edward Finney. It's one of five movies he directed. Most of the time he was a producer or executive at Poverty Row studios. According to the story he told, he tried to convince the head of Grand National to film ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, instead of SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT, the mega-flop that is usually blamed for destroying the ambitious studio. If that is true, it only demonstrates he was as effective an executive as a director.
Misleading title, but OK crime drama, with a bit of sappiness included.
mark.waltz3 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This is the familiar story of a young doctor (Richard Cromwell) who pretends to go to work for the job while being an informer to get the goods on the bad guy who killed his cop friend. It is all formula stuff with an overly sweet tot (Mary Ruth) attempting to steal your hearts. She gives it a good try, but her shrill singing of an Irish lullaby will grate on your nerves. Rita Quigley is the young girl's aunt, in love with the doctor who is unaware of his double life. The delightful Mary Gordon offers her usual Scottish charm, and has a rare moment of Irish-like temper that is quite rare for her and briefly causes her to loose her accent. Monogram produces dozens of films like this, and they are mostly alright, if unremarkable.
Maybe it's just me, but I wanted to see the crooks plug Betty!
planktonrules1 November 2015
The title to "Riot Squad" is misleading as it has nothing to do with riots but is actually a story about a doctor going undercover with the evil Grosso gang.
The film begins with nice Dr. Tom asking Mary to become his wife. You also soon meet the winner of the Dick Nixon look-a-like contest, Dan the cop. Soon Dan is plugged by Grosso (John Miljan) and Dr. Tom agrees to go undercover for the police to investigate this gang. However, Tom's stupid fiancée automatically assumes Tom is now a crook and calls off the marriage. She also takes in Dan's insufferably cute kid, Betty. As for Betty, she spends the movie being annoying--either singing a god-awful high-pitched Irish tune or yelling out "Dr. Tom, Dr. Tom" almost every time she opens her mouth. By the end of the picture, Grosso and his gang are ready to shoot Dr. Tom...though you really wish they'd just shoot Betty!
The film is in many ways a typical sot of low-budget crime film from Monogram--with the same shallow plot and broad acting. However, Betty was a most unwelcome addition to the movie--and I knocked a point off just because she was in the film! Strictly for folks with extremely low expectations!
The film begins with nice Dr. Tom asking Mary to become his wife. You also soon meet the winner of the Dick Nixon look-a-like contest, Dan the cop. Soon Dan is plugged by Grosso (John Miljan) and Dr. Tom agrees to go undercover for the police to investigate this gang. However, Tom's stupid fiancée automatically assumes Tom is now a crook and calls off the marriage. She also takes in Dan's insufferably cute kid, Betty. As for Betty, she spends the movie being annoying--either singing a god-awful high-pitched Irish tune or yelling out "Dr. Tom, Dr. Tom" almost every time she opens her mouth. By the end of the picture, Grosso and his gang are ready to shoot Dr. Tom...though you really wish they'd just shoot Betty!
The film is in many ways a typical sot of low-budget crime film from Monogram--with the same shallow plot and broad acting. However, Betty was a most unwelcome addition to the movie--and I knocked a point off just because she was in the film! Strictly for folks with extremely low expectations!
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