dougdoepke You've got to hand it to post-war RKO-- they really knew how to turn out fast, efficient little crime dramas. Nothing special here, except a good look at LA locations circa 1950 and Detroit's all-time ugliest car—the "inverted bathtub" Nash sedan. Ricardo Cortez makes an excellent smoothie conning gullible women out of their fortunes. However, the phony medium set-up comes across as something of a stretch, but does lend needed atmosphere. Also, having cutie Joan Dixon play an actress allows for some clever "movie within a movie" set-ups; at the same time, the very last line sounds like an inspiration of the moment that was allowed to stand. Note too that usual bad guy Doug Fowley gets to work the other side of the law, and in a crime drama, no less. Still and all, I wish the screenplay had gotten more imaginative by using tricks from magician Dante to foil the crooks, instead of two guys in black beating up a crook in the dark, which may make an interesting visual effect, but makes no plot sense. Anyhow it's a good, fast hour of programming that shows again how well RKO could fill up a double-bill at the local theatre.

kidboots The bunco squad deals with confidence tricksters and fraudsters. In this movie they are trying to bring down a big time phoney fortune telling racket. Robert Sterling was just finding his feet in better films ("Two Faced Woman" (1941) and "Johnny Eager" (1942)) when the war intervened and by the time he returned he was never able to regain his footing. Perhaps he was too much like William Lundigan. After a couple of roles in films like "Bunco Squad" he turned to television where he was in great demand. "Bunco Squad" was also one of Ricardo Cortez's last appearances. He had a fantastic career going back to the silents, where he was the only actor whose name appeared above Garbo's in a film. He never gave a bad performance.Anthony Wells (Ricardo Cortez, doing what he does best!!!) is trying to get friendly with a rich widow, Mrs. Royce (Elisabeth Risdon), who is still grieving for her son Phillip, who was killed in the war. He tries through her secretary Barbara Madison (Marguerite Churchill) who is unaware of his connections. When she tries to warn the police - her car is in a mysterious accident and she is killed. He brings in all his phoney fortune telling friends and they get to work on Mrs. Royce's friends and servants who fill them in on Phillip's young life. When Mrs Royce visits Princess Liane (Bernadene Hayes) she is able to tell Mrs Royce little stories about her son that the widow thought were known only to her. When persons unknown, tamper with Det. Steve Johnson's brakes, he sends his long suffering girlfriend, Grace Bradshaw, undercover. She is an actress and her assignment is to pose as a phoney medium to lure the other "fakes" into a trap. Grace was played by the lovely Joan Dixon, in her first film appearance - unfortunately, she didn't make many more!!!I quite liked this movie - it is all about phoney fortune tellers - not the usual cops and robbers story. Dante the Great was a genuine magician who made an appearance as himself, in order to instruct Grace in the art of being a medium!!!Recommended.

vandino1 Dull lead Robert Sterling plays the dully named detective "Steve Johnson." He's in the title squad investigating a phony medium racket lead by Cortez, who is trying to bilk a believing widow out of her fortune. Dixon is actress fiancé of Johnson enlisted to act as a medium to help trap the phonies. Lots of brakelines get cut in this film (three times!) to try and kill off Johnson and others. Chase finale features the cliché car-crashing-over-the-cliff, but the stock footage of the crash features a totally different car from the one the villain drives. A short film, but routine and flat. It looks like something out of a fifties TV cop drama. The cast tries but is defeated by a script that gives them little characterization.

gnrz I almost always enjoy "B" movies of the crime genre. They rarely run more than 65 minutes and don't waste time trying to develop detailed and boring character development. This fast paced film had everything from fast car crashes to gunplay. And, BTW, in all of his films, did Ricardo Cortez ever play any type of role other than a criminal? Gunner