Inside the Law (1942)

The Worst Film Ever

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Back in the 30s and 40s, there were movie houses that couldn't compete with the theaters that played what Warner Bros., MGM and other major studios churned out. Fortunately, there was Poverty Row's primary tenant, Monogram, and even deeper in the doldrums, Producers Releasing Corporation. "Inside the Law" is a classic example of a PRC release -- shot in less than a week, including long car chases to occupy running time, with a cast headed by a likable grade-B leading man, Wallace Ford, who was transitioning to the next stage in his career as a grizzled character actor. Oddly enough, it's entertaining. The script, about a gang of thieves who wind up running a small town bank and decide to go straight has enough holes to drive an old Ford roadster through. But a remarkably adroit cast plays it with breezy bonhomie. And there are even a few amusing surprises -- like the opening brawl at an auction house. It's worth watching despite the slam-cut ending which suggests that the film's final clinch may have been the victim of the decay that too often eroded nitrate film.

The print I saw was 54 minutes, not the 61 minutes listed. What a bummer. As to be expected, the plot is so improbable as to be fun. Some small time crooks, including two who are quite elderly, end up – through a series of improbabilities, as employees in a small town bank. The crooks, led by Wally Ford have a turn - of – heart after attending a church service. All but one of them decides they would like to give up a life of crime and settle in this friendly (except for the Sheriff) little town. The crook who thinks this is a batty idea tries to get away with all the bank's deposits but fails. The "bad" guys are now the "good" guys and return all the loot they got from the auction house. This is not as good as many of the Wally Fords I have seen (could be because of the missing seven minutes) but is fast-paced, humorous and an amusing way to spend an hour.

On May 2, 1942, Warner Brothers released a wonderful comedy, "Larceny, Inc.". It had a very creative story--one that was astoundingly original and fun. Yet, oddly, only about a week later, the utterly craptastic studio, PRC, released "Inside the Law"--a film with a very similar plot. However, I must admit that the quality of the two films is VERY different--"Larceny, Inc." is a true classic, whereas "Inside the Law" is enjoyable despite its many deficiencies.The film begins with Wallace Ford orchestrating an amazing robbery during an auction. While this was pretty neat, the writing here really irritated me as they didn't do their homework. First, the auctioneer talked about a '2500 year-old Ming vase'--even though the oldest items from the Ming Dynasty are less than 700 years old. Second, he then repeated a common myth that Ben Franklin invented the rocking chair. Get your facts straight! Looking for their next caper, an opportunity falls right in their lap in the form of a drunk guy. It seems that the boozer has a letter of introduction to a bank--a letter recommending the bearer as the new bank manager. Ford decides to take the letter and the job--then hire his crooked gang members so they can pull a bank heist. In the meantime, the bank owner wants Ford to come up with some ideas to drum up business and Ford's bizarre ideas actually work--and he becomes very successful. On top of that, his friends like the stability of real jobs and they decide to go straight. The problem is, one of the gang members is a jerk and STILL wants to rob the bank. And, when he does, it's up to his old partners to track him down and return what he stole. The ending is pretty funny and the film is surprisingly good considering most of the films I've seen from PRC were just awful. Now I will admit that "Inside the Law" had some spotty writing and was far from a work of genius, but it was original ("Larceny, Inc." not withstanding) and entertaining. A minor film but a clever one.

Inside the Law concerns a "family" of criminals who pick the pocket of a drunk driver and use the letter of introduction they find as a means of getting into a bank. Unfortunately when they arrive they find the bank empty of people and money. They then conspire to run the bank themselves…or something like that.Okay low brow very broad comedy that made me chuckle even as I was thinking that it wasn't very good. If you come across it and aren't in a demanding mood try it, but as something search out I wouldn't bother.5 out of 10 for the bits that work and make you chuckle even though you know you shouldn't