Each installment began with an actor appearing as "your MGM crime reporter" introducing a law-enforcement official, who would inform the audience of a current criminal trend sweeping the country: drunk driving, underage crime, unscrupulous businessmen, scam artists, and so on.
MGM used the series as a training ground for its young contract players, and cast each film with notable character actors.
MGM called in "the test boy" for Buried Loot, and his performance resulted in promotion to feature films, stardom, and a 24-year tenure at the studio.
These included Bela Lugosi, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, John Loder and Lionel Stander.
A 1944 Crime Does Not Pay short with studio newcomers Audrey Totter and Tom Trout was expanded into a 57-minute feature film, Main Street After Dark (released 1945), with new footage of Edward Arnold as a police detective.