Million Dollar Racket

The poverty-stricken Henessey family strike it rich when they find oil in the backyard of their humble home. Flush with cash, they rent a palatial mansion owned by millionaire Larry Duane. Upon seeing Molly, the Henesseys' lovely daughter, Larry decides to stay on, posing as their chauffeur. While the disguised millionaire romances Molly, a gang of grifters invade the mansion, offering friendship. Larry must prevent the crooks from taking advantage of the Henesseys without revealing his true identity to Molly.

Filmed with the working title of Merry Go Round, Million Dollar Racket stars former Olympic silver medalist Herman Brix. He started his acting career playing the title role in The New Adventures Of Tarzan (1935), an adaptation financed by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was soundly trumped at the box-office by RKO's big-budget versions with Johnny Weissmuller, so Brix changed his name to Bruce Bennett to escape has-been status. Using this name, he found success in classics such as Mildred Pierce (1945), Dark Passage (1947), and Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948).

PLUS: The Pride of the Legion (1932) :Jerry Brewster is a former policeman who now works as a waiter in a cafe. After a botched arrest, he lost his confidence and resigned from the force. When his friend Tommy is framed for murder, Jerry must put aside his fears and prove that he still has what it takes to be the bravest of the brave. The Pride of the Legion was meant to be canine movie star Rin Tin Tin's first talkie picture, but his August 1932 death meant that it instead became the screen debut of his son, Rin Tin Tin, Jr. A fascinating curio, The Pride of the Legion sadly only exists in the form presented here, as a 30-minute condensation made for television. Starring Victor Jory, Barbara Kent, and Rin Tin Tin, Jr. Directed by Ford Beebe.

• action
• adventure