"Bars of Hate" is very low budget B-movie. And, while I'll quickly admit that the plot was a bit silly and had quite a few plot holes, I still found I enjoyed watching it. Much of this might be because of Snub Pollard's strange character--he certainly was one of the more unusual sidekicks I've ever seen.
The film begins very oddly. The cops are chasing a guy in a sedan. Along the way, the driver stops to pick up a guy being beaten up by a crowd! When the cop finally stops the car, it turns out the driver (Regis Toomey) is with the District Attorney's office--and the guy he picked up (Pollard) is a purse-snatcher who was being beaten up after he was caught lifting a purse. The cop lets them go and soon, VERY inexplicably, Toomey and Pollard become friends. And, throughout the film Pollard springs to the assistance of his new friend. Now seeing Pollard in this almost action hero role was wild, as he made a career out of playing in silent comedies and being a comedic sidekick in B-westerns. Odd--but also quite endearing.
The two men soon come upon a young lady in distress. It seems that a gang is trying to stop her from bringing the Governor evidence that her brother is innocent and should NOT be executed. Yup, the guy is on death row and the lady just happens upon the DA. Here is where is makes no sense--why doesn't Toomey just make a few phone calls and have the police locate the Governor instead of he and the lady going on a breakneck chase (with the villains close behind) to see the man in person?! It doesn't make a lot of sense, but the film is breezy and enjoyable in a turn your brain off sort of way. A decent time-passer.
The film begins very oddly. The cops are chasing a guy in a sedan. Along the way, the driver stops to pick up a guy being beaten up by a crowd! When the cop finally stops the car, it turns out the driver (Regis Toomey) is with the District Attorney's office--and the guy he picked up (Pollard) is a purse-snatcher who was being beaten up after he was caught lifting a purse. The cop lets them go and soon, VERY inexplicably, Toomey and Pollard become friends. And, throughout the film Pollard springs to the assistance of his new friend. Now seeing Pollard in this almost action hero role was wild, as he made a career out of playing in silent comedies and being a comedic sidekick in B-westerns. Odd--but also quite endearing.
The two men soon come upon a young lady in distress. It seems that a gang is trying to stop her from bringing the Governor evidence that her brother is innocent and should NOT be executed. Yup, the guy is on death row and the lady just happens upon the DA. Here is where is makes no sense--why doesn't Toomey just make a few phone calls and have the police locate the Governor instead of he and the lady going on a breakneck chase (with the villains close behind) to see the man in person?! It doesn't make a lot of sense, but the film is breezy and enjoyable in a turn your brain off sort of way. A decent time-passer.