One from a series of largely ignored American films originally released during the first half of the twentieth century, and reissued in DVD versions by Alpha Video, PENAL CODE is quite predictable, as might be expected for a movie that is produced upon a low budget, yet there are some gratifying performances from some stage-trained actors and the action moves efficiently, with an episodic plot enhanced with smoothly accomplished fades. This character driven adventure opens as Sarah Palmer (Virginia True Boardman) receives a letter from her wandering son Bob (Regis Toomey) postmarked Brisbane, Australia; however, he is actually residing within a New York prison, serving a two year stretch for a crime that we are informed he did not commit and, being understandably recalcitrant about telling his mother of his misfortune, he instead arranges with a private mailing service to send her his letters posted from Down Under. The scenario is not smoothly assembled, as apparently significant characters and plot threads are abruptly dropped from the storyline, but a viewer is able to follow Bob after his release from prison, and his return to his home town where he and his mother are reunited, and where he renews his courtship of Margie Shannon (Helen Cohan), daughter of a local financier who reinstates Palmer with his former position at his bank. It is here that the film's principal conflict occurs because a rival for Margie's affections has become vice president at the fiscal institution and therefore is supervisor of Bob and full of suspicions concerning Palmer's recent absence. George Melford, a worthy director before the development of sound films, shows minimal interest in his subsequent work, generally permitting his players to do as they will while he merely observes. Fortunately in this instance, several well-schooled performers are on board, their ad libbing skills somewhat improving a cliché-ridden screenplay that is dramatically challenged by the lack of musical scoring. The film's most effective sequences are those that emphasize dialogue and detail, with Toomey providing a consistent turn as a man who has become accustomed to figuratively looking over his shoulder, and there is a singularly striking performance from the luminous Cohan, daughter of George M. A Broadway veteran, she is a natural actress, but despite being a future WAMPAS baby star, is seldom upon the screen.
4 Reviews
Low budget but still entertaining---and it illustrates that honesty is NOT necessarily the best policy!
planktonrules13 January 2014
Regis Toomey stars in "Penal Code" as Robert Palmer--a guy in prison when the film begins. However, his family thinks he's in Australia working. This is because he's using a forwarding service to reroute his letters home through Australia. This is because he doesn't want his mother to find out the truth. Despite this lie, Palmer is a model prisoner and finished his hitch with no incidents.
When Palmer returns home, he continues the lie. This seems pretty innocent until his old boss, the bank president, offers him his job back now that he's 'returned from Australia'. Bob takes it and like looks good. However, two problems soon are brewing--an ex-con who might just be pressuring Bob to pay him or else as well as the vice president of the bank who is a crook. How does Palmer handle all this? See the film and find out for yourself.
While Regis Toomey is not a big-name actor (though he was in a ton of films and TV shows) and Monarch Films certainly isn't a big-name studio, the film works well mostly because the acting was quite good. The script, while very simple, is still enjoyable as well. Worth seeing, as it's a decent example of a B-movie that manages to still entertain.
When Palmer returns home, he continues the lie. This seems pretty innocent until his old boss, the bank president, offers him his job back now that he's 'returned from Australia'. Bob takes it and like looks good. However, two problems soon are brewing--an ex-con who might just be pressuring Bob to pay him or else as well as the vice president of the bank who is a crook. How does Palmer handle all this? See the film and find out for yourself.
While Regis Toomey is not a big-name actor (though he was in a ton of films and TV shows) and Monarch Films certainly isn't a big-name studio, the film works well mostly because the acting was quite good. The script, while very simple, is still enjoyable as well. Worth seeing, as it's a decent example of a B-movie that manages to still entertain.
Not To Be Confused With THE CRIMINAL CODE
boblipton13 May 2019
Regis Toomey finishes serving his sentence and returns home to his mother, Virginia True Boardman. He's convinced everyone in town that he's been knocking around the world. He gets back his old job at the bank and resumes his courtship of Helen Cohan. This puts Robert Ellis' nose out of joint. Ellis has been trying to make time with the bank president's daughter, and he has a lot of gambling debts. He decides on a plan to get some money and put the blame on Toomey.
There's nothing in this second feature that comes as a surprise, although director George Melford stages one scene very nicely; Toomey, Miss Boardman and Miss Cohan are in the kitchen, making cookies, with a cat draped around his neck. Still, despite the overt good intentions on the need of society to recognize that some people serve their time and be accepted back into society -- there's a long title at the beginning to drive home this point -- it's a dully written story.
There's nothing in this second feature that comes as a surprise, although director George Melford stages one scene very nicely; Toomey, Miss Boardman and Miss Cohan are in the kitchen, making cookies, with a cat draped around his neck. Still, despite the overt good intentions on the need of society to recognize that some people serve their time and be accepted back into society -- there's a long title at the beginning to drive home this point -- it's a dully written story.
"Do You Happen to Know Where Brisbane Is??"
kidboots17 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Once talkies arrived the crime movie came into it's own and by 1932 there wasn't an aspect of crime that hadn't been touched on. In fact the gangster trend was vanishing, being replaced in the public favour by smart talking lawyers, reporters etc - even gossip newscasters and when criminals turned up they were often figures of fun (Allen Jenkins). Another genre that turned up in 1932 was the social protest film where film makers tried to show another side to the "flogged to death" crime movie, one where the villain was a society who wouldn't give the prisoner, who had served his time and was trying his best to go straight, a chance.
Regis Toomey who had made such an impact in "Alibi" but was destined to spend a lot of his long career in programmers played Bob Palmer who has been gone from his home for two years. In fact "do you know where Brisbane is?" is a question that occupies his mother for the first ten minutes as she receives word from Bob that he has settled in Australia but not long enough, it seems, for him to give his mother an address where she can reach him. The reality is that Bob has been in prison but because he is ashamed to let people (especially his mother) know exactly where he is he has been using a mail service that sends letters to loved ones from anywhere in the world. It is also a service that the police have had their eye on as a cover for a blackmailing racket - but even though the seedy manager tracks Bob down to his home town and threatens to make trouble - that storyline goes nowhere!!
For a "no frills film" it does try to tackle a serious subject - what reality is like for the ex-con trying to live down his past - it just doesn't do it very well. Apart from the initial night with his family when Bob has passed off as Australian, souvenirs that he bought from the local curio shop, life settles down as normal for Bob - he is even reinstated at his old job at the bank. One person who is not pleased is Jim, a keen suitor of Margie (she of course has always been true to Bob), he is not impressed by Bob's tall Australian tales and has a plan to put Bob on the outer. Jim is in debt and his shonky IOUs aren't cutting it with the local thugs, he also knows that Bob has been in prison and that he didn't deserve to be there. You won't need 5 minutes to guess what is going to happen - Jim suddenly wants Bob to do some overtime on the night he is planning to rob the safe but Bob puts a spanner in the works when he has to return for his coat. Of course he catches Jim in the act and their scuffle gives the movie the only action it can boast of!!
Helen Cohan made a cute leading lady. She was George M. Cohan's daughter and while she was a 1934 Wampas Baby Star, she only appeared in three films of which "The Penal Code" was her only lead.
Regis Toomey who had made such an impact in "Alibi" but was destined to spend a lot of his long career in programmers played Bob Palmer who has been gone from his home for two years. In fact "do you know where Brisbane is?" is a question that occupies his mother for the first ten minutes as she receives word from Bob that he has settled in Australia but not long enough, it seems, for him to give his mother an address where she can reach him. The reality is that Bob has been in prison but because he is ashamed to let people (especially his mother) know exactly where he is he has been using a mail service that sends letters to loved ones from anywhere in the world. It is also a service that the police have had their eye on as a cover for a blackmailing racket - but even though the seedy manager tracks Bob down to his home town and threatens to make trouble - that storyline goes nowhere!!
For a "no frills film" it does try to tackle a serious subject - what reality is like for the ex-con trying to live down his past - it just doesn't do it very well. Apart from the initial night with his family when Bob has passed off as Australian, souvenirs that he bought from the local curio shop, life settles down as normal for Bob - he is even reinstated at his old job at the bank. One person who is not pleased is Jim, a keen suitor of Margie (she of course has always been true to Bob), he is not impressed by Bob's tall Australian tales and has a plan to put Bob on the outer. Jim is in debt and his shonky IOUs aren't cutting it with the local thugs, he also knows that Bob has been in prison and that he didn't deserve to be there. You won't need 5 minutes to guess what is going to happen - Jim suddenly wants Bob to do some overtime on the night he is planning to rob the safe but Bob puts a spanner in the works when he has to return for his coat. Of course he catches Jim in the act and their scuffle gives the movie the only action it can boast of!!
Helen Cohan made a cute leading lady. She was George M. Cohan's daughter and while she was a 1934 Wampas Baby Star, she only appeared in three films of which "The Penal Code" was her only lead.
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