An inept and possibly corrupt L.A. police captain, Cronjager dislikes private detective Philip Marlowe’s involvement in the Arthur Gwynn Geiger murder case. Marlowe tells Cronjager to his face that the police are neglecting their duties by “allowing” illegal pornography stores like Geiger’s to operate in plain sight. However, the newspapers portray Cronjager as the hero captain who solved the case, highlighting the multiple layers of corruption in the city.