Illegal Traffic ** (1938, J Carrol Naish, Mary Carlisle, Robert Preston, Judith Barrett, Pierre Watkin, Buster Crabbe) – Classic Movie Review 12,249

‘ON GUARD, AMERICA! New amazing racket sweeps nation!’

Director Louis King’s 1938 Paramount Pictures American crime drama film Illegal Traffic reunites J Carrol Naish and Robert Preston from the same year’s King of Alcatraz. It also features Mary Carlisle, Judith Barrett, Pierre Watkin, Buster Crabbe and George McKay.

Robert Preston stars as an undercover G-man called Charles Bent Martin who smashes Lewis Zomar (J Carrol Naish)’s crooked transport firm that provides robbers with a way to escape.

Illegal Traffic is a fair, fast-moving little B-movie gangster film, with plenty of action and plot, plus rousing turns from young Preston (21) and experienced scene-stealer Naish.

Also in the cast are Mary Carlisle, Judith Barrett, Pierre Watkin, Larry ‘Buster’ Crabbe, George McKay, Richard Denning, Sheila Darcy, and Regis Toomey.

It is written by Robert Yost, Lewis R Foster and Stuart Anthony.

Robert Preston Meservey gained a movie contract with Paramount Pictures, leading to his screen debut in 1938 in King of Alcatraz, followed by another crime drama, Illegal Traffic (1938). The studio ordered him to stop using his family name of Meservey, and he called himself Robert Preston, as he was then known for his professional career.

King of Alcatraz is directed by Robert Florey, runs 68 minutes, is made and released by Paramount Pictures, is written by Irving Reis, is shot in black and white by Harry Fischbeck, is produced by William C Thomas, is scored by Milan Roder, Gerard Carbonara, Frederick Hollander and Boris Morros, and designed by Hans Dreier and A Earl Hedrick.

It was released on November 4, 1938.

The cast are J Carrol Naish as Lewis Zomar, Mary Carlisle as Carol Butler, Robert Preston as Charles Bent Martin, Judith Barrett as Marie Arden, Pierre Watkin as Jigger, Larry ‘Buster’ Crabbe [Buster Crabbe] as Steve, George McKay as Frank ‘Old Man’ Butler, Richard Denning as Silk Patterson, Phil Warren as Dittmar, Sheila Darcy as Mathilde, Dolores Casey as Mamie, Dennis Morgan as Cagey Miller, John Hart as Davis, Regis Toomey as Windy, William B Davidson as Dalton, Joseph Crehan as Chief Daley, Monte Blue as Captain Moran, Archie Twitchell as Duke, Morgan Conway as State’s Attorney Ryan, and Emory Parnell as Lieutenant.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,249

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