Main Cast: Brian Donlevy, Claire Trevor, Forrest Tucker, Vera Ralston, Luther Adler
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
The Kefauver Committee's ongoing investigation of organized crime spawned several "Torn from Today's Headlines!" films in the early 1950s. Republic's Hoodlum Empire concerns the efforts by gangster Joe Gray (John Russell) to get out of the rackets after WW II. Part of Gray's "reclamation" is to testify at a public hearing, prompting a series of flashbacks. Part of the fun is to guess who all the "fictional" criminals are really supposed to be: Luther Adler's character may be called "Nicky Mancini," for example, but for all intents and purposes Adler is playing Frank "Fifth Amendment" Costello. Other famous underworld personages are impersonated by Claire Trevor, Forrest Tucker and Roy Barcroft, while the steadfast Estes Kefauver counterpart is portrayed by Brian Donlevy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Frank Arrigo - Art Director, Adele Palmer - Costume Designer, Joseph Kane - Director, Richard Van Enger - Editor, Nathan Scott - Composer (Music Score), Reggie Lanning - Cinematographer, Joseph Kane - Producer, Herbert J. Yates - Producer, Bob Considine - Screenwriter, Bruce Manning - Screenwriter
