Rubber Racketeers

Last updated

Rubber Racketeers
Rubber Racketeers FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Harold Young
Written by Henry Blankfort (original screenplay)
Produced by Maurice King
associate
Frank King
Starring Ricardo Cortez
Rochelle Hudson
Cinematography L. William O'Connell
Edited by Jack Dennis
Production
company
Distributed by Monogram Pictures
Associated Artists
Release date
  • June 26, 1942 (1942-06-26)
Running time
67 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Rubber Racketeers is a 1942 American crime film directed by Harold Young and starring Ricardo Cortez and Rochelle Hudson.

Contents

The film was inspired by tire rationing. [1]

Plot summary

Gilin is a gangster who has just gotten out of prison. One night while driving home with his girlfriend Nikki, he collides with defense worker Bill Barry and his fiancé Mary Dale. Bill's tires are destroyed. When Gilin's insurance company is unable to replace them, Nikki convinces him to exchange Bill's car for the car of Gilin's Chinese servant Tom, who has enlisted in the Army.

With government restrictions on rubber in place due to the war, Gilin goes into business stealing and re-selling good tires, then sells tires retreaded with cheap synthetic rubber to used-car lots.

One of Gilin's retreads blows out and causes the death of Mary's brother. Bill and his co-workers become determined to find the culprit behind the shoddy tires. Gilin worries that his scheme will be discovered after Bill traces a tire to his lot.

Nikki is pressured by Gilin to make herself available to Bill in a friendly manner, in order to find out what he knows and what his plans might be. Nikki does meet with Bill, but pretends to Gilin that she could not reach him; she then secretly warns Mary about the gangster. Bill goes to see Nikki, intending to collect information from her about the entire tire scam, and falls into Gilin's trap.

Gilin knocks Bill out and plans to kill him. Tom, who is back visiting on leave from the army, refuses to help his old boss when he learns that Gilin is a war profiteer. Gilin shoots Tom and escapes with Nikki to his warehouse. Tom manages to stay alive long enough to tell a recovered Bill what has happened. Bill calls his co-workers and the police, and they raid the warehouse en masse. During the fight, Gilin is shot by one of his own men, who is appalled that Gilin would kill Tom, a soldier.

Nikki and Mary both land jobs at the armaments factory with Bill.

Cast

Production

The film was originally called Hot Rubber. 20th Century Fox wanted to make a film with the same title. The case was put before the Association of Motion Picture Producers who ruled that whoever started the film first could use the title. [2] Universal also announced plans to make a film on the same topic with Destiny. [3]

Filming started in May. [4] That month the filmmakers changed their title to Rubber Racketeers in May 1942. [5]

Release

The Los Angeles Times said the film "drags somewhat in establishing the plot but reaches a striking climax of the melodramatic order." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Raft</span> American actor (1901–1980)

George Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembered for his gangster roles in Quick Millions (1931) with Spencer Tracy, Scarface (1932) with Paul Muni, Each Dawn I Die (1939) with James Cagney, Invisible Stripes (1939) with Humphrey Bogart, and Billy Wilder's comedy Some Like It Hot (1959) with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon; and as a dancer in Bolero (1934) with Carole Lombard and a truck driver in They Drive by Night (1940) with Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino and Bogart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Holt</span> American actor (1919–1973)

Charles John "Tim" Holt III was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tay Garnett</span> American film director and writer (1894–1977)

William Taylor "Tay" Garnett was an American film director and writer.

Edward Small was an American film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movies The Count of Monte Cristo (1934), The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), The Corsican Brothers (1941), Brewster's Millions (1945), Raw Deal (1948), Black Magic (1949), Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and Solomon and Sheba (1959).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Cortez</span> American actor (1900–1977)

Ricardo Cortez was an American actor and film director. He was also credited as Jack Crane early in his acting career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Lindsay</span> American actress (1910–1981)

Margaret Lindsay was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive. She was noted for her supporting work in successful films of the 1930s and 1940s such as Baby Face, Jezebel (1938) and Scarlet Street (1945) and her leading roles in lower-budgeted B movie films such as the Ellery Queen series at Columbia in the early 1940s. Critics regard her portrayal of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Hepzibah Pyncheon in the 1940 film The House of the Seven Gables as Lindsay's standout career role.

King Brothers Productions was an American film production company, active from 1941 to the late 1960s. It was founded by the Kozinsky brothers, Frank, Maurice, and Herman, who later changed their surname to "King". They had notable collaborations with such filmmakers as Philip Yordan and William Castle and are particularly remembered today for employing a number of blacklisted writers during the Red Scare of the late 1940s and 1950s. Some of their films include Dillinger (1945), Suspense (1946), Gun Crazy (1949), Carnival Story (1954), The Brave One, Gorgo (1961), Captain Sindbad (1963), and Heaven With a Gun (1968).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochelle Hudson</span> Actress

Rochelle Hudson was an American film actress from the 1930s through the 1960s. Hudson was a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retread</span> Re-manufacturing process for tires that replace the tread on worn tires

Retread, also known as "recap", or a "remold" is a re-manufacturing process for tires that replace the tread on worn tires. Retreading is applied to casings of spent tires that have been inspected and repaired. It preserves about 90% of the material in spent tires and the material cost is about 20% compared to manufacturing a new one.

<i>Mr. Motos Gamble</i> 1938 film by James Tinling

Mr. Moto's Gamble is the third film in the Mr. Moto series starring Peter Lorre as the title character. It is best remembered for originating as a movie in the Charlie Chan series and being changed to a Mr. Moto entry at the last minute.

<i>The Glass Key</i> (1942 film) 1942 film by Stuart Heisler

The Glass Key is a 1942 American crime drama based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. The picture was directed by Stuart Heisler starring Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd. A successful earlier film version starring George Raft in Ladd's role had been released in 1935. The 1942 version's supporting cast features William Bendix, Bonita Granville, Richard Denning and Joseph Calleia.

<i>Baby Face Nelson</i> (film) 1957 film by Don Siegel

Baby Face Nelson is a 1957 American film noir crime film based on the real-life 1930s gangster, directed by Don Siegel, co-written by Daniel Mainwaring—who also wrote the screenplay for Siegel's 1956 sci-fi thriller Invasion of the Body Snatchers—and starring Mickey Rooney, Carolyn Jones, Cedric Hardwicke, Leo Gordon as Dillinger, Anthony Caruso, Jack Elam, John Hoyt and Elisha Cook Jr.

<i>Midnight Mary</i> 1933 film by William A. Wellman

Midnight Mary is a 1933 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, and Franchot Tone.

Sorority House is a 1939 American drama film starring Anne Shirley and James Ellison. The film was directed by John Farrow and based upon the Mary Coyle Chase play named Chi House.

Mr. Moto's Last Warning is the sixth in a series of eight films starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto.

<i>Paper Bullets</i> 1941 film by Phil Rosen

Paper Bullets is a 1941 American film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Joan Woodbury. It was the first film produced by the King Brothers, launching their career.

<i>Shoot to Kill</i> (1947 film) 1947 film by William A. Berke

Shoot to Kill, also known as Police Reporter, is a 1947 American film noir directed by William Berke and starring Robert Kent, Luana Walters, Edmund MacDonald and Russell Wade.

<i>Wrecking Crew</i> (1942 film) 1942 American film by Frank McDonald

Wrecking Crew is a 1942 American drama film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Richard Arlen, Jean Parker, and Chester Morris.

<i>Who Is Hope Schuyler?</i> 1942 film

Who Is Hope Schuyler? is a 1942 American action film directed by Thomas Z. Loring and written by Arnaud d'Usseau. The film stars Joseph Allen, Mary Howard, Sheila Ryan, Ricardo Cortez, Janis Carter and Joan Valerie. The film was released on April 17, 1942, by 20th Century Fox.

<i>Buffalo Bill Rides Again</i> 1947 film by Bernard B. Ray

Buffalo Bill Rides Again is a 1947 American Western film starring Richard Arlen. It was also known as Return of Buffalo Bill.

References

  1. ROBERT JOSEPH HOLLYWOOD.. (December 13, 1942). "FROM HOT HEADLINES TO COLD STORAGE: Proving That Few Films Announced to Tie In With the News Are Ever Made". New York Times. p. X4.
  2. Schallert, Edwin (March 20, 1942). "DRAMA: 'Destiny' Will Deal With Rubber Shortage". Los Angeles Times. p. 15.
  3. "Priscilla Lane, George Brent Will Be Starred in 'Silver Queen' by Paramount: HEPBURN FILM POPULAR 754,799 Saw 'Woman of Year' at Music Hall -- 'To Be or Not to Be' Held Over". New York Times. March 20, 1942. p. 25.
  4. Schallert, Edwin (May 12, 1942). "DRAMA: 'Down to Sea in Ships' Set for Montgomery". Los Angeles Times. p. 8.
  5. "Of Local Origin". New York Times. May 30, 1942. p. 8.
  6. "GANGSTERS INVADE RUBBER FIELD IN NEW MELODRAMA". Los Angeles Times. June 24, 1942. p. A9.