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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Vice Squad remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Okay, so The Vice Squad from way back when? Yeah, if you're into that particular brand of gritty early talkie drama, this one's got some teeth. You'll probably dig it if you love seeing old Hollywood wrestle with real nasty stuff before the censors really clamped down. But if you're expecting some slick, fast-paced modern thriller? Nah, turn back now. This one's a slow burn, and some of the acting choices... well, they're from a different era. 🎬
The whole thing kicks off with a bang, or rather, a *whimper* from a guy named Burke. He’s a diplomat, pretty proper, and suddenly he’s got these really awful vice cops in his face. Not just bad guys, mind you, but these specific cops, played by Tom Wilson and William Arnold, they have this smarmy grin. Like they’ve been waiting their whole lives to ruin someone. Honestly, it’s a bit chilling how casual they are about it all.
Their plan? Get Burke to help them frame women. Mostly prostitutes, yeah, but the way they go about it, it feels so... cold. There’s a scene where they’re talking about their next target, almost like they’re discussing grocery lists. No emotion. Just a job. They really don't bother with any pretense of justice.
Kay Francis, she plays the one woman who really tries to fight back, or at least understand what’s happening. Her character, Vicky, is sharp. She sees through the whole charade, even when others don't. It’s a bit of a relief, honestly, because so much of the film feels like everyone's just getting walked all over. She carries a lot of the film's moral compass, even if it's a bit bent.
There’s this one bit where Burke is trying to act like he’s on their side, but his face just *can’t quite pull it off*. You see the hesitation there. It’s subtle, but it’s present. A good reminder that even a bad person can have second thoughts. Or maybe just bad acting, hard to tell sometimes with these early films. 😉
And the dialogue, oh man. It's quick, sometimes overlapping. You really get that early sound film vibe. Sometimes it’s hard to catch everything, but it adds to the messy feeling of the whole thing. Like you’re just dropped into these urgent conversations. The recording quality isn’t always pristine, which just adds to that raw, unpolished feel.
The pacing is… deliberate. It builds. You get these long stretches of conversation, then sudden bursts of action. Like when a raid happens. It’s not flashy, just quick and brutal. They really show the aftermath, too, the way it just messes up people's lives. No time for heroics, just consequences.
I found myself wondering, during one particularly quiet scene, if the crew maybe just forgot to yell “cut.” It lingered. Not in a profound way, just… lingered
IMDb 6.4
1930
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