Dangerous Business
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
D. Ross Lederman
Forrest Tucker
Lynn Merrick
Gerald Mohr
Gus Schilling
Shemp Howard
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1941, at the Central Law School commencement ceremony, utilities magnate B. J. Calhoun delivers the commencement address, promising, as sponsor of the graduating class, to assist and advise the novice lawyers. After they are awarded their law degrees, sweethearts Clayton Russell and Lizbeth Ellsworth pledge to marry as soon as they earn $10,000. Their plans are postponed, however, when Pearl Harbor is bombed, sending Clay to enlist in the armed forces while Liz contributes to the war effort in Washington, D. C. After the war ends, Clay returns home, accompanied by his new friend Alexander Pough, a petty thief and fellow combat veteran. Although Clay is eager to marry, Liz holds him to their graduation pledge. Six long weeks later, they are eagerly awaiting their first client when Alex comes to the office with news that Calhoun has been jailed for embezzlement, and Clay enlists Alex's help in securing Calhoun as a client. Claiming that he was framed by his lawyer Fluger, Calhoun has refused all legal representation. At Calhoun's arraignment, Alex wins his confidence and reminds him about his inspirational graduation speech. When Calhoun confides that he fears for his life and therefore wants to remain in jail, Alex convinces him that Clay and Liz will both protect and defend him. Unable to raise Calhoun's bail, Alex persuades Liz's mother, Mrs. Abigail Ellsworth, to mortgage her house. Still shy several thousand dollars, Alex borrows the money from Duke, an underworld figure. After Calhoun is released from jail, Alex arranges for Gus, another petty crook, to guard him as he takes refuge at the Ellsworth house. However, Gus is secretly in league with Monk and Bert, two shady characters who are in the employ of Fluger, the lawyer who framed Calhoun. Following Gus to the Ellsworth house, Bert and Monk kidnap Calhoun. Upon discovering Calhoun's abduction, Liz and Clay join Alex as he questions his criminal cohorts. One informant leads them to a housing development in the suburbs, where they find the discarded robe that Calhoun had been wearing. Fearing the Calhoun has been murdered, they all return to Clay and Liz's office and Liz learns that her mother has mortgaged the house to raise Calhoun's bail. To redeem Mrs. Ellsworth's bail money, Alex decides to steal a body from the morgue and present him as Calhoun at the trial, thus guaranteeing the return of the bail. Appalled, Clay insists on immediately returning the body to the morgue. After they return the corpse, Duke, desirous of obtaining his money, decides to duplicate Alex's stunt and steals the body himself. Gus, meanwhile, feeling sorry for Mrs. Ellsworth, offers to take her to Fluger's hideout. While eavesdropping at the window, Mrs. Ellsworth hears Fluger trying to force Calhoun to plead guilty to embezzlement. Outraged, she protests, prompting Fluger to order Monte and Bert to lock both her and Calhoun in a room and later dispose of them. Meanwhile, as Liz worries about her missing mother, the police arrive at the Ellsworth house and accuse Clay of murdering Calhoun. When they explain that they found Clay's hat next to Calhoun's corpse, Clay protests that Calhoun is still alive. Gus and Alex then arrive, and after overpowering the police, Gus leads Alex, Clay and Liz to Fluger's hideout. As a fight ensues, the police arrive and find Mrs. Ellsworth and Calhoun hiding in a closet. After Fluger and his cohorts are arrested, Calhoun, his faith restored in the justice system, hires Clay and Liz to represent him, and his $10,000 retainer fee finally allows them to marry.
Director
D. Ross Lederman
Cast
Forrest Tucker
Lynn Merrick
Gerald Mohr
Gus Schilling
Shemp Howard
Frank Sully
Cora Witherspoon
Thurston Hall
William Forrest
Matt Willis
Ben Welden
Vernon Dent
Jack Gordon
Thomas Kingston
Lew Harvey
Bob Perry
William Kahn
Charles Perry
Jeffrey Sayre
Eddie Fetherstone
George Lloyd
Ernie Adams
John Harmon
Cy Malis
Jack Frack
Jack Stoney
Pat Flaherty
Eddie Dunn
Ray Teal
Charles C. Wilson
Donna Dax
Harry Tenbrook
Crew
Mischa Bakaleinikoff
James M. Crowe
Lambert Day
Richard Fantl
Philip Faulkner
Milton Feldman
George B. Meehan Jr.
Vera Mikol
Robert Peterson
Ted Richmond
Victor Scheurich
Hal Smith
J. S. Westmoreland
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Power of Attorney. A November 1945 Hollywood Reporter news item notes that Janis Carter was initially slated to play "Lizbeth Ellsworth." Although the character is called "Lizbeth" throughout the film, in the opening commencement address she is called "Carol."
