''Behind the Mask'' is a 1932 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

directed by John Francis Dillon and starring Jack Holt,

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

and

Edward Van Sloan Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and ''Th ...

Plot

A federal agent (Holt) goes undercover to infiltrate a drug smuggling operation headed by a mysterious Mr. X (Van Sloan), a criminal mastermind whose identity is unknown even to his henchmen. Mr. X is also running a bogus hospital where victims are killed on the operating table, and their coffins stuffed with narcotics. The drug-filled coffins are then buried in a cemetery.

Cast

* Jack Holt as Jack Hart aka Quinn *

Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate Logan (née Cu ...

as Julie Arnold *

as Jim Henderson *

Claude King Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain". Biography King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ...

as Arnold *

Bertha Mann Bertha Mann (October 21, 1893 – December 20, 1967) was an American stage and film actress. Early life Mann was born in Atlanta, Georgia."Raymond Griffith to Wed Actress" ''New York Times'' (January 4, 1928): 31. via ProQuest She trained as a ...

as Nurse Edwards *

as Dr. August Steiner / Dr. Alec Munsell / Mr. X *

Willard Robertson Willard Robertson (January 1, 1886 – April 5, 1948) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1924 and 1948. He was born in Runnels, Texas, and died in Hollywood, California. Biography Robertson first w ...

as Capt. E.J. Hawkes *

Thomas E. Jackson Thomas E. Jackson (July 4, 1886 – September 7, 1967) was an American stage and screen actor. His 67-year career spanned eight decades and two centuries, during which time he appeared in over a dozen Broadway plays, produced two others, acted i ...

as Agent Burke (as Tommy Jackson)

References

External links

* * 1932 films 1930s crime thriller films American black-and-white films American police detective films American crime thriller films Films directed by John Francis Dillon Columbia Pictures films Films with screenplays by Jo Swerling 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-US-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links