Like so many of the classic MGM films on DVD, this one includes a couple shorts that came out the same year the feature was released. The addition of "The Public Pays" is an inspired choice because the set used in the film is also used in "Wife Vs. Secretary"--so you can see it used in both films from the same DVD.
The film is a fictionalized account of how organized crime in the form of 'protection' operates. In this example, a group forcing milk wholesalers to pay more for their product is acted out for the audience. When people don't pay, violence and intimidate are used to great effect. Ultimately, however, the cops get involved and smash the racket. This portion of the film is pretty funny--at first. Then, when the crooks counter-attack, things get deadly serious. Interestingly, this is one of the very few films of the era where blood is shown--and you'll see it in the final showdown. Overall, this is a rather entertaining short that is told in a straight-forward manner--almost like an episode of "Dragnet".
The film is a fictionalized account of how organized crime in the form of 'protection' operates. In this example, a group forcing milk wholesalers to pay more for their product is acted out for the audience. When people don't pay, violence and intimidate are used to great effect. Ultimately, however, the cops get involved and smash the racket. This portion of the film is pretty funny--at first. Then, when the crooks counter-attack, things get deadly serious. Interestingly, this is one of the very few films of the era where blood is shown--and you'll see it in the final showdown. Overall, this is a rather entertaining short that is told in a straight-forward manner--almost like an episode of "Dragnet".