The Hoodlum Saint

William Powell makes a rare return to the shady characters he played prior to Philo Vance and Nick Charles in this powerful drama set during the Roaring Twenties. Coming home from the Great War without a job or prospects, reporter Terry O'Neill (Powell) crashes a wedding where socialite Kay Lorrison (Esther Williams) lands him a job on her uncle's paper. Running a campaign against an unethical tycoon, O'Neill decides to switch sides and leaves Kay behind to join him. Making a fortune on Wall Street, O'Neill gives his old cronies the brush-off, telling them to put their faith in the good thief St. Dismas instead of praying for handouts. Taking his flippant remark to heart, O'Neill's pals start a charity that a vengeful chanteuse (Angela Lansbury) plans to rob and blame on Terry when he dumps the singer for Kay.

• crime
• drama