In 1930 Conrad Nagel was the most wanted man in Hollywood - wanted for his romantic good looks but especially for his clear speaking voice - 9 films in 1929, 10 in 1930, 8 in 1931. Even Nagel joked he couldn't find a film to go to in which he wasn't featured but it didn't last and 1932 found him playing a villain in a William Haines feature - not a good sign and by the time he got a solid role in "Bank Alarm" his film days were numbered. He was paired with Eleanor Hunt, a chorus girl in the original Ziegfeld production of "Whoopee" who was catapulted to the female lead when Ruth Etting proved unavailable for the movie. Unfortunately her career was a series of shorts and uncredited bits, in fact "Bank Alarm" is apparently the movie she is known for.
At Grand National they proved a popular team but the little studio didn't last very long. Initially it scored a bullseye by being the company that was able to release James Cagney's two independent releases and even though they weren't up to the standard of his Warner films they were still a feather in Grand National's cap. The problem was the rest of the releases were just standard stuff. Conrad Nagel hardly had the dynamics of Cagney.
This is a nifty little crime yarn with Nagel and Hunt reprising characters they had played in a previous movie. Dept. of Justice's Alan O'Connor is already involved in trying to get to the bottom of the murder of crime king pin O'Hearn when his sister calls in for a visit. "That sister of mine is a sweet kid" he says to Bobbie (Hunt) in a nightclub - just to let you know there is going to be trouble. She has met Jerry Turner on the plane who is passing himself off as a movie producer, in reality he has been bought to Hollywood by racketeer Karlotti (Wheeler Oakman being his usual slimy self) to do a "job". He is to go to Nevada, posing as a vagrant where he will be picked up and taken to jail where the city's safe is located - a piece of cake!! Suddenly a rash of bank robberies break out and O'Conner and Bobbie trace the crook's stolen car to a desolate farm where the unwilling owner gives conflicting descriptions of the robbers.
Meanwhile Bobbie (who has more to do than Alan) ingratiates herself into a job as Karlotti's publicity agent - but Vince Barnett as the "comic" relief is around just often enough to see she needs a last minute rescue from Alan. Grand National ceased as a studio in 1939 but it did give Conrad Nagel a chance to direct his first film "Love Takes Flight" - although in later years he was dismissive of it.
At Grand National they proved a popular team but the little studio didn't last very long. Initially it scored a bullseye by being the company that was able to release James Cagney's two independent releases and even though they weren't up to the standard of his Warner films they were still a feather in Grand National's cap. The problem was the rest of the releases were just standard stuff. Conrad Nagel hardly had the dynamics of Cagney.
This is a nifty little crime yarn with Nagel and Hunt reprising characters they had played in a previous movie. Dept. of Justice's Alan O'Connor is already involved in trying to get to the bottom of the murder of crime king pin O'Hearn when his sister calls in for a visit. "That sister of mine is a sweet kid" he says to Bobbie (Hunt) in a nightclub - just to let you know there is going to be trouble. She has met Jerry Turner on the plane who is passing himself off as a movie producer, in reality he has been bought to Hollywood by racketeer Karlotti (Wheeler Oakman being his usual slimy self) to do a "job". He is to go to Nevada, posing as a vagrant where he will be picked up and taken to jail where the city's safe is located - a piece of cake!! Suddenly a rash of bank robberies break out and O'Conner and Bobbie trace the crook's stolen car to a desolate farm where the unwilling owner gives conflicting descriptions of the robbers.
Meanwhile Bobbie (who has more to do than Alan) ingratiates herself into a job as Karlotti's publicity agent - but Vince Barnett as the "comic" relief is around just often enough to see she needs a last minute rescue from Alan. Grand National ceased as a studio in 1939 but it did give Conrad Nagel a chance to direct his first film "Love Takes Flight" - although in later years he was dismissive of it.