The Wrong Way Out

Phantoms, Inc.

June 1945 •English

This Crime Does Not Pay entry focuses on fake spiritualists. A mother is worried about her son, who is missing in action. Over time, she gives a con man all of the family savings to find reassurance that her son is all right. When she can no longer pay, events take a tragic turn.

The Mothman Prophecies

January 2002 •English

Reporter John Klein is plunged into a world of impossible terror and unthinkable chaos when fate draws him to a sleepy West Virginia town whose residents are being visited by a great winged shape that sows hideous nightmares and fevered visions.

Patrolling the Ether

April 1944 •English

1940. Sixteen year old Phillip is one of a number of amateur radio operators across the US, doing it purely as a fun hobby. He is informed by Bill Beck of the Radio and Intelligence Division (RID) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that amateur international radio communication is now banned due to spying a result of the war in Europe. Beck, on behalf of the RID, asks Phillip, however, to continue to monitor the airwaves for suspicious activity.

Easy Life

May 1944 •English

In this entry in the MGM "Crime Does Not Pay" series young Frank Davis, dropping out of school and joining a small-time hoodlum gang, finds out that leading a life of crime is not all he thought it would be.

The Last Installment

May 1945 •English

In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a criminal idolizes the life of a famous gangster - unaware that his hero met a tragic end.

Sucker List

July 1941 •English

In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a man and his racketeer buddies devise a scheme to bilk those already seemingly desperate for money of what little they have.

Keep 'Em Sailing

November 1942 •English

An FBI agent goes undercover to investigate the sabotage of American cargo ships.

Pound Foolish

January 1940 •English

An expose of attempts by wealthy people to avoid payment of customs duties. Part of the MGM "Crime Does Not Pay" series.

The List

June 2008 •English

After making wrong choices, Dale has found himself on a dark path: one of violence and crime. Earmarked to commit a murder, he is already dispassionate to his cause... but a collision with his romantic past sparks a deeper questioning.

Crossed Destinies - A Short Film About Climate Change

November 2023 •Portuguese

A papercut stopmotion animation in which human Travelers from 2053 travel 30 years into the past to warn "foundlings" of the future that awaits them. The story follows Jonah and his Traveler, learning about the possible chaotic future that could happen if such measures are not applied.

Purity Squad

November 1945 •English

This entry in the Crime Does Not Pay series focuses on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's effort to ensure that drugs are fully tested before they are sold to consumers. Two unscrupulous investors market the drug 'Diabulin' as a substitute for insulin after preliminary tests show good results. After a short time, however, users start dying from the drug. The FDA and the state attorney general's office then go after the drug marketers.

Money to Loan

March 1939 •English

The MGM crime reporter introduces Norman Kennedy, District Attorney of a large city, he who talks about the general want for money, and the extraordinary lengths some will go to to get it. The loan sharking business has that want for money on both sides. He tells the story of one such loan shark, Stephen Hanley, who tried to pass his company off as a legitimate loan business, but who charged exorbitant rates, and used extortion and fraud to get out of his customers even more than what they may have owed on paper.

Daas

October 2011 •Polish

Buried Loot

January 1935 •English

An embezzler who expects to serve his time in prison and then pick up his buried loot is in for a surprise.

Women in Hiding

June 1940 •English

In this Crime Does Not Pay series short, a young woman wants to save her baby, but is afraid of telling her parents and has no money to pay the hospital costs involved. She falls prey to a baby-for-sale racket with quack doctors performing their services.

You, the People

November 1940 •English

This MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short features a big city crime boss's attempt to use his crime "machine" to fraudulently win reelection for the current corrupt mayor. By using several illegal tactics, and aided by voter apathy, the crime boss nearly continues his control of the city.

Don't Talk

February 1942 •English

This Crime Does Not Pay series entry dramatizes the idea that during wartime, people should not discuss anything related to their work when in public. A casual remark can be overheard by an enemy agent and used to sabotage the war effort. In this short, the story involves shipments of parts to a defense plant.

Miracle Money

March 1938 •English

In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, doctors scam patients with a fake cure for cancer.

A Gun in His Hand

September 1945 •English

In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a young man graduates from the police academy at the top of his class. He then teams up with some local thieves and uses his knowledge of police procedures to pursue a career of undetected crime.

Hit-and-Run Driver

December 1935 •English

A man runs over a young couple on a deserted road, then leaves the scene and tries to cover up the incident.