"Criminals Within" exemplified one of many espionage thrillers that Hollywood flooded the market with before World War II. These pictures did not cost as much to make since the stories occurred in the United States and the villains who were usually fifth columnists working for an unknown government. Ostensibly, this movie amounts to little, aside from its director who made a reputation for his himself in later films. "Secret Evidence" story contributor Edward Bennett penned the screenplay from "Texas to Bataan" scenarist Arthur Hoerl's story. The action imitates the typical Hitchcock thriller that incriminates an innocent for a crime he didn't commit. Everything about "Criminals Within" complies with the formula, right down to the racist abuse of African-Americans as secondary characters in typically subservient roles.
Director Joseph H. Lewis gets "Criminals Within" off to a bang-up start. An U.S. Army officer meets with a civilian scientist at a huge, three-story, brick building, in a locked room with the legend Research Dept. and Chemical Div. inscribed on the marbled glass door panel. The bespectacled Professor Carroll (George Lynn of "Hitler's Madman") produces spherical glass containers and demonstrates the formula for a top-secret military explosive. "I wouldn't risk putting anything so valuable in writing," Carroll taps his head, "I keep it here." He mixes the chemicals while the officer watches. "I shall demonstrate the process to you and you alone so that only you and I will know it." Director Lewis frames the medium shot perfectly so that we see both individuals with the glass paneled door in the background. The shadow of an unknown assailant appears at the door between the officer and Professor Carroll. Lewis cuts to a medium shot of the man behind the door and the guy smashes the glass, thrusts his revolver through the crack, and guns down Professor Carroll.
The Army officer phones Military Intelligence and Martin forms a plan. "For the present, his death must remain an absolute secret," Martin informs the officer. "I'll be here to work with you." Nobody else knew about Professor Carroll's research except his younger brother, Corporal Greg Carroll (Eric Linden of "Gone with the Wind"), in Selective Service at Camp Madison. Captain Bryant (Robert Frazer of "Robin Hood"), Carroll's superior officer, summons him and inquires about a valuable document missing from his safe. Carroll had filed the document away for safekeeping. (Incidentally, Frazer as the distinction of being the first actor to portray Robin Hood.) Initially, Bryant believed Carroll had stolen the paper. Carroll remembers a list of scientists on the document, but the Bryant prohibits him from mentioning any names in front of Lieutenant John Harmon (Donald Curtis of "Bataan") who is romantically linked with Alma. Interestingly, instead of a portrait of Franklin Roosevelt on Captain Bryant's office, a picture of Abraham Lincoln hangs there. Bryant is concerned when Alma Barton (Constance Worth of "Meet Boston Blackie") enters the filing room while Greg is searching for the paper. He fears that she may have access to privileged information.
Bryant detains Carroll in the guard house, but our hero escapes to warn his brother. You see, Carroll doesn't know his brother has been murdered. Our hero gets a little help from parties unknown when he finds the jail cell key in his meal. Carroll goes to the Recreation Hall to telephone his brother, but his brother's assistant answers and says he hasn't seen the professor. Carroll conceals himself in an out-of-order phone booth in the recreation room with Barton's blessing. Bryant visits around closing time. He tries to pry information out of a reluctant Barton. She conceals coded messages in the high heels of her shoes and regularly sends an African-American private with them to a cobbler, Carl Flegler (I. Stanford Jolly), who serves as the go-between for an espionage ring. Naturally, since "Criminals Within" is a pre-World War II movie, the identity of the foreign government is never disclosed. The cobbler passes the shoes along to men in suits ensconced in another office on the premises.
Meanwhile, Barton grows scared enough of Bryant that she has him murdered in the Recreation Hall. Carroll discovers Bryant's corpse in time to get away before Lieutenant Harmon shows up with security. Initially, Carroll throws Harmon off the trail by smashing a window and then taking refuge in the out-of-order phone booth again to mislead them. When he overhears the lieutenant phone Alma, Carroll slips out the window and heads to her apartment. Meantime, a sergeant who was a former newspaperman calls newspaperwoman Linda (Ann Doran of "Mr. Skeffington") and she gets on the case. Linda employs a loquacious African-American maid Mamie (Bernie Pilot) whose boyfriend is none other than Sam Dillingham (Dudley Dickerson of "Kentucky"), the canteen orderly. Clearly, the filmmakers ignored military customs since Sam never wears his cap. Anyway, Sam has been delivering Alma's secret messages without realizing it. Linda hustles over to Alma's apartment and Greg arrives not long after. She hides in the hallway and Greg discovers Alma has been murdered. About that time, fifth columnist Stanley Hume (Dennis Moore) arrives and demands to see Alma. Greg clobbers him, stashes him bound and gagged in a closet, and leaves dressed in his clothes. On the way out the door, Linda intercepts Greg. They team up and narrowly miss Lt. Harmon and his MPs heading for Alma's apartment.
This low-budget espionage thriller appears to have been shot largely within the confines of a studio. Aside from the guard gate and the sign of the base, we never see anything remotely resembling the actual exteriors of a military installation. Since gas was rationed during the war, the filmmakers only intermittently show scenes involving vehicles in motion. One character sums up "Criminals Within" concisely with the line: "Oh, brother, this is worse than a movie melodrama." The best thing about this mystery is the identity of the traitor. "Criminals Within" qualifies as an efficient but unremarkable potboiler.
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