Smashing the Rackets
Synopsis
Jim 'Socker' Conway, former boxer and FBI hero, is maneuvered for political reasons into a do-nothing job in the district attorney's office. Meanwhile, he meets wild debutante Letty Lane, girlfriend of mob mouthpiece Steve Lawrence; and Letty's much nicer sister Susan. Now the slot machine gang brutally beats Jim's friends Franz and Otto. And Jim finds a way to use his nominal position to go into the racket- busting business. But his success puts Letty in deadly peril...
Top Cast
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Chester Morris
Jim "Socker" Conway
Frances Mercer
Susan 'Pat' Lane
Bruce Cabot
Steve Lawrence
Rita Johnson
Leticia "Letty" Lane
Edward Pawley
Chin Martin
Joe De Stefani
Franz
Donald Douglas
Harry Spaulding
Kay Sutton
Peggy
Ben Welden
Whitey Clark
Paul Fix
Maxie
Eddie Acuff
Joe - Hoodlum
George Irving
District Attorney Edward Greer
Scotty Beckett
Otto, Franz's Son
Brooks Benedict
Court Clerk
Stanley Blystone
Policeman
Tom Chatterton
Grand Juryman
Jimmy Conlin
Witness
Edith Craig
Flo Fisher
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 8, 1938
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Lew Landers
- Screenplay & Story
- Forrest Davis, Lionel Houser
- Original Title
- Smashing the Rackets
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 9m
- Production Studios
- RKO Radio Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Lew Landers
Forrest Davis, Lionel Houser
Nicholas Musuraca
Department Leadership Roster
Lew Landers
Director
Forrest Davis
Writer
Lionel Houser
Writer
Nicholas Musuraca
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Smashing the Rackets.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Smashing the Rackets.
Gangster
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Legal Films
Courtroom dramas, legal thrillers, legal comedies and films about lawyers.
Gangster
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Frequently Asked Questions About Smashing the Rackets
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Smashing the Rackets about?
Jim 'Socker' Conway, former boxer and FBI hero, is maneuvered for political reasons into a do-nothing job in the district attorney's office. Meanwhile, he meets wild debutante Letty Lane, girlfriend of mob mouthpiece Steve Lawrence; and Letty's much nicer sister Susan. Now the slot machine gang brutally beats Jim's friends Franz and Otto. And Jim finds a way to use his nominal position to go into the racket- busting business. But his success puts Letty in deadly peril...
Who directed Smashing the Rackets?
Smashing the Rackets was directed by Lew Landers.
Who stars in Smashing the Rackets?
The principal cast of Smashing the Rackets includes Chester Morris, Frances Mercer, Bruce Cabot, Rita Johnson, Edward Pawley.
When was Smashing the Rackets released and how long is it?
Smashing the Rackets was released in 1938 with a total runtime of 1h 9m.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Smashing the Rackets?
Smashing the Rackets holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).