Last night's movie was "The Boss of Big Town"(1942), a timely story of rising food prices. In fact I tuned in for that reason, to see how "inflation" really works. I won't go on a tirade, but I love how the "news" media tells us that "inflation" is up 8% or whatever arbitrary number they give us. Earlier this year, milk in L.A. went from it's longstanding price of 2.99 a gallon to 3.99. That price jump was not gradual, it took about two weeks. At one point it went up another buck, to 4.99 (around August), and when the price gougers realised that was too steep for anyone, they "lowered" it back "down" to 3.99. Maybe my math skills have slipped, but I always thought that when you added a dollar to three dollars, you made a jump of 33.3 %. Tomato sauce went from 33 cents for a six ounce can, to 79 cents, a jump of about 140%. But I'm glad we're only suffering from 8% "inflation". Gee, if it was actually a lot higher than that, like 33% or 140%, I don't know what we'd do.
In the movie, wartime rationing is in effect. Good guy Food Inspector John Litel is approached by a price fixing Mafioso (John Miljan), who tries to get him to give preference to certain wholesalers, to create a product-by-product warehousing monopoly and destroy pricing competition. Litel declines and reports Miljan to the local DA in Central California, but when no prosecution results, he starts to wonder why. To find out, he ultimately goes back to Miljan to tell him he wants in on the scheme after all. He infiltrates the crooked wholesaling operation, and Miljan actually explains how "inflation" works, similar to the above description in which product distribution is centrailzed so that outside competition disappears. It's greed, Gilligan, plain and simple. Just like the housing market's rule of supply and demand. "We only have a handful of houses for sale in Southern California, therefore, we must charge a million dollars for each one." Greed, Gilligan.
We love John Litel, a straight-shooting actor who plays Nancy Drew's even-tempered Dad. As the last guy on Earth who could ever be corrupted, he's a leavening agent in any out of control crime flick. The trouble here is that the 65 minute movie takes 40 minutes to get going, meandering around a script that feels improvised at times, with characters making small talk to one another. Tight it is not. When it finally gets into gear and develops a consistent thread, then it means business. It would've been very successful as a 30 minute movie. Jean Brooks, a unique-looking actress who starred in the cult horror classic "The 7th Victim", has a pivotal role as the daughter of the crooked DA. We're gonna be generous and give "The Boss of Big Town" Two Big Thumbs Up, for it's topical message and the last twenty minutes when the plot gels. However, it's not one of PRC's better releases. The picture is soft but watchable. ////
The previous night, we watched a cautionary crime tale called "Bad Boy"(1939), in which a nice young man, out in the world on his own for the first time, is corrupted almost literally beyond redemption, at first by his own naivete and later by his resulting cynicism. "Johnny Fraser" (Johnny Downs) lives with his widowed mother but is about to leave for the city to take his first job as an architect. "I'll send for you as soon as I save a few paychecks," he tells Mom, "and we'll move into a nice new house." Johnny's an apple pie sort, a total Boy Scout, but he wants to buy that house for Mom as soon as possible, so when his colleague "Steve Carson" (Archie Robbins), suggests a little pony wager on payday, Johnny - at first reluctant - takes him up. "You'll be glad you did, Johnny old boy. Triple your money, I promise!" Steve's as good as his word on that first day. He knows his way around the track, and does indeed bring Johnny back three times his investment plus a few dollars more. The next payday, Johnny throws in again. Soon, he's raking in the dough from horse racing bets, and the next thing Steve does is take him to a nightclub to celebrate. Johnny says he's never been to a club before. He confesses that he's never even been out on a date.
"Wow, really?" says Steve, who sees Johnny as an easy mark. "Well, let me introduce you to a fabulous girl". She's "Madelon Kirby" (Rosalind Keith), the singer at the club. Madelon is nothing but a lure; she and Steve are working in tandem, a couple of swindlers who sucker gullible types like Johnny. Madelon seduces him (she's his first girl), and now he's head over heels and deep in debt to keep her in the high style she's accustomed to. Soon, Johnny is gambling away his winnings, taking advances on his paychecks, and when his debt threatens to bury him, Steve convinces him to embezzle some dough from the architectural firm. "It's the only way out of this jam, Johnny. Then your luck will turn around."
Johnny skims the dough out of the payroll office, gets caught, and goes to jail. His Mom sells her house to bail him out. Free for the time being, Johnny tries to go straight and get another job, and he and Mom live in an old apartment run by a kindly negro named "Terry" (Spencer Williams). But no one will hire Johnny because of his prison record, so he looks up Steve again. Steve is now working for a Mafia firm called "Business Engineering, Inc." Strong arm protection. The boss there likes Johnny's new prison-hardened attitude and hires him on the spot. Pretty soon, the boss is killed in a hit, and Johnny muscles in to take over the company, pushing Steve to the side. Madelon comes back and seduces him again. At first, Johnny tells her to shove it (as payback), but in a montage sequence, she wins him over and they're married.
Now he's flush again, as the head of a leg-breaking firm, but his wife's a tramp who's still loyal to Steve. Johnny has his innate good side intact, and he's loyal to his Mom and Terry in a Christian way. Terry is now Johnny's chauffeur and right-hand man, and he doesn't trust Madelon because he can see right through her deceptions. For her part, Madelon hates Johnny's Mom, because Mom knows all about her affair with Steve. Mom also doesn't trust where all of Johnny's money is coming from.
Suddenly Johnny wants to go completely straight. He plans to get out of Business Engineering, Inc. and go back to being a legitimate architect. He knows his wife is cheating with Steve, and catches them trying to steal his life savings out of his safe. That's all I can tell you, but man is it ever a brutal story. You'll be rooting for Johnny all the way through. The character of Madelon the wife is so awful, you'll be hoping she gets bubonic plague. Mostly, you'll be rooting for Mom and Spencer Williams (a great actor) as Terry, for without them, Johnny would never have a chance. We're gonna give "Bad Boy" Two Huge Thumbs Up, but man it's freakin' harsh, I kid you not so be ready. The picture is very good. ////
And that's all I know. I'm almost back to 100%, thank goodness, and tonight I did my first full walk since December 1st. I hope you had a nice weekend. My blogging music is Schubert's Piano Sonata D959 as played by Wilhelm Kempff. My late night is still "Die Meistersinger" by Wagner. Maybe during the week we can find some unseen Christmas movies. I send you Tons of Love, as always.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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