Quick Millions

Quick Millions (1931)

Runtime: 69 minutes

Directed by: Rowland Brown

Starring: Spencer Tracy, George Raft, Marguerite Churchill, Sally Eilers, Bob Burns

From: Fox

“Spencer Tracy engages in racketeering”… I’m sold. This month, three movies directed by Rowland Brown were put together in a small collection on the Criterion Channel. He was a screenwriter who wrote the likes of Kansas City Confidential and Angels with Dirty Faces; his directing career consisted of only three films as he apparently was a hothead who literally fought w/ producers. Also, even Criterion noted that he seemed to be well-acquainted w/ the life of a gangster… draw your own conclusions about someone who might have known Bugsy Siegel.

Tracy played Bugs and has friends named Arkansas & Nails, so you know he’s the shady type. His truck driver character fights w/ a cop in the opening scene. Then the realization comes that he would like to be rich, and accomplishes this by racketeering; that means running a protection racket. He even runs one to try and hook up with a wealthy dame even though he has another sweet tomato at home. Needless to say, people eventually get tired of his shakedowns…

This was Spencer’s second feature film and even in ’31 you understand why he became a big star; he was the highlight although George Raft in his first major role was a twist as exactly the sort of character you’d expect him to play—although him cutting the rug in one scene was a shock as I had no idea he was a dancin’ fool. The movie is not always smooth although I’ve come to expect such things in an early talkie and that usually doesn’t BUG me. I also enjoyed the main lady roles as portrayed by Marguerite Churchill & Sally Eilers.

This was a tough little Pre-Code effort that is only 69 minutes (nice) which has snappy patter, some dirty characters, an unsentimental ending and even a killing from the POV of a DOG (the critter witnessed the death… it did not cause the murder!) meant that those who like crime movies from this era may very well think that this picture slays.