The Secret Six (1931) Starring: Wallace Beery, Lewis
Stone, John Mack Brown Directed by George Hill. Screenplay by Frances Marion.
Producer: Irving Thalberg. Run time: 83 minutes. USA Black and White. Drama.
Gangster.
1931 seems to be the beginning of the gangster genre in
Hollywood with the release of three films that sort of set the standards for
the genre: Scarface,
Little Caesar and The Public Enemy. Not wanting to be left out of
the trend, MGM released their first such film that same year, The Secret
Six.
According to Variety, writing about the film at the time it was being made, several elements of this film are traceable to actual gangster activities of the time and about a group of rich vigilantes who helped take down mobsters in 1930’s Chicago. While the film is not hailed by critics the way the other three films were, The Secret Six is notable for other reasons. The film marks the debut of actor Ralph Bellamy and the rise of both Clark Gable and Jean Harlow on their way towards stardom.
