The Chief of Police, Gallagher (Robert F. Hill), wants the Commissioner (Henry Roquemore) to bestow the Badge of Honor to a dog named Tarzan. Since this is highly irregular the Commissioner wants to know why. The dog’s owner explains.
Lloyd Wilson (Rex Lease) is at the bank picking up $200,000 in bonds for his investment firm. Mr. Seton (Henry Hall) is the president of the bank. Seton’s daughter Anne (Marion Shilling) is there with a new customer, Durand (Philo McCullough). Anne met Durand at the golf course and believes he is rich and looking to find a place for his investments.
Durand overhears Lloyd and Seton discussing the bonds. Lloyd, Ann and Durand walk out of the bank about the same time. Lloyd’s German Sheppard, Tarzan (Tarzan) is waiting outside for him. When Lloyd tells Tarzan to shake hands with Durand the dog backs away and refuses to engage with the man. Not understanding the dog’s reaction Lloyd sends Tarzan back to the office. Durand offers to give Lloyd and Ann a ride. On the way he stops to make a phone call. Durand calls his cohorts “Blackie” Black (Charles King), Gertie (Jean Porter) and a henchman named Joe (Charles Harper) and tells them about the bonds.
Blackie and Joe rush over to the investment firm. Tarzan ends up locked out of the building when the guy washing the floor refuses to let the dog walk on his clean floor. When Lloyd gets back to the office the bad guys pull a gun on Lloyd. Tarzan manages to climb a fire escape and open a window. He gets into the building as the bad guys are trying to make their escape. Tarzan attacks one man while Lloyd tries to sissy fight the other. The bad guys manage to knock out Lloyd and throw Tarzan through a door’s glass window and make their escape taking the $200,000 in bonds with them.
Even though Lloyd’s boss, Anne and Seton believe in Lloyd, the newspapers hint that the robbery of the bonds was an inside job. Two Laurel and Hardy private detectives Mack (Robert McKenzie) and Rice (Victor Potel) start dogging Lloyd. Frustrated, Lloyd decides that in order to clear his name he needs to find the thieves himself but it’s Tarzan that does all the work.
“Inside Information” was released in 1934 and was directed by Robert F. Hill. It is a Crime Drama and was the first of three movies starring Tarzan the dog. The others were “Million Dollar Haul” 1935 and “Captured in Chinatown” 1935.
The film is an old and rather creaky human interest film. The editing is either just awful or the age of the filmstock has created some skips. If it is the latter it's understandable, after all the movie is 87 years old. I suspect a little of both. Everyone’s acting is bad but at least Tarzan can take good direction. Although the film itself isn’t in good shape the story is cute and family friendly and at only 48 minutes long doesn’t tax your patience too much.
None of this makes the movie awful. It is a low budget "B" quickie and you expect it not to be great. Also 1934 saw the rise of fascism, including Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung. A feel good movie where the hero is a dog and the bad guys get their comeuppance is probably what audiences needed.