3 months ago

Amateur Crook is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Sam Katzman. The film is also known as Crooked But Dumb (in the United Kingdom) and Jewel Thief (American TV title).

SYNOPSIS
Jerry Cummings, a mining engineer, has pledged a large diamond on a short-term note to a pair of crooked loan sharks, Crone and Jan Jaffin, and heads for Mexico. His daughter Betsy, posing as a jewel thief called Mary Layton, is working to keep the crooks from absconding with the jewel, and her efforts are hindered greatly by an artist, Jimmy Baxter, who thinks she is a crook and Crone and Jaffin the good guys.

Joan Barclay as Betsy Cummings takes a job as a secretary, using the alias “Mary Layton”, only to find that her Father (Forrest Taylor as Jerry Cummings) is being cheated by his brokers, Monte Blue as Crone and Jack Mulhall as Jan Jaffin.

She steals the diamond, worth fifty thousand dollars, her Father used as collateral for a loan, which the brokers plan to cheat him out of; and, the chase is on, with the crooked loan sharks and police after her.

Bruce Bennett (Billed as Herman Brix, one of the movie serials “Tarzans”) as Jimmy Baxter, an honest but broke artist, hides her as a mannequin, and helps her get away, in a stolen car.

They just have to keep ahead of everyone after them, until her Father can get back, if he can get back, with the brokers’ crooked henchmen trying to stop him.

CAST & CREW
Bruce Bennett as Jimmy Baxter
Joan Barclay as Betsy Cummings, alias Mary Layton
Monte Blue as Crone
Jack Mulhall as Jan Jaffin
Vivien Oakland as Mrs. Flint, Landlady
Jimmy Aubrey as Ben Armand, Junk Dealer
Fuzzy Knight as Jape, the Gas-Station Attendant
Henry Roquemore as Judge Ephraim
Edward Earle as Deputy Jonas
Forrest Taylor as Jerry Cummings
Fern Emmett as Sarah, Ephraim's Wife
Sam Adams as Policeman
Charles Williams as Drunk Witness

Directed by Sam Katzman
Written by Basil Dickey (story and screenplay)
Produced by Sam Katzman (producer)
Cinematography William Hyer
Edited by Holbrook N. Todd
Production company Victory Pictures
Distributed by Victory Pictures
Release date December 10, 1937
Running time 60 minutes
Country United States
Language English