The Last Crooked Mile (1946)

Three robbers hold up a bank. In the ensuing chase they are killed when their car crashes, but the money is not there, so it is assumed it was ditched somehow when they switched cars. Brash private eye Tom Dwyer (Don "Red" Barry) volunteers his services to locate the money. His first stop is Bonnie (Adele Mara), an old girlfriend, whom he stood up but who evidently still likes him. He takes her to the carnival, and the man behind them on the roller coaster is strangled.

Next stop is to a nightclub singer who had been the girl of one of the holdup gang, but who is trying to live it down. She who warns him that what happened to the man on the roller coaster could happen to him. Next, they go to see the getaway car, which has been sold to the carnival. It turns out that someone named McGwire (Sheldon Leonard) is trying to buy it. Barry sneaks into the display room at night and cuts open the running board of the car - and guess what? There is the money.

And by the way, there is a nice surprise ending.




Don Barry