THE GOLD RACKET

US, 1937, 63 minutes, Black and white.
Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Hunt, Fuzzy Knight, Frank Milan, William L.Thorne.
Directed by Louis J. Gasnier, Joseph H.Lewis.

This is only a moderately interesting thriller. It is a G-man story.

The action of the film is on the American Mexican border, gold mines in Mexico, illegal diggings, gold smuggling into the United States.

Conrad Nagel portrays an officer sent down to investigate. While the hero, he is something of a stolid type. He gets his work done, investigating, infiltrating. However, more in the Hollywood style, there is a female agent is also sent down but in the role of a rather exotic dancer in a club. She gets quite a lot of information to collaborate with the agent.

There are various villains, businessmen, racketeers, schemes for smuggling gold.

Another central character is a freelance pilot who is employed by the mine owners to fly in and get the gold and take it to the United States. He is very much attracted to the dancer, not taking much notice of the smuggling.

The film does build up into some action, pursuits through the mines, explosions, shootouts. Both agents are involved, the young woman able to keep her cover with plausible reasons for why she is in the mines.

The climax is arranging for the plane to land and for the apprehension of everybody involved.

A film of its time and with contemporary issues between Mexico and the United States and gold standards.