Blackmail ** (1939, Edward G Robinson, Ruth Hussey, Gene Lockhart) Classic Movie Review 11,372

Director H C Potter’s 1939 black and white crime drama film Blackmail stars the ever dependable Edward G Robinson, who enlivens a routinely scripted but neatly handled B-movie thriller as an oil well firefighter called John Ingram, who breaks out from the prison chain gang to save his wife (Ruth Hussey) and son (Bobs Watson) from a wicked blackmailing extortionist named William Ramey (show-stopping Gene Lockhart) and get revenge.

MGM ensure a good production for a B-movie, with exciting oil well fires at the start and climax.

Also in the cast are Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Esther Dale, Bobs Watson, John Wray, Cy Kendall, Arthur Hohl, Mitchell Lewis and Victor Kilian. Frank Darien, Robert Homans, Ethan Laidlaw and Harry Tenbrook.

Blackmail is directed by H C Potter, runs 81 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by David Hertz and William Ludwig, based on a story by Dorothy Yost, is shot in black and white by Clyde de Vinna, is produced by John Considine Jr and Fred T Gallo, and is scored by David Snell and Edward Ward.

It was released in the US on 8 September 1939, a week after the outbreak of the Second World War.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,372

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com