The Last Gangster (1937) Plot Summary Explained

Talya divorced Krozac after reporter Paul North Sr. humiliated her by placing a gun in her baby's hands for a photograph. When she went to the newspaper to plead for the story to be killed, the editor refused. Paul, consumed by shame over his unethical actions, quit his job and began a relationship with Talya. She then filed for divorce and married him, choosing a legitimate life away from Krozac's criminal world.

Foreshadowing: The photo stunt plant seeds of Paul's redemption arc and Talya's departure from the gangster life.

• talya krozac
• paul north
• divorce
• marriage
• new life

After walking miles with the boy and witnessing his reunion with Talya and Paul, Krozac experiences a change of heart. He realizes the boy has built a new life with his mother and stepfather, and that his own criminal past would only bring danger and instability. Choosing his son's safety and happiness over his own desires, Krozac walks away from the family to give the boy a chance at a normal life.

Foreshadowing: Krozac's paternal instincts, visible even when ordering murders, foreshadow his ultimate sacrifice.

• krozac
• paul jr
• father
• leave
• family
• sacrifice

The gang kidnapped Krozac's son to force him to reveal where he buried his hidden loot. After Krozac finally gave in and revealed the location, the gang drove off with the money but were immediately cut down by police who had been lying in wait. All the gang members were killed in the shootout, leaving Krozac and his son stranded on foot.

Foreshadowing: Curly's insistence that Krozac retake command of the gang hints at the trap being set.

• gang
• kidnap
• police
• shootout
• loot
• money

Paul Jr. was born after Krozac went to prison and was only an infant during his father's only visit to Alcatraz. Talya married Paul North and moved away, changing their names to start fresh. The boy grew up knowing Paul North Sr. as his father and had no memory of Krozac, making it impossible for him to believe the stranger claiming to be his real father.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows the child was born after Krozac's imprisonment, making the reunion emotionally complicated from the start.

• paul jr
• krozac
• father
• recognition
• memory
• estranged

Before going to prison, Krozac buried a substantial amount of loot from his criminal operations. The exact amount is never specified in the film, but it represents his accumulated wealth from years as a gangland kingpin. This hidden stash is what motivates his former associates to trap him, they believe he will lead them to the money.

Foreshadowing: Krozac's order to kill the Kile brothers establishes his willingness to protect his empire and its assets.

• money
• loot
• buried
• hidden
• stash
• treasure

Acey Kile survived Krozac's earlier assassination order and harbored a personal vendetta. When he discovers Krozac has reemerged and that the boy may not be Krozac's biological child, Acey sees an opportunity for revenge and publicity. He waits at gunpoint, threatening to expose the boy's true paternity to the press unless Krozac pays him off.

Foreshadowing: Acey's survival from the initial assassination attempt establishes him as a lingering threat.

• acey kile
• confront
• gunpoint
• threat
• expose
• paternity

Krozac kills Acey to protect his son's future and reputation. Acey threatens to reveal to the press that Paul Jr. may not be Krozac's biological child, which would scandalize the boy and damage his new life with Talya and Paul. Rather than let his son suffer that exposure, Krozac lunges at Acey and shoots him, though Krozac also dies from the wound he sustains.

Foreshadowing: The tension between biological paternity and true paternal love runs throughout the film.

• acey kile
• kill
• protect
• son
• paternity
• secret

Krozac withstands torture from Curly and the gang, refusing to reveal the money's location. However, when they kidnap his son and threaten the boy's life, Krozac yields and tells them where the loot is buried. The gang's leverage through his child proves stronger than his resistance.

Foreshadowing: Krozac's initial resistance to the gang's interrogation shows his cunning, but his love for his son overrides his caution.

• torture
• kidnap
• son
• money
• reveal
• coercion

Krozac dies from a wound sustained during his confrontation with Acey Kile. When Acey threatens to expose his son's secret paternity to the press, Krozac rushes him and shoots, killing Acey. However, Acey fires back and wounds Krozac fatally. He dies at the roadside having sacrificed himself to protect his son's future.

Foreshadowing: The film's dark tone and emphasis on sacrifice foreshadow the tragic, definitive ending.

• krozac
• death
• dying
• wound
• acey
• sacrifice

Curly and the other former gang members lure Krozac back into the fold not out of loyalty, but to extract information about his hidden money. When Krozac is released from prison, Curly convinces him to retake command of the gang first, presenting it as a stepping stone to reaching his son. In reality, it's a scheme to get Krozac to lead them to his buried loot.

Foreshadowing: The gang's eagerness to welcome Krozac back seems suspicious given his decade-long absence.

• curly
• betray
• trap
• money
• gang
• greed

Reporter Paul North Sr. devised a publicity stunt to humiliate Krozac by placing a gun in the infant's hands for a photograph, making the baby look like a mini gangster. When Talya begged the newspaper to stop the story, the editor refused. Paul's shame over this unethical act leads him to quit his job and eventually marry Talya.

Foreshadowing: This unethical journalism sets Paul on his path toward redemption and winning Talya's trust.

• paul north
• photo
• baby
• gun
• newspaper
• humiliation

When Krozac returns from Europe, he discovers the Kile brothers have muscled in on his territory during his absence. As a ruthless gangland kingpin, he responds by ordering their assassinations to reassert his dominance and protect his criminal empire. Three brothers are killed, but Acey Kile survives the attack.

Foreshadowing: Acey's survival plants the seed for his later confrontation with Krozac.

• kile brothers
• kill
• assassination
• territory
• power

Krozac is sentenced to ten years in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary for income tax evasion. Despite his status as a powerful crime boss, the government successfully prosecutes him on tax charges, a common tactic used against gangsters who rarely faced charges for their violent crimes. He is imprisoned before his son is born.

Foreshadowing: The tax evasion charge demonstrates that even powerful criminals cannot escape the law entirely.

• alcatraz
• prison
• tax evasion
• ten years
• incarceration