Crime Unlimited
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Crime Unlimited is a 1935 British film that was made as a Quota quickie. It was directed by Ralph Ince.
[edit] Plot
The Merrick gang have pulled off a diamond robbery and murdered a police officer investigating their crimes. A paper saying "AD 1935" was found on the murdered officer' body. Outsmarted by the gang, the police assistant commissioner and Inspector Cardby decide to plant a new recruit, who the gang would not know, to go undercover and join the gang in order to betray their plans. Pete Borden is the police's inside man. When he enters the gang's gambling den, he meets Natascha, the daughter of a deceased Russian immigrant who had got involved in the gang. The gang then recruits Pete and Merrick, the gang's mysterious leader who nobody sees and who plays chess, assigns him to check on Delaney, a crooked bookie. Pete then meets Newell, a lawyer. The gang then installs Pete in an apartment, and after he tips the police off by tossing a note to an officer when the gang isn't looking, the police install detectives in the room opposite. One of the detectives is deaf and can read lips, so Pete communicates the gang's plans by mouthing the words.
The gang plans to steal rich woman Lady Mead's necklace at a party she is giving. Pete goes to the party with Natascha, while the police attend the party undercover, and send Lady Sybil, a society gossip columnist, to observe. At the party Pete runs into Conway Addison, a lawyer. The light goes out, and when it goes back on Natascha has disappeared and the necklace has been stolen. Inspector Cardby pretends to arrest Pete, but lets him go once they are outside. Natascha later visits Pete and tells him that she wants to leave the gang, but one of the gang overhears her.
After the gang finds some of their plans tipped off to the police, they soon realize that Pete is with them, and give him false information about a job they are planning. While the police are waiting for them in one place, they conduct the job somewhere else. As insurance they bring Pete along, and then take him to Merrick's house. Merrick asks to see Pete alone, and when Pete comes in Merrick is revealed to be Conway Addison, who says he has become tired of defending ordinary cases and wants to conduct the perfect crime. Meanwhile, Natascha has been kept back in Pete's apartment, and as she is being taken to Merrick's house, she causes the car to go off the road. She then tells a police officer where she was headed. Back at the house, Conway tries to gas the whole gang, but the police arrive in the nick of time, and Conway is shot and the gang arrested. Pete wants Natascha to stay with him, but he is told that Natascha must go with the gang.
[edit] Cast
- Esmond Knight ... Pete Borden
- Lilli Palmer ... Natasha
- Cecil Parker ... Assistant Commissioner
- George Merritt ... Inspector Cardby
- Raymond Lovell ... Delaney
- Wyndham Goldie ... Conway Addison
- Peter Gawthorne ... Newall
- Jane Millican ... Lady Sybil
- Stella Arbenina ... Lady Mead
