The day in which pictures of gangland portrayed the heroism and sterling tendency, according to the previews has been to depict the realities of the underworld. "The Secret Six", now playing at Loew's State follows the latter rule. The purpose of this production is to prove that the old adage that there is honor among thieves is all wrong.

The story of a man's rise from a $35-a-week job at a stockyard to the position of king of bootleggers and his subsequent descent from this lofty position to the death house forms the plot of this picture. Few if any of the underworld's methods of self-advancement could have been left out in the telling of this tale. Crossing and double-crossing are apparently part of the daily business of the gunman. Of course, and enterprising reporter is also woven, into the story and, as usual, is "put on the spot" when he "learns too much."

Wallace Beery, as "Slaughterhouse" Scorpio, the here of this grim piece, played his usual type of simple-minded, not too quick-willed person in his customary style. Lewis Stone gave a good performance as the lawyer who always got the boys out of jail "in the morning." Jean Haulowe, the feminine lead, was not on the screen too often. The whole cast displayed a tendency to give the usual Hollywood version of that elusive creature called the "hard-boiled egg." The grease-paint and the voice of the director were painfully present. It is rather to be suspected that the average 100 per cent impure crook would be frightened out of his God-forsaken boots by the sinister innuendoes, and dark looks of this ferocious group of actors. At least, if he wasn't we were.

"Our Gang" offers again a comedy which is amusing in one or two places. An interesting short skit on "Curiositles" completes the program.