Contraband

A quiet small-town crime story told with earnest silent-era sincerity, building mild suspense as a newcomer confronts local corruption.

Directed by

Alan Crosland

Genres

Drama

Starring

Lois Wilson, Noah Beery, Raymond Hatton

Overview

After inheriting a newspaper in a small country town, Carmel Lee leaves her home in the city to take charge of it. She soon discovers that the town is terrorized by a band of bootleggers, who abduct and later kill the local sheriff. With the aid of Professor Pell, who has been recently fired as school superintendent, Carmel makes a public issue of the sheriff's murder, editorializing in her paper for justice and reform. Pell and Carmel are kidnapped by the bootleggers, but Carmel escapes and alerts the police. The bootleggers are arrested, the sheriff's murder in solved, and Abner Fownes, a politician and one of the town's leading citizens, is uncovered as the leader of the gang.

How it feels

Tense, earnest and dark. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Corruption, justice, crime, power

Content

Mild violence. No gore, sexual content or swearing.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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