On the eve of his execution, a vice-rackets bigshot recalls his various exploits in crimes such as abortion and white slavery, in which he frequently operated under an alias.On the eve of his execution, a vice-rackets bigshot recalls his various exploits in crimes such as abortion and white slavery, in which he frequently operated under an alias.On the eve of his execution, a vice-rackets bigshot recalls his various exploits in crimes such as abortion and white slavery, in which he frequently operated under an alias.
Photos
Lona Andre
- Florence Davis (edited from 'Race Suicide')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Dean Benton
- Harry - A Henchman (edited from 'Smashing the Vice Trust')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Betty Compson
- Mrs. Lucy Morgan (edited from Mad Youth)
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Lester Dorr
- Eddie's Henchman (edited from 'Smashing the Vice Trust')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Sam Flint
- Martin Standish - Gang Leader (edited from 'Smashing the Vice Trust')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Kit Guard
- Henchman (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
John Ince
- Judge (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson
- The District Attorney (edited from 'Smashing the Vice Trust')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Donald Kerr
- Man at Party House
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Frank LaRue
- Mr. Benton (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Noel Madison
- Nick - Procurer at Nightclub (edited from 'The Pace That Kills')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Blanche Mehaffey
- Florence Jones (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Rose Plumer
- Mrs. Benton (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Veola Vonn
- Lois - The Nice Girl (edited from 'Smashing the Vice Trust')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Frank Wayne
- Eddie - Henchman (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Constance Worth
- Judy (edited from 'Wages of Sin')
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis wartime exploitation film was mostly made up of scenes from earlier exploitation films. New footage features Willy Castello as a prisoner about be be executed who dictates the the story of his life of crime. This provides the framework for the use of scenes from earlier films.
- ConnectionsEdited from The Murder in the Museum (1934)
Featured review
Willy Castello's death-row "confessions", told through clips from earlier films. Amazing!
This 1942 Willis Kent production stars the great Willy Castello as death-row inmate Lucky Lombardo, who offers to serve up a detailed "confession" of his criminal exploits to teach the younger generation that crime does not pay. These exploits are shown by clips from earlier Willis Kent productions starring Castello (!!!) and a few that he didn't star in. For instance, who can forget his role as the slimy pimp in Wages of Sin, or the oily gigolo in Mad Youth, or the unlicensed abortion doctor in Victims of Passion? They are all here, as well as the obscure Smashing The Vice Trust, which has not surfaced in the last few decades, but which looks fascinating. In addition, clips are shown from Kent's productions of Murder in the Museum (including a more explicit striptease that was spliced into later versions of the film, NOT found in the 1935 original) AND Cocaine Fiends, in which WC did not appear. The new footage of Castello is awkwardly lit and shot, looking like a stag film, and the warden and his secretary who listen to the testimony are poor performers, but as always Castello is a fascinating performer, suave and tough and charming and seedy. The static photography and flat inadequate lighting of the new footage really give the feel of a grim death-row setting, and Castello delivers the purple-prose script completely convincingly--as if he were Bogart delivering a Clifford Odets soliloquy. In a sense, this film is a "best-of" Willy Castello. Any lover of classic 1930s exploitation films should love this picture. Unfortunately, my copy is a bit splicy, but as a 60-year-old underground relic, we should be happy it exists at all. Castello only made a handful of films, but he created a searing image on the screen and will never be forgotten by fans of hard-boiled grindhouse cinema. Confessions of a Vice Baron is a fitting tribute to Castello's unique talent and to a genre of films that continues to fascinate viewers in a new century.
Details
- Runtime59 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Confessions of a Vice Baron (1943) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer