The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Director: WILLIAM KEIGHLEY. Screenplay: Laird Doyle, Abem Finkel. Story idea: Martin Mooney. Photography: Sid Hickox. Film editor: Clarence Kolster. Art director: Esdras Hartley. Music director: Leo F. Forbstein. Producers: Sam Bischoff in association with Martin Mooney. A Claridge Picture.Copyright 20 September 1935 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. Presented by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc and The Vitaphone Corp. New York opening at the Strand: 18 September 1935. Australian release: 25 December 1935. 9 reels. 76 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Agent goes undercover as a friendly reporter to get the goods on an elusive gangster. He romances the crime czar's book- keeper, but falls in love with the girl. NOTES: Re-made by Warner Bros in 1940 as "Gambling on the High Seas" with Jane Wyman, Wayne Morris and Gilbert Roland.COMMENT: Here's a script that would undoubtedly have made an engrossing "B" picture, now dressed up with such appealing production values, it offers superlative entertainment as an "A".In addition to its pacy yet meticulous direction, and moodily atmospheric photography, the picture presents real class in its cast. For once the goodies almost keep level with the heavies. Brent is ideal as the crusading hero, whilst Miss Davis offers just the right touch of dowdy appeal to her in-too-deep book-keeper. In a much smaller role, Pichel delivers some effective lines as a the D.A.On the heavies' side of the ledger, the opposition can scarce go wrong with actors of the caliber of Ricardo Cortez (a truly frightening performance), J. Carroll Naish (one of his most sinister roles), Joe Sawyer (hideously convincing) and treacherous Paul Guilfoyle. Even William B. Davidson has a half-decent role for once as a crooked lawyer. Keen cameo watchers will also spot Wheeler Oakman as the out-of-town kidnapper. And back with the good guys, you'll notice Charles Middleton and Thomas Jackson have small roles as office cops who relay information to Emmett Vogan's radio announcer. Frankly, though, I thought the two really stand-out players were Jack LaRue and Robert Strange. The former is wonderfully bent, whilst the latter, playing a crooked crook, gives such a nervily charismatic performance as to steal a scene from even the fiendishly impassive Cortez. The sequence in which LaRue inveigles Strange into parting with $50,000 is a gem.OTHER VIEWS: Justly described by Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times as "a crisp, fast-moving and thoroughly entertaining melodrama", it's a shame that Special Agent has such a poor reputation today.The reason for this peculiar and totally undeserved downgrade is simply due to Bette Davis, who spent more than fifty unrelenting years attacking this film (and others she claims she was "forced into" by Jack L. Warner around this time) on the grounds that both the movie and the role were unworthy of her vastly superior talents.Her part admittedly is third in importance to Cortez and Brent. Also it offers few opportunities for scene-chewing or look-at-me- I'm-a-great-actress hysterics. But the part is by no means the "stinker" Miss Davis so often described, and her performance is actually quite apt and very suitably subdued.

The only thing about Special Agent worth remembering is that for Bette Davis it was the film that she did immediately prior to her first Oscar winner Dangerous. Other than that it was the kind of potboiler programmer that Warner Brothers kept casting her in despite acclaim she got for a few films like Of Human Bondage.At least she got her favorite leading man in Special Agent and in the title role. George Brent has the perfect cover for being a Special Agent for the Treasury Department. He's a reporter which means he can go places see things and ask questions and no one suspects. Least of all gambler/racketeer Ricardo Cortez who Brent has been working on for years to take down.Of course this film was done with the successful prosecution of Al Capone in the mind of the movie-going public. Davis keeps Cortez's books and Brent is keeping company with her. Here the story is rather vague. Did he like her before or after he learned she was keeper of the records in her own code so even Cortez can't decipher it. His convincing Bette to turn on Cortez wasn't really convincing to me.Coming off best in this film is Ricardo Cortez. He is one shrewd article who has his fingers everywhere, it's why no one's caught him till now and Brent nearly doesn't get him this time.Special Agent did Bette Davis and George Brent no harm and great things were in the offing for Bette Davis.

Special Agent (1935) ** 1/2 (out of 4) A Fed (George Brent) goes undercover to bring down a gangster (Ricardo Cortez) but he's going to need help from the gangster's book keeper (Bette Davis). This is pretty typical stuff from Warner and their gangster pictures but it's brought up a few levels by the impressive cast. I'm not a big fan of Brent but he makes for a good lead here and delivers a fine performance. Cortez steals the show as the gangster and Davis is decent in her role. The supporting cast includes Henry O'Neill, J. Carrol Naish and Joe Sawyer. The story really doesn't contain anything new or fresh but if you're a fan of these Warner pictures then this one should keep you entertained through its short running time.

This crime melodrama is never dull and has some very exciting moments, although the action is improbable. It's well-paced with fine acting: young and beautiful Bette Davis is enjoyable to watch, but her sophistication seems a bit out of place while working for a hood; George Brent is as suave as ever; and Ricardo Cortez makes a good heavy, with lighting effects making him look more sinister. I also liked the acting of many of the supporting characters such as Robert Strange (who is a standout), J. Carroll Naish and Joseph Sawyer, as three of Cortez's murdering henchmen. Anyone who likes the genre should like this film.Martin Mooney, who provided the story on which this film is based, was a newspaper man and well aware that the government was sending noted racketeers up the river for income tax evasion. Al 'Scarface' Capone was indicted by a federal grand jury for that offense and spent eight years behind bars starting in 1931.