This movie isn't much longer than an hour long, but it aptly tells the story of Jimmy Morrell, pharmacist and his girlfriend Norma Nelson. His drugstore is more of a neighborhood hangout than a moneymaker, and he's on the verge of losing it when he's approached by racketeer Dutch Barnes. Jimmy is a great chemist and he starts making knock-offs of best selling drugstore items. He makes enough to pay off the loan on the store, and to get married to Norma. Then Dutch reveals himself to be the true thug he is, gets sloppy and has Jimmy make up things he cannot copy correctly. One of these is digitalis...which the hospital gives to Norma when she is having a baby and is failing. She loses the baby, Jimmy goes and kills Dutch, then turns himself in to the states attorney. It ends with Jimmy and Norma all comfy cozy in the store, without a mention of the child they lost or the fact that he killed someone.
Review of The Big Shakedown
