CONSPIRACY (1930) Bessie Love, Ned Sparks & Hugh Trevor | Comedy, Crime | B&W

Conspiracy is a 1930 American pre-Code mystery melodrama film produced and distributed by RKO Pictures and directed by Christy Cabanne. It is the second adaptation of the play The Conspiracy by Robert B. Baker and John Emerson and stars Bessie Love and Ned Sparks.

SYNOPSIS
After their father is killed, brother and sister Margaret and Victor Holt devote themselves to bringing down the drug gang responsible for his death. Victor rises to become an attorney in the district attorney's office, and eventually Margaret wangles her way into becoming the secretary for James (Marco) Morton, the head of the drug ring. When Morton discovers Margaret's true identity, he contrives a plot to lure her brother into a trap and kill him.

Margaret learns of the plot and rushes to save her brother. In the ensuing melee, she kills Morton in her attempt to save Victor, who is also seemingly killed. Afraid of being convicted of murder, she flees the scene. In hiding, she becomes friends with a mystery author, Winthrop Clavering, and a reporter, John Howell, the truth about the murder is revealed, and it is discovered that Victor was not killed, but is being held prisoner by the drug ring. Victor is rescued, and Margaret and John develop a romantic relationship.

For the last four years Margaret Holt has been helping her brother, assistant D.A. Victor Holt, to try to bring down the dope dealing Schemer Marko gang. Margaret kills Marko (aka 'James Morton') when he discovers she's found evidence to use against him. Looking for someplace to hide out, she flees to a local house for disadvantaged women. Her secret is discovered by gossip columnist John Howell and crotchety old mystery writer Winthrop Clavering, who concoct a plan to try to clear Margaret of the crime and, at the same time, capture the Marko gang, who have since kidnapped Victor and are now hot on Margaret's trail as well.

CAST & CREW
Bessie Love as Margaret Holt
Ned Sparks as Winthrop Clavering
Hugh Trevor as John Howell
Rita La Roy as Nita Strong
Ivan Lebedeff as Butch Miller
Gertrude Howard as Martha
Otto Matieson as James Morton/Marko
Jane Keckley as Rose Towne
Donald MacKenzie as Captain McLeod
George Irving as Mark Holt
Bert Moorehouse as Victor Holt
Walter Long as Weinberg

Directed by Christy Cabanne
Written by Beulah Marie Dix
Based on The Conspiracy (play) by Robert B. Baker and John Emerson
Produced by William LeBaron
Cinematography Nicholas Musuraca
Edited by Arthur Roberts
Music by Roy Webb
Distributed by RKO Pictures
Release date: August 10, 1930 (U.S.)
Running time: 69 minutes
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Budget: $118,000
Box office: $138,000

NOTES
This film is the second adaptation of the Baker/Emerson play, the earlier version being the silent film, The Conspiracy, filmed in 1914 by the Famous Players Film Company, produced by Charles Frohman, and starring Emerson himself in the role of Clavering, reprised from his stint in the Broadway play. It ran from December 1912 through May 1914 at Garrick Theatre in New York City.

This film is not connected to another RKO film made in 1939 also called Conspiracy.

The film recorded a loss of $50,000.

This film is preserved at the Library of Congress.

In 1958, the film entered the public domain in the U.S. because the copyright claimants did not renew the copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.