Panama Patrol (DVD)

US Import

Major Phillip Waring (Leon Ames) and assistant Helen Lane (Charlotte Wynters) must break the code of an enemy message that threatens the security of the Panama Canal. The pair discovers a treacherous "Oriental" espionage ring behind the communication, whose spies have managed to steal top government secrets.

Phillip orders fellow agent Arlie Johnson (Abner Biberman) to question a shady character who has been suspiciously surveilling government buildings.The stranger is murdered by a unknown gunman and Philip tracks the killer to New York, where he is realizes there is a traitor in their midst. At the same time, the conspirator captures Helen and plans to permanently silence her to prevent further interference with his mission of doom.

Panama Patrol followed The Cipher Bureau (1938), the thriller in which Leon Ames was introduced as Major Phillip Waring. Ames's most famous early role was hero Pierre Dupin in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932). He also appeared in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Lady in the Lake (1947) and the film noir classic, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946).

Prolific director Charles Lamont whose career dates back to the silent era, is best remembered for several post-war Ma and Pa Kettle films as well as the last few Abbott and Costello features made at Universal in the 50s.