Whirlpool (1934)

Buck Rankin, a hardened carnival owner, finds love in the arms of a local girl, Helen, and dreams of a reformed future. After a violent altercation, Buck finds himself shackled by a twenty-year manslaughter sentence. With Helen carrying his child and pledging to wait for him, Buck crafts a deceptive letter, penning his own watery demise while attempting a prison break. Two decades later, Buck, now rechristened as "Duke Sheldon," emerges from the shadows of his past. He morphs into a nightclub owner deeply entwined with the mob's underbelly. Meanwhile, Helen, believing herself a widow, has found love again in the arms of a local judge. Their daughter, Sandra, has grown into an earnest reporter. The enigmatic "Duke Sheldon," notorious for evading the lens, is slated to corroborate a mobster's alibi in a high-profile trial. Sandra, armed with a journalist's curiosity, is assigned to peel back the layers of Duke's mystery. A well-preserved photograph triggers her memory, leading to an emotionally charged reunion between father and daughter. With his past unraveled, Buck is caught in a whirlpool of decisions. Should he testify, unveiling his true identity and placing Helen in the spotlight as an unwitting bigamist? Or should he remain silent, shielding his family but inciting the mob's wrath? The story unfolds as Buck grapples with these choices in this enthralling tale of love, deceit, and redemption.

Whirlpool is a crime movie featuring Jack Holt and directed by Roy William Neill.

Whirlpool is currently streaming on TCM.