Don't Turn 'Em Loose

As proto-noir B-films go, Benjamin Stoloff’s Don’t Turn ‘Em Loose is an unusually cynical story right from the start when we learn that the sweet little baby present at Bat Williams’ (Bruce Cabot) parole hearing was rented by the hour just to earn sympathy. Once Williams is released from prison, he runs right back to his life of crime, immediately teaming up with pals to infiltrate a local creamery and hold up the payroll office. It seems that Bat Williams is actually Bob Webster, whose wealthy family believes he’s a successful engineer and whose father John (Lewis Stone) will soon accept the governor’s invitation for a seat on the state parole board. Having hidden his prison stints from his family, Bat continues lawbreaking until his psychopathic instincts get the better of him: he begins murdering witnesses until he winds up back in prison, this time forced to confront his powerful dad. While the 65-minute film may feel a bit rushed, the performances, especially those of Cabot and Stone, make for compelling viewing throughout, especially after John learns of Bat’s secret life; the emotional pain of despising his own son is rendered very effectively. Betty Grable plays a relatively minor part as Bat’s perky sister Mildred.