An ambitious lawyer uses circumstantial evidence to help convict an innocent man then tries to make amends with his family.An ambitious lawyer uses circumstantial evidence to help convict an innocent man then tries to make amends with his family.An ambitious lawyer uses circumstantial evidence to help convict an innocent man then tries to make amends with his family.
Don Dillaway
- Paul Wallace
- (as Donald Dillaway)
Oscar Apfel
- Managing Editor
- (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
- Telephone Operator
- (uncredited)
Eddie Foster
- Man Betting with Malone
- (uncredited)
Sherry Hall
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Eddie Kane
- Abe Steiner
- (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley
- Dr. Strong
- (uncredited)
Lee Phelps
- Radio Test Man
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEdmund Lowe, looking out the window at an outside corridor of the court building, says he is looking at "the Bridge of Sighs," and says that he sent many men across it with "a one-way ticket to the Big House." The reference is to the Doge's Palace in Venice, where trials were held, and which was separated from the cells by such a corridor. In "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage," Byron says, "I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs,/A palace and a prison on each hand."
- GoofsEdmund Lowe's secretary has been in the job at least ten years, since Lowe was District Attorney, and says she is under 30. (When the film was made, she was 22, and looks it.) She therefore would not have been old enough to be secretary to the District Attorney ten years before.
- Quotes
Val Lorraine: Anyway, it'd ruin my chances to marry the man from Dubuque.
Burton: Grand Rapids.
Featured review
Great little precode legal drama
Columbia in the 30's was more than Frank Capra and the Three Stooges. They also cranked out some precode dramas that were every bit as good in plot and pacing as those of Warner Brothers, but because Columbia didn't have the star power Warner Brothers had, these films are often unremembered today. This is one of the better Columbia precodes, not because you can't see how it's probably going to play out from ten miles away, but because of the fine performances from stars of which you've probably not seen much.
Edmund Lowe does a fine job of playing district attorney William J. Burton. The film opens with defendant James Wallace (Dwight Frye) being sentenced to die for a murder of which he's just been convicted. Wallace doesn't take this well, and makes a short manic speech about how D.A. Burton is guilty of murder if he fries. Burton is unmoved - until it is discovered that Wallace was innocent after he's already been executed. Wracked with guilt, Burton resigns as D.A., takes up supporting Wallace's widow and son, and also becomes a defense attorney.
Ten years pass, and Burton has somewhat made amends for his past wrong. Wallace's son has become as his own, is graduating law school, and will soon be practicing alongside Burton in his office. Also, Burton has formed and is legal counsel to a civic reform movement that is aiming at the conviction of a bootlegger who has been bribing public officials - Nick Quinn. Nick is the long time lover of Burton's old lover, Val Lorraine (Evelyn Brent). Val comes to visit Burton in his office to try to get Burton to lay off of her long-time meal ticket - but neither the promise of sex nor violence moves Burton an inch.
Back at her apartment, Nick comes up with a new angle to get Burton off of his back - one that involves using Burton's young ward Paul Wallace. All of this eventually leads Burton back into the courtroom as defense attorney, but this time he is representing himself as he is on trial for his own life.
Edmund Lowe was very effective at playing a somewhat likable scoundrel during the precode era, and that is also the truth here. Although he is much more likable here than I've seen him in other roles. Here he is not out so much for himself and he shows a reliable if somewhat rusty moral compass. He can still show the hard cynical side though, and all of this together make for a very interesting character. Evelyn Brent is fantastic here as femme fatale Val Lorraine. Always dressed to the nines, she'll do whatever and use whoever it takes to get her own way and keep herself in ermine. Some of the best scenes in the movie consist of her sparring with Burton - these people both know who they're dealing with. Constance Cummings is the other essential player in this film in a low-key but important role as Burton's girl Friday and secretary Ruth Barry.
Highly recommended for the precode fan.
Edmund Lowe does a fine job of playing district attorney William J. Burton. The film opens with defendant James Wallace (Dwight Frye) being sentenced to die for a murder of which he's just been convicted. Wallace doesn't take this well, and makes a short manic speech about how D.A. Burton is guilty of murder if he fries. Burton is unmoved - until it is discovered that Wallace was innocent after he's already been executed. Wracked with guilt, Burton resigns as D.A., takes up supporting Wallace's widow and son, and also becomes a defense attorney.
Ten years pass, and Burton has somewhat made amends for his past wrong. Wallace's son has become as his own, is graduating law school, and will soon be practicing alongside Burton in his office. Also, Burton has formed and is legal counsel to a civic reform movement that is aiming at the conviction of a bootlegger who has been bribing public officials - Nick Quinn. Nick is the long time lover of Burton's old lover, Val Lorraine (Evelyn Brent). Val comes to visit Burton in his office to try to get Burton to lay off of her long-time meal ticket - but neither the promise of sex nor violence moves Burton an inch.
Back at her apartment, Nick comes up with a new angle to get Burton off of his back - one that involves using Burton's young ward Paul Wallace. All of this eventually leads Burton back into the courtroom as defense attorney, but this time he is representing himself as he is on trial for his own life.
Edmund Lowe was very effective at playing a somewhat likable scoundrel during the precode era, and that is also the truth here. Although he is much more likable here than I've seen him in other roles. Here he is not out so much for himself and he shows a reliable if somewhat rusty moral compass. He can still show the hard cynical side though, and all of this together make for a very interesting character. Evelyn Brent is fantastic here as femme fatale Val Lorraine. Always dressed to the nines, she'll do whatever and use whoever it takes to get her own way and keep herself in ermine. Some of the best scenes in the movie consist of her sparring with Burton - these people both know who they're dealing with. Constance Cummings is the other essential player in this film in a low-key but important role as Burton's girl Friday and secretary Ruth Barry.
Highly recommended for the precode fan.
helpful•71
- AlsExGal
- Dec 25, 2009
Details
- Runtime1 hour 10 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Attorney for the Defense (1932) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer