Name: The Wrong Road Director: James Cruze Studio: RKO Radio Pictures Starring: Richard Cromwell, Helen Mack, Lionel Atwill, Horace McMahon Release Date: January 6, 1937 Runtime: 62 minutes Format: Black-and-White, 35mm Country: United States Language: English Genres: Crime, Drama --- Summary: The Wrong Road follows a young couple, Jimmy and Ruth, who grow tired of struggling through life with little money. Believing they can outwit the law, they decide to embezzle funds from Jimmy’s employer with plans to live luxuriously before eventually returning the money. But their misguided scheme quickly unravels as an insurance investigator and the authorities close in on them. What begins as a youthful gamble soon becomes a dangerous spiral of crime, regret, and lessons learned the hard way. --- Background: Directed by veteran filmmaker James Cruze, The Wrong Road was an RKO B-picture made during the mid-1930s, a time when crime dramas were both popular and subject to strict oversight under the Production Code. The film reflects the era’s moralistic tone, presenting crime as futile and reinforcing the idea that wrongdoing leads to downfall. Its short runtime and straightforward plot were typical of RKO’s economical productions, designed for double-feature programming. The movie also served as an early showcase for Richard Cromwell, who was being positioned as a rising young star. --- Trivia: * The story was intended as a cautionary tale for Depression-era audiences who might sympathize with desperate characters. * Lionel Atwill, usually cast as a villain, played a more restrained role as the investigator determined to track down the couple. * At just over an hour long, it was typical “programmer” length, meant to fill out a theater bill. * The film reflects Production Code rules by ensuring that the couple’s crime cannot go unpunished. * It is one of James Cruze’s later works, after a career that had peaked during the silent era with films like *The Covered Wagon* (1923). --- Hashtags: \#TheWrongRoad #RichardCromwell #HelenMack #JamesCruze #1930sCinema #ClassicCrimeDrama #RKOPictures #GoldenAgeHollywood #FilmHistory #VintageMovies