''I Can't Escape'' is a 1934 American film directed by

Otto Brower Otto Brower (December 2, 1890 – January 25, 1946) was an American film director. He directed more than 40 films between 1928 and 1946. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and died in Hollywood, California, from a myocardial infarction, ...

. The film is also known as ''The Magic Vault'' (American alternative title).

Plot

Steve Nichols, attired in

full evening dress White tie, also called full evening dress or a dress suit, is the most formal evening Western dress code. For men, it consists of a black tail coat (alternatively referred to as a dress coat, usually by tailors) worn over a white dress shirt ...

, asks where he can get an alcoholic drink. The surprised man tells Steve since

Prohibition in the United States The Prohibition era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, an ...

was repealed he can find one anywhere. Going to a

night club A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

, he sits alone at a table. A

call girl A call girl or female escort is a prostitute who (unlike a street prostitution, street walker) does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by ...

named Mae enters the club and asks the bartender where her client she is to rendezvous with is; the bartender mistakenly points to Steve. The two find they have rapport, but the one who really hired Mae, an obnoxious university student reclaims Mae in an obnoxious way. Mae criticises Steve's behaviour that as he won't fight for what is his, he's not much of a man. Steve candidly replies that he has just been released from prison for good behaviour and would return for five years of his sentence if he acted violently. He also admits his evening dress is rented. The student, encouraged by the fact that Steve won't give him any problems, publicly abuses Mae in the club. Steve leaps into action to physically instruct the punk in acceptable etiquette and carries on the lesson with the punk's friends. Mae turns out the lights in the club in order for the pair to make their escape. Realising they are destined to forever love each other, Steve and Mae marry. Steve can find no work without references as well as his prison record except for walking the streets as a

human billboard A human billboard is someone who displays an advertisement on their person. Most commonly, this means holding or wearing a sign of some sort, but also may include wearing advertising as clothing or in extreme cases, having advertising tattooed on ...

for one dollar a day. Steve is about to go to a life of crime until Mae threatens to return to her own ways that stops Steve in his tracks. Things change when an

investment management Investment management (sometimes referred to more generally as financial asset management) is the professional asset management of various Security (finance), securities, including shareholdings, Bond (finance), bonds, and other assets, such as r ...

business hires Steve if he'll break his parole conditions and work under a false name; Steve agrees. Things are looking up until a starving young man comes to their home searching for Steve. Realising his condition, they feed him and say the Steve he is looking for has left. The young man confides that he will kill Steve in revenge for his father's suicide due to Steve's actions that he received the blame for. Knowing Steve's background, the investment firm is a crooked one intending to use Steve as a fall guy when they abscond with their client's money.

Cast

Onslow Stevens Onslow Stevens (born Onslow Ford Stevenson; March 29, 1902 – January 5, 1977) was an American stage, television and film actor. Early years Born in Los Angeles, California, Stevens was the son of British-born character actor Houseley St ...

as Steve Nichols, alias Steve Cummings *

Lila Lee Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras. Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka App ...

as Mae Nichols *

Russell Gleason Russell Gleason (February 6, 1908 – December 25, 1945) was an American actor who began his career at the very beginning of the talking film era. He was born into an acting family, the son of actors Lucille Gleason, Lucille and James Gleason. He ...

as Tom Martin * William Desmond as Parole Officer Donovan *

Hooper Atchley Lemuel Hooper Atchley (April 30, 1887 – November 17, 1943) was an American film actor. Atchley was the son of Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Atchley. He was a 1908 graduate of the Knoxville, Tennessee, school system. Atchley's first professional ac ...

as Harley *

Otis Harlan Otis Harlan (December 29, 1865 – January 20, 1940) was an American actor and comedian. He voiced Happy, one of the Seven Dwarfs in the Disney animated film '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. This made him the earliest born actor to feature ...

as Jim Bonn * Kane Richmond as Bob, college boy at club *

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

as Mrs. Wilson *

Eddie Gribbon Eddie Gribbon (January 3, 1890 – September 29, 1965) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films from the 1910s to the 1950s. Gribbon began working in Mack Sennett films in 1916 and continued through the 1920s. He usuall ...

as Regan - Beat Cop *

Nat Carr Nat Carr (August 12, 1886 – July 6, 1944, born Natan Krechevsky ) was an American character actor of the silent and early talking picture eras. During his eighteen-year career, Carr appeared in over 100 films, most of them features. Lif ...

as Mr. Watson, clothier *

Richard Cramer Richard Earl Cramer (July 3, 1889 – August 9, 1960) was an American actor in films from the late 1920s to the early 1950s. Cramer specialized in villainous roles in many low-budget westerns, but is today best remembered for his several app ...

as Joe, bartender-pimp

External links

* * 1934 films 1934 crime drama films American black-and-white films American crime drama films Films directed by Otto Brower 1930s American films {{1930s-crime-drama-film-stub