The Squeaker (1937)
Edgar Wallace pulp crime novels sold in their millions in the thirties and forties and would have guaranteed Alastair exposure to a healthy audience on both sides of the Atlantic. A "fence" is operating in London and covering his tracks by framing his criminal associates from whom he purchases the stolen goods; this is the source of the film's title for he is, in fact, "squeaking" on them. A disgraced ex-detective with a drink problem is given a chance to redeem himself by exposing the "Squeaker". Along the way, there is a rather improbable romance; Alastair's role as an investigative reporter becomes something of an irrelevance; there are some almost surreal scenes, particularly in the night club; and the dramatic denouement, in which bizarre psychological pressure is brought to bear on the Squeaker, is rather lame. Oddly enough, however, the film does possess a certain quaint charm. Full synopsis