Chicago Syndicate (film)

Chicago Syndicate
Chicago Syndicate
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Fred F. Sears
Screenplay by	Joseph Hoffman
Story by	William Sackheim
Produced by	Sam Katzman
Starring	Dennis O'Keefe; Abbe Lane
Cinematography	Henry Freulich; Fred Jackman Jr.
Edited by	Viola Lawrence
Color process	Black and white
Production; company	Sam Katzman Productions
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	July 1, 1955;
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Chicago Syndicate is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Dennis O'Keefe and Abbe Lane.^[1]

Plot

Accountant and war hero Barry Amsterdam is asked by Chicago newspaper editor David Healey and civic leaders to go undercover and infiltrate the crime syndicate of Arnold Valent, who runs a corrupt insurance business. Valent is believed responsible for murdering bookkeeper Nelson Kern, who had gone to the newspaper with proof of the criminal activity.

Barry hears how Kern's wife then committed suicide and daughter Joyce was committed to an institution. That and a $60,000 reward convince him to accept the dangerous job. He goes to a nightclub Valent owns, the Maracas, meeting a woman named Sue Morton who helps him gain access. There he meets Valent's girlfriend, singer Connie Peters. He then tells Valent he was a witness to Kern's murder and will go to police unless Valent makes him a better offer.

Valent hires but doesn't trust him, at least until Barry, secretly working with the police, arranges a jewel theft and insurance scam. Turning again to Sue Morton for help, she pulls a gun on Barry and orders him to leave. But she learns from police who he really is, Sue works with Barry, revealing she is actually the murdered man's daughter, Joyce Kern.

Unable to find some incriminating microfilm, Barry runs out of options until he schemes to make Connie jealous by introducing the other woman to Valent, who makes a play for her. Connie threatens to expose Valent, whose thugs give her a brutal beating. She gets the microfilm to Barry, who is shot and wounded before Valent is killed by the police.

Cast

Dennis O'Keefe as Barry Amsterdam
Abbe Lane as Connie Peters
Paul Stewart as Arnold 'Arnie' Valent
Xavier Cugat as Benny Chico
Allison Hayes as Joyce Kern – alias Sue Morton
Richard H. Cutting as David Healey / Narrator
Chris Alcaide as Nate
William Challee as Dolan
John Zaremba as Det. Lt. Robert Fenton
George Brand as Jack Roper
Hugh Sanders as Pat Winters
Mark Hanna as Brad Lacey
Carroll McComas as Mrs. Valent

Production

The King Brothers sued Columbia and Clover Productions for damages of $1 million due to their using the title Chicago Syndicate, claiming they registered the title The Syndicate in 1950.^[2]

References

^ Chicago Syndicate at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
^ "$1,000,000 SUIT FILED OVER USE OF FILM TITLE". Los Angeles Times. Jan 21, 1955. p. 7.

External links

Chicago Syndicate at IMDb
Chicago Syndicate at AllMovie
Chicago Syndicate at the TCM Movie Database
Chicago Syndicate on RetroFlix

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[1] Chicago Syndicate at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

[2] "$1,000,000 SUIT FILED OVER USE OF FILM TITLE". Los Angeles Times. Jan 21, 1955. p. 7.

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