Parole, Inc.
1948 Film Noir
- November 24, 1948 (1948-11-24) (Los Angeles)
Running time
Parole, Inc. is a 1948 American film noir film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Michael O'Shea, Turhan Bey, Evelyn Ankers and Virginia Lee.[1]
The film depicts an FBI investigation on corruption within the state parole board of California, following the release of career criminals.
Plot
FBI agent Richard Hendricks lies in a hospital bed, dictating the results of his investigation for a report to the California governor. In long flashback scenes, the investigation is reviewed. Following a number of paroles granted to dangerous career criminals, the governor and state attorney general suspect corruption with the state parole board.
Hendricks investigates undercover as an ex-convict attempting to buy a parole for a criminal partner currently in jail. He infiltrates the social circle of another recent parolee of dubious character, Harry Palmer, and asks him how to purchase a parole. The perpetrators of the scandal are secretive and willing to take extreme measures to prevent their exposure.
Cast
- Michael O'Shea as Richard Hendricks
- Turhan Bey as Barney Rodescu
- Evelyn Ankers as Jojo Dumont
- Virginia Lee as Glenda Palmer
- Charles Bradstreet as Harry Palmer
- Lyle Talbot as Police Commissioner Hughes
- Michael Whalen as Kid Redmond
- Charles Williams as Titus Jones
- James Cardwell as Duke Vigili
- Paul Bryar as Charley Newton
- Noel Cravat as Blackie Olson
- Charles Jordan as Monty Cooper
Reception
In a contemporary review, critic Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times called the film "exceptionally good" and wrote: "Michael O'Shea as a government investigator does a fine, clean-cut job which will have the studios questing for him with regularity. The film is well directed by Alfred Zeisler, and has an okay documentary flavor."[2]
References
- ^ Parole, Inc. at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (1948-11-25). "New 'Burlesque' Version Exceptional in Appeal". Los Angeles Times. p. 10, Part III.
External links
- Parole, Inc. at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Parole, Inc. at IMDb
- Parole, Inc. at AllMovie
- Parole, Inc. at the TCM Movie Database
- Parole, Inc. at Rotten Tomatoes
- Parole, Inc. is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Parole, Inc. complete film on YouTube (public domain)
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The films of Alfred Zeisler
- Express 13 (1931)
- A Shot at Dawn (1932)
- Spoiling the Game (1932)
- A Door Opens (1933)
- The Star of Valencia (1933)
- Crime Over London (1936)
- The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss (1936)
- Make-Up (1937)
- Enemy of Women (1944)
- Fear (1946)
- Parole, Inc. (1948)
- Alimony (1949)
