It's a 62 minute shortie distributed by Pathe Pictures, in this case, made by Producers Releasing Corp. Production quality.. the picture and the sound are just TERRIBLE, but I guess we're lucky to have this one still around in any condition. John Litel is Mike Lynn, a local bigshot who is kidnapped and brought to the home of a thug, played by John Miljan. The thugs want a cut of all the local commerce going on. Florence Rice is Linda Gregory, the nosy newspaper reporting who wants to bust the story wide open, but they convince her to hold off, so the workers' families won't be harmed. (Rice would only make one more film after this one... wasn't working out, I guess.) The story trudges along, exactly as expected. Jean Brooks is in here as "Iris", a supporting player. Brooks was a familiar face from the "Falcon" detective films, but the actress died quite young. According to wikipedia she was once married to erich von stroheim ! It's okay... nothing to write home about. Even HB Warner, who was so GREAT in Lost Horizon (and everything else he did) is pretty cardboard in this one. Part of a three-film set from DSSP.

Creeping along at the pace of a drunken snail, this is an obvious crime drama about the most common type of racket on film: those demanding protection fees and the use of their own suppliers. Ridiculously static with a dreadful print to boot, this suffers from long pauses, loud moments of silence and maudlin music. It is obvious from the start who is behind the big boss's door and this removes all suspense. Unrelated to the Big Town series of radio, film and television, this has a surprising B+ cast who are directed horribly and given clichéd dialog that was trite 10 years before this. Such favorite screen veterans such as John Litel, Florence Rice, H.B. Warner, Frank Ferguson and Mary Gordon try unsuccessfully to rise above the less than mediocre surroundings they are stuffed into, and the results are truly pitiful.

"In this rousing crime drama, a hard-nosed gang of criminals attempts to move in on local food distribution channels. Vowing to break down their strong-arming operation is heroic city market official Michael Lynn (John Litel), who hopes to disband the racket by removing the operation head from power. Lynn's scheme is to infiltrate the gang as an incompetent stooge on the government's payroll, unmask the leader's identity, and then make his deadly move," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.Mr. Litel gets to play the leading man, but in a low-budget, under-rehearsed quickie. Perky reporter Florence Rice (as Linda Gregory), in her penultimate screen appearance, is Litel's main female interest. Ms. Rice wears very TALL headgear. "The Boss of Big Town" offers some good-looking 1940s female fashion, with a California pool scene, and Jean Brooks (as Iris Moore).There is also an opportunity to see Howard Hughes protégée David Bacon (as Dr. Gil Page). In real life, Mr. Bacon would soon be found stabbed to death, in an odd, unsolved Hollywood murder. Silent film veterans H.B. Warner (as Jeffrey Moore) and John Miljan (as Kenneth Craige), along with future veteran Frank Ferguson (as Bram Hart), are among those who fail to generate any additional excitement.*** The Boss of Big Town (12/7/42) Arthur Dreifuss ~ John Litel, Florence Rice, David Bacon, H.B. Warner

What a great name for a gangster film - "The Boss of Big Town"; it conjures up visions of racketeering, mob warfare and violent shoot outs. In fact, the film is a little more reserved than that, focusing on corruption and payoffs in the city food industry. The 'big town' of the title is never mentioned by name, so in that regard, take your pick.Mike Lynn (John Litel) is the general manager of the city market when his vendors start receiving demands for payoffs or face retribution. He's called down by mobster Craige (John Miljan) to invite participation so business goes on without a hitch. Instead of accepting, Lynn becomes determined to expose the corruption and put Craige out of the rackets.The twist in the film is a familiar one to anyone who's seen enough Westerns of the same era, it turns out that Lynn's boss Moore (H.B. Warner) at the city market is the brains behind the shake down. There's even a showdown of sorts with a twist as well. With reporter Linda Gregory (Florence Rice) watching Lynn's back, Craige arrives on the scene to take out Moore, and in turn is shot by police inspector Torrence (Lloyd Ingraham) in a moment of incredible timing. I got a chuckle out of the ending, reminding me of John Wayne in virtually every one of his Lone Star films from the mid 1930's. The final scene closes with Mike Lynn in a clinch with his reporter girl friend, in an unlikely match up that the film barely hinted at with all that went before.If you pay attention, you'll get a kick out of an early scene when Mike uses a phone to call for an ambulance for an injured market vendor - the phone doesn't have a cord!Also, stay sharp for Inspector Torrence's remark about one of the shop owners - he calls him a 'Polak'.