SPECIAL AGENT K-7 (1937) Walter McGrail, Queenie Smith, Irving Pichel | Action, Crime, Mystery | B&W

Special Agent K-7 is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Raymond K. Johnson and starring Walter McGrail, Queenie Smith and Irving Pichel. It was based on the radio series of the same title.

SYNOPSIS
FBI Special Agent K-7 Vince Landers (McGrail) investigates a series of crimes that includes the murders of Tony Black (Renaldo) and Eddie Geller (Castello). Billy Westrop (Reed) is the prime suspect.

Famous criminal lawyer Lester Owens wins the release of his client, Eddie Geller, when Geller's trial ends with a deadlocked jury. A short time later, Vince "Lanny" Landers, F.B.I. Special Agent K-7, returns home from a trip to Europe and is greeted by reporter Olive O'Day, who jokingly tries to convince him to tell her the real story behind his trip. Even though he wants to retire, Landers has agreed to help the F.B.I. crack down on organized crime. After Kennedy, one of Geller's jurors, is found dead with $500 in his pocket, Adams, Landers' supervisor, asks him to find Geller's boss. Hoping to question Geller, Landers accepts Olive's invitation to a party in honor of her and her fiance, Billy Westrop, which Owens is giving that evening at Geller's nightclub. At the club, Landers warns Geller that he will eventually go to jail and suggests that he testify against his boss in exchange for a lighter sentence. During the evening, Geller and Tony Black quarrel over Peppy, a singer who is in love with Tony; Silky Samuels demands payoff money from Geller for fixing the jury; Schmidt, a gambler, accuses Geller of running a crooked game; and Geller demands that Billy pay his gambling debt. Later, when Geller is found dead, all the men become suspects. Olive convinces her newspaper to allow her to follow the story. She recognizes one of Geller's busboys from Geller's trial and tells Landers, who questions him and learns that Geller murdered his father. Olive and Billy get married, but after Tony is found murdered and the police identify Billy's fingerprints on the murder weapon, he is arrested. To help the couple, Landers questions the remaining suspects and Owens agrees to defend Billy. At Billy's trial, Owens uncharacteristically fumbles the defense.

CAST & CREW
Walter McGrail as Vince Landers
Queenie Smith as Olive O'Day
Irving Pichel as Lester Owens
Donald Reed as Billy Westrop
Willy Castello as Eddie Geller
Duncan Renaldo as Tony Black
Joy Hodges as Peppy
Richard Tucker as John Adams - Chief Agent
Malcolm McGregor as Silky Samuels
Hans Joby as Schmidt
George Eldredge as Ames - Prosecuting Attorney
Henri Menjou as Smaltz
David MacDonald as Goodwin
William Royle as Police Capt. Hall
Harry Harvey as Speedy
James Guilfoyle as Kennedy
'Snub' Pollard as Waiter at Geller's Club
John Ince as Judge J.B. Ellis

Directed by Raymond K. Johnson
Written by Phil Dunham, George F. Zimmer
Produced by C.C. Burr
Cinematography Elmer Dyer
Edited by Charles Henkel Jr.
Production company C. C. Burr Productions
Distributed by Puritan Pictures
Release date September 2, 1937
Running time 66 minutes
Country United States
Language English