The Big Shakedown (1934)
Directed by John Francis Dillon
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Synopsis by Sandra Brennan
An idealistic but naive pharmacist believes the mobsters who claim they want him to manufacture illegal medicine to help out the poor. That the deal will pad his own pockets with much-needed cash only sweetens the arrangement. This melodrama chronicles the tragic results of his actions. He wants the extra money so he can get married. The scheme works and things are fine until his bride announces her pregnancy and insists that he get out of the racket. Unfortunately, the brutal mobsters refuse to let him out. Not long after, his bride miscarries the baby and nearly dies when a well-meaning doctor injects her with some of the druggist's own bad medicine. This causes the pharmacist to go berserk with rage and have a violent confrontation with the villainous mob boss.
Characteristics
Keywords
bad-guy, criminal, death, doctor/nurse, drugs, factory, family, fraud, good-guy, hospital, husband, manufacturer, marital-problems, marriage, medical, scheme, sweetheart, threat, toddlers, underworld, wife
