Crime, Inc.

Two mobsters are gunned down in a hail of bullets. A young reporter, Jim Riley, is called in by the police to do some snooping on the side. Jim has ties to racketeer Bugs Kelly and discovers that it was Bugs' men who were killed. The hits were retaliation from a notorious syndicate, Crime, Inc. Bugs plans to get revenge, taking Jim into his confidence and promising the eager reporter an exclusive story in exchange for his assistance. When Crime, Inc. plans a direct hit on Bugs, the racketeer turns the tables and plots a kidnapping scheme that will draw out the syndicate's elusive and mysterious leader.

Low budget quickie movie company PRC shifted gears a bit for Crime, Inc., a remarkably tight, upscale-looking B-thriller complete with songs, tense drama, plot complexities and great performances. The cast is a mix of familiar players that made the rounds at several studios in the 1940s. Sheldon Leonard is cast as a police captain, although the actor played sharp-mouthed criminals and gangster bosses in numerous films. Accent specialist Leo Carrillo is best remembered for his co-starring role on the TV series "The Cisco Kid." Lionel Atwill was a fixture in horror and mystery films of the era, mastering everything from a mad scientist in The Vampire Bat to a calculating killer in The Sphinx. Director Lew Landers worked for nearly every studio in Hollywood making low-budget thrillers (The Raven, Tokyo Rose) and later turned his attention to television, directing popular series like "Topper" and "Highway Patrol."

• mystery