Absolutely the worst movie.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

While undeniably entertaining "The Secret Six" does suffer from a rather messy screenplay courtesy of Frances Marion that makes the audience feel as though they are random passersby who picked up a few bits and pieces from some strangers' conversation. The plot which treads on familiar ground as it regards the rise and fall of a gangster (Wallace Beery) whose rise commends as his criminal friend (Ralph Bellamy) brings him in front of a crooked drunken attorney (Lewis Stone) who is also the brains behind a large underworld bootlegging operation. Later on as our main crook nicknamed "Slaughterhouse" begins to climb up the ranks within this gang of low lives by backstabbing pretty much anyone that stands in his way for the top. Two investigative reporters (Clark Gable and Johnny Mack Brown) decide to stop him from getting there with the help of an employee (Jean Harlow) who works at a restaurant operated by the bootleggers as their front. This is all quite easy to follow despite plenty of lousy dialogue (which the phrase "oh yeah?" makes about 30% of) but it's the final execution itself that's confusing. The movie starts off with us following "Slaughterhouse" for better or worse but then when those two male Nancy Drews show up the picture shifts gear and they become our main protagonists afterwards there's hardly any glimpse of him unless one of these guys is hanging about.Despite all of that "The Secret Six" does manage to provide lots of entertainment mainly thanks to it's colorful players - Beery is one mean bum, Bellamy fits surprisingly well is this dreary setting, Gable while he doesn't really have all that much to do except spit out his iffy good guy dialogue still manages to give a good show the same goes for Brown, Harlow's character seems like the biggest casualty here since there are little glimpses into her personalty but not much else.Marjorie Rambeau, Paul Hurst, John Miljan, DeWitt Jennings, and Murray Kinnell deliver highly stellar performances in their supporting roles but there's no doubt that my absolute favorite of the bunch was Lewis Stone he was simply tops. Of course one can't forget the masterful direction by George Hill. All in all very enjoyable could have been a classic if it wasn't for it's so-below-so writing.

This early sound film from MGM is all over the place, cramming an awful lot of plot and a large group of characters into its lean running time. The result feels like the cinematic equivalent of an appetizer plate -- it gives us just enough of each character to want more but not enough to ever really satisfy us.And what a shame, because those characters are played by a powerhouse cast who between them have enough screen presence to start a fire. Wallace Beery is the closest thing the film has to a main character, playing a lunkhead turned crime boss who's brought down by the Secret Six, a collective of government agents who are rooting out organized crime. Beery's performance is all over the map -- he can't decide whether he wants to play his character as a menacing hood or comic buffoon, so he takes turns playing it as both. Ralph Bellamy, in his first film role, is truly scary as the gang leader whose death grants Beery his promotion. Jean Harlow is that old gangster movie cliché, the moll with a heart of gold. Clark Gable is a sharp reporter who feeds intelligence to the government. And Marjorie Rambeau, in the smallest but in many ways most memorable role, is the wronged floozy who ultimately brings Beery to justice. Rambeau's boozy hysterics, especially in the scene where she turns Beery over to the police, are a sight to behold.This film isn't anything special, and it's not the kind of film that would ever even have come across my radar had it not been for TCM. It's one of those movies that's more interesting as an artifact than it is for any entertainment value, but that doesn't mean it's a waste of time.Grade: C+

THE SECRET SIX (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1931), directed by George Hill, with story and dialogue by Frances Marion, became MGM's contribution to the gangster genre. Following numerous prior crime melodramas produced by other motion picture studios at the time, along with the current success of LITTLE CAESAR (First National, 1930), that launched Edward G. Robinson to overnight stardom, THE SECRET SIX is quite extraordinary as well as underrated. Feature billing goes to Wallace Beery, whose secondary presence under Chester Morris' leading performance from the Frances Marion scripted prison drama, THE BIG HOUSE (MGM, 1930), that has earned Beery an Academy Award nomination. For THE SECRET SIX, it's Beery's turn to take leadership in the cast, holding his own along with scene stealing support by future stars on the rise by Jean Harlow, Ralph Bellamy and the pre-mustache Clark Gable.Plot summary: Louis Scorpio (Wallace Beery), better known as "Slaughterhouse," employed at the Centro Stockyards and Packing Company at $35 a week, is introduced to a new profession, a life of crime in bootlegging by ringleader, Johnny Franks (Ralph Bellamy, in movie debut) and his assistant, Nick Mizoski (Paul Hurst), earning $150 a week a piece, while dining in a café where they are serviced by Johnny's moll, Peaches (Marjorie Rambeau). While invading the territory of rival mob boss, "Smiling Joe" Colimo (John Miljan), a gangland shooting ensues, killing Colimo's kid brother, Ivan (Oscar Rudolph) in the process. Later, as Colmino confronts Johnny to find out who was responsible for Ivan's death, Johnny places the blame on the absent Scorpio, waiting for further orders on Pier 14. Colimo and his mob drive by, gun down Scorpio, and leave him for dead. Slightly wounded, Scorpio, suspecting a double-cross, surprises Johnny upon his return, and puts him out of circulation. Now the new underworld leader rising to power, Scorpio acquires the services of Johnny's former aids, Richard Newton (Lewis Stone), a drunken criminal lawyer and personal mouthpiece; Metz (Murray Kinnell), a deaf mute wearing thick glasses posing as his lookout; and Anne Courtland (Jean Harlow), a café cashier working on high salary by Scorpio under orders to keep a couple of Herald reporters, Hank Rogers (John Mack Brown) and Carl Luckner (Clark Gable), from writing stories on Scorpio's gangland activities while investigating Johnny's unsolved murder. As Hank and Carl receive bribes from Scorpio, it turns out that one of the reporters is working undercover for a masked secret organization known as "The Secret Six," that's to put an end to Scorpio's criminal activities, maybe.Interesting that THE SECRET SIX is the movie's title, considering the organization in question, first mentioned 47 minutes into the start of the story, is hardly mentioned again after its initial introduction. Anyone unfamiliar with the movie itself would assume by its title that The Secret Six is the name of Scorpio's mob. However, Beery, the milk drinking thug sporting a mustache to give him a mean looking appearance, is the prominent figure throughout its 83 minutes, but, as mentioned before, its the fine support by platinum blonde Jean Harlow and seventh billed Clark Gable, together or separately, that gathers enough attention. Harlow performs is quite good here, compared to her weak performance in another gangster melodrama classic of THE PUBLIC ENEMY (Warner Brothers, 1931) starring James Cagney. Interestingly, Gable, who got his start playing thugs and/or villains on screen, is happily cast here as a wisecracking reporter whose gig on "Aunt Emma" becomes his running gag throughout. It was a role as a reporter that would win Gable an Academy Award as Best Actor for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (Columbia, 1934). Being Gable's first of six films opposite Harlow, their scenes together are quite limited, with Harlow working more opposite Brown, the same Johnny Mack Brown who, in his final film for MGM, who would achieve newfound popularity shortly after-wards in matinée westerns through the 1950s.True to the tradition of these gangster stories of this period, THE SECRET SIX fails to disappoint with its gun-play, car chasing and police sirens racing down the city streets, as well as tough talk to go around. Other highlights include Hank's close calls of getting caught while strolling through Scorpio's luxurious apartment searching for evidence against the crime boss during the background orchestration playing to the song, "Sing" originally introduced from the Buster Keaton military comedy of DOUGHBOYS (1930); the execution style shooting inside a subway car of one of the characters; the courtroom scene with Anne (Harlow) testifying against Scorpio at the risk of her own life; and how way Peaches gets her vengeance on Johnny's killer; and the Beery-Stone on-screen chemistry at their best.Not shown on commercial television since the 1970s or earlier, the rediscovery of THE SECRET SIX surfaced again in the wake of cable television, notably on Turner Network Television (TNT) anywhere between (1988 and 1993), before becoming a prominent fixture on Turner Classic Movies after 1994. Though never distributed to video cassette, THE SECRET SIX has earned its place on the handful of classic movie titles on DVD display through Turner Home Entertainment. And that's no secret. (***)

While Warner Bros. focused on the individual (Rico in "Little Ceasar", Tom Powers in "The Public Enemy") MGM's few early crime films were ensembles ("The Big House") and usually showing the action from the crime fighters' point of view ("The Secret Six", "The Beast of the City"). Frances Marion was quite amazing in her ability to deliver gritty and realistic dialogue - "The Big House" was not her only venture into crime - she also wrote the dialogue and story for "The Secret Six", an unusual crime melodrama from MGM.Scorpio, nicknamed "Slaughterhouse" (Wallace Beery) is an abattoir worker who is talked into a life of crime by his friends, bootleggers Johnny (Ralph Bellamy) and Nick (Paul Hurst). The gang is run by philosophizing alcoholic lawyer Newton (Lewis Stone) and Slaughterhouse is ambitious to take over from Johnny. In a gun battle between a rival bootlegger, Smiling Joe Colimo's (John Miljan) kid brother is killed and Colimo vows revenge. Johnny tells Colimo that it was Slaughterhouse that killed his kid brother (even though it wasn't) - Johnny wants him out of the way, he is getting too ambitious. But Scorpio survives a shoot-out on the wharf and Johnny's days are numbered.Time passes and "trigger happy" Scorpio is now the boss and under Newton's guidance, he invades the city. He is now wealthy and has also inherited "Peaches" (Marjorie Rambeau), Johnny's moll, although Scorpio now has his eyes on Anne.Two newspaper reporters Carl (Clark Gable) and Hank (John Mack Brown, just loved his sweet southern accent) vie for the attentions of Anne (a ravishing Jean Harlow). There was such a rapport between Harlow and Gable - a real natural friendliness. This was the first of their 6 pairings. Unbeknownst to Hank, Carl is working with the "secret six" - "representing the greatest force for law and order in the United States" . Hank is also working on a hunch - that the same gun killed Johnny and Colimo - and goes to Scorpio's house to confront him. Snooping around, he finds the gun. Hank is shot dead on a train but not before Anne reveals her love.She now insists on testifying against Scorpio - even at the risk of her life. When the jury retires there is much discussion - one of the jurors passes around a diamond encrusted cigarette case - a gift Scorpio uses to bribe people. He is found not guilty this time, but the "secret six" have an ace up their sleeve.It is a ripping good story about the rise of a cold blooded killer - like "Little Caesar" but without the raw realism of that film. MGM went more for style.Highly Recommended.