International Crime

Charles Lamont's "International Crime" (1938) is the second in a series of movies inspired by pulp fiction, such as the Shadow novels penned by Maxwell Grant. Starring Rod La Rocque in the role of Lamont Cranston, it ranks highly among the classic detective movies of the '30s. The hard-boiled tenor of the movie, and La Rocque's spare dialogue adds charm and charisma to a highly detailed story, where the reporter tries to unravel a mystery surrounding a wealthy financier's murder. Complications arise whenhe unknowingly discovers a cabal of foreign mercenaries.