I Promise to Pay (1937)

The film begins with Chester Morris trying to get an advance from his boss. However, the boss tells him that it's against company policy to do this. Instead of waiting a few weeks for his anticipated bonus, Morris borrow the money from a loan shark!! Then, seeing him throwing away this money uselessly tells you he is playing a giant idiot! When this bonus does NOT materialize, he cannot pay back his debt on time--a very bad idea when dealing with this sorts of people. And, to top it off, he continues to make one stupid decision after another! Despite the writer making Morris just a bit too dim, where the film goes next is very exciting, as the gang starts to put the squeeze on Morris...and his family. This makes for a very tense and interesting film--and improves as the film progresses. The writing, action and direction all improve as the film progresses--making it better than the average B-movie. Well worth seeing.