Law of the Underworld (1938)
Directed by Lew Landers, Law of the Underworld is a taut, 61-minute crime drama from RKO Pictures that explores the moral dilemma of a respected citizen with secret ties to organized crime. With Chester Morris, Anne Shirley, and Eduardo Ciannelli in key roles, the film blends gangster grit with emotional stakes, offering a compact but compelling look at loyalty and redemption.
Plot Summary
Gene Fillmore (Chester Morris) is a well-regarded businessman in New York—but beneath his polished exterior, he’s secretly connected to the city’s criminal underworld. When two innocent young lovers, Tommy Brown (Richard Bond) and Annabelle Porter (Anne Shirley), are falsely accused of murder after stumbling into a gang’s hideout, Gene faces a moral reckoning.
To save them, he must risk exposing his own criminal affiliations. As the police close in and rival gangsters grow suspicious, Gene is forced to choose between self-preservation and doing what’s right. The film builds to a tense courtroom climax where justice and sacrifice collide.
Cast Highlights
- Chester Morris as Gene Fillmore
- Anne Shirley as Annabelle Porter
- Eduardo Ciannelli as Rocky, the hot-headed gangster
- Walter Abel as Warren Rogers
- Richard Bond as Tommy Brown
- Lee Patrick, Paul Guilfoyle, and Frank M. Thomas in supporting roles
- A young Jack Carson appears in an early role as Johnny
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was loosely based on the play Crime by John B. Hymer and Samuel Shipman, which ran on Broadway in 1927
- The stolen $136 in the plot would be equivalent to about $2,350 in 2017 dollars
- Several actors listed in production notes—like Tom Kennedy and Bradley Page—were either cut or unidentifiable in the final film
- Cecil Kellaway appears briefly, but is mostly recognized by his voice, as his face is obscured in both scenes
