Under Age (1941)

Jane Baird and her kid sister, Edie are released from the county detention home, where they had been jailed for vagrancy. They are approached by the Head Talent Scout/Pimp, Tap Mason, in a system of motels operated by Mrs. Burke, aka The Widow. Mason offers them a job in the tourist industry which they readily accept. They are given clothes and shipped out to a Middle West motel, a combination tourist camp, bar and restaurant. Their job description, as outlined by Mason, is to flag expensive cars in which men are driving, and persuade said men to spend the night at one of the Widow's motels. Jane's first pick-up is Rocky Stone, out touring around while learning his father's jewelry business. Rocky agrees to stop at the motel, but Jane leaves him when he gets the impression that her job description covers more ground than just flagging cars. Meanwhile, Tap adds thief to his resume and steals $60,000 in jewels from Rocky's car. Rocky, suspecting Jane of the theft, telephones the Widow, who informs him that she can ruin him and his father's business if he pursues the issue further. The angry Rocky searches for Jane, and finally finds her at another flag-waving station. Mason sees them together; the Widow sends for the girl and orders Jane beaten by her strong-arm squad. Edie is killed by Mason. The heart-broken Jane turns to Rocky for help. Rocky lures Mason to a lonely house where the mobster is turned over to the other girls in the Widow's employ. There is no love lost between the girls and Mason, and they work him over and Mason confesses to the murder and also reveals the inside story of the Widow's racket.