Tear Gas Squad

Nightclub singer becomes police cadet to impress blond female from police family, ends up with her current dating partner as his cadet trainer. Tommy McCabe (Dennis Morgan) is a cocky nightclub singer who gets his jollies out of making fun of the local police force. In fact, his act includes a parody of a policeman. This does not prove amusing to pretty Jerry Sullivan (Gloria Dickson), the daughter of a police lieutenant (Harry Shannon), nor to Jerry's flatfoot boyfriend Bill Morrissey (John Payne). Tommy falls in love with Jerry, but initially receives a cool reception from her father and brothers, who are also police officers. Tommy's singing in the Sullivan parlor melts the hearts of everyone but Morrissey. Due to his love for Jerry, Tommy joins the police force. Jealous, Morrissey subjects him to a rigorous training program beyond what is typical for cadets. Eventually suspended from the police because of his carelessness, Tommy ends up saving the day by saving Morrissey's life after a gangster kills Tommy's brother in cold blood. Tommy is finally reinstated in the force, thus rewarding Jerry's faith in him. Druggist Joe McCabe foils a robbery, and his brother Tommy decides to join the state police in order to impress Joe and Tommy's new date, Jerry, a policeman's daughter. When the robbers exact revenge on Joe, Tommy hunts them down. —Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>