For Reel

Director: George Archainbaud

An infamous gambler steals the identity of a minister in Shooting Straight, an intense crime drama featuring a terrific performance by Richard Dix. As a tough guy, Dix is ruthless, but only when he needs to be–his interest is in the love of the game, with the dark underbelly of the gambling world being an unfortunate byproduct of his lifestyle. The screenplay by J. Walter Ruben takes a special interest in the hypocrisy of moralizing religious reformers–there are numerous scenes of Dix, posing as the minister, parading through a hall of gamblers before joining in on the games himself. As with many crime pictures of the period, the line separating hero and villain is a thin one. In the climax, a chaotically violent bare knuckle brawl breaks out–chairs are thrown, mirrors are broken–and director George Archainbaud and cinematographer Edward Cronjager stage the sequence with a few innovative overhead angles that memorably add to the intensity of the fight.