released 1942 Gangster comedy
Baby Face Morgan
Baby Face Morgan is a 1942 American comedy of errors crime film directed by Arthur Dreifuss. It stars Mary Carlisle and Richard Cromwell.
With America engaged in fighting World War II, the traditional gangsters have fallen on tough times. 'Doc' Rogers (Robert Armstrong) summons criminals from around the nation for a summit. He proposes that the only way they can regain their former wealth and influence is by uniting under a strong leader. As the now deceased Mob Boss "Big Morgan" was their greatest leader, Rogers, his lieutenant, decides to bring in Morgan's son Edward 'Baby Face' Morgan (Richard Cromwell) to lead the gangsters. Rogers sends two of his loyal but dim-witted henchmen to see whether Edward has the capabilities of his father, and if he does, to bring him back.
Edward, who never knew his father or the life he led, is a small-town delivery boy. The two henchmen misinterpret his account of taking collections and leaving pineapples as proof he uses hand grenades to support his extortion racket and brings him back to Doc. Doc immediately sees that Edward and his cousin Ollie (Chick Chandler) are naive youngsters but decides to use Edward's name as a unifying element. However, Doc ensures that the gangsters never meet Edward nor does Edward meet the criminals or know what business they are in. Doc sets Edward and Ollie up as President and Vice President of one of Big Morgan's shelf corporations called the Acme Protection Agency where the profits of the criminals' extortion rackets are deposited. Edward and Ollie believe they are running an insurance company staffed with one of Doc's henchmen, his moll and an office full of rabbits that the henchman wants to use to make a fur coat for his moll. The criminals are told that Big Morgan's brutal son "Baby Face" is running things and they believe Doc's stories of his cruelty. Much hilarity ensues.
Cast
Mary Carlisle as Virginia Clark
Richard Cromwell as Edward 'Baby Face' Morgan
Robert Armstrong as 'Doc' Rogers
Chick Chandler as Oliver Harrison
Warren Hymer as Wise Willie
Charles Judels as 'Deacon' Davis
Vince Barnett as Lefty Lewis
Ralf Harolde as Joe Torelli
Hal K. Dawson as J.B. Brown
Toddy Peterson as Mabel
Kenneth Chryst as 'Mouse'
Pierce Lyden as Gap
text from wikipedia
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