AllMovie

Mischa Auer's fake Swami Yomurda of Sinister Hands returned in Sucker Money, a crime drama set among newspaper reporters. Assigned to investigate the psychic rackets, cub reporter Jimmy Reeves (Earl McCarthy) goes undercover and is hired by the Swami to impersonate the clients' dead relatives. The gang, which also includes the alcoholic Mame (Mae Busch), Lukis (Fletcher Norton), and Chicago Kate (Mona Lisa), targets investment banker John Walton (Ralph Lewis), whose daughter, Clare (Phyllis Barrington), has become attracted to Jimmy. The latter tells her the truth, but his confession is overheard by one of the Swami's henchmen and soon everyone is locked up in a "death house," Walton being told to fork over 20,000 dollars (or else!). Convincing Lukis that she desperately needs a drink, Mame goes straight to Jimmy's city editor and the police raid the "death house." The Swami manages to flee with Clare, but is eventually killed by the pursuing cops. When the dust settles, Jimmy proposes to Clare, determined to leave the newspaper racket behind and become a banker in Oshkosh.