I think most films run about the right length. If not, they're typically too long and seem to drag. This is that rare film which could have been a little longer, though that's not to say that it's a perfect film.
Walter Pidgeon plays a defense attorney who is just a little too busy to pay the amount of attention to his wife (Virginia Bruce) and young daughter that they deserve. Busy on an important case, Pidgeon flies to another city, and his wife has a fling -- albeit an innocent one of companionship -- with a scumbag (Lee Bowman) who then blackmails her with a photo and innocent, yet suspicious notes that Bowman's wife can use to claim that Pidgeon's wife is the correspondent in a divorce case. In a showdown, Pidgeon's wife accidentally discharges a gun and flees, thinking she has killed the blackmailer. At her urging, Pidgeon defends the blackmailer's wife while Pidgeon's wife frets over her guilt and sending an innocent woman to the death house. At the last moment, during the closing moments of the trail, Pidgeon's wife admits her guilt to the court.
Up until that point, the script is going well. But then, in a move that probably would not be allowed, Pidgeon cross examines the blackmailer's wife to prove that she actually shot her husband dead, after realizing he was still alive. At that point she confesses that after the accidental gun discharged and Pidgeon's wife ran out of the apartment, she did, indeed, kill her husband. Pidgeon then defends the murderer and she is acquitted, and Pidgeon forgives his wife.
Now it sounds very soapy, but for most of the film it actually works very well. The three problems I have with the film is that Pidgeon makes his client testify against herself AND that there are times when Pidgeon's wife (Virginia Bruce) has an oddly calm look on her face as she remains silent, but is nearly caught in her imagined guilt. And, Pidgeon's wife's friend (Ilka Chase, who is generally an excellent character actress) is a little too smooth in accepting that the apparently wrong woman will go to her death.
But okay, it still works overall, and is rather dramatic. This is somewhat early in Pidgeon's career -- a couple of years before his successes with Greer Garson, which is probably why he was in what was clearly a B picture. I already mentioned some miscues on Bruce's part. Lee Bowman is just right as a sleazy blackmailer...not playing it over the top. Ann Dvorak is very good as the wronged wife.
This is a good film and worth watching, although it probably won't rate a place on your DVD shelf. Perhaps by extending the length of the film a bit (it was only 78 minutes long), they could have ironed out the problems I had with the film.
Walter Pidgeon plays a defense attorney who is just a little too busy to pay the amount of attention to his wife (Virginia Bruce) and young daughter that they deserve. Busy on an important case, Pidgeon flies to another city, and his wife has a fling -- albeit an innocent one of companionship -- with a scumbag (Lee Bowman) who then blackmails her with a photo and innocent, yet suspicious notes that Bowman's wife can use to claim that Pidgeon's wife is the correspondent in a divorce case. In a showdown, Pidgeon's wife accidentally discharges a gun and flees, thinking she has killed the blackmailer. At her urging, Pidgeon defends the blackmailer's wife while Pidgeon's wife frets over her guilt and sending an innocent woman to the death house. At the last moment, during the closing moments of the trail, Pidgeon's wife admits her guilt to the court.
Up until that point, the script is going well. But then, in a move that probably would not be allowed, Pidgeon cross examines the blackmailer's wife to prove that she actually shot her husband dead, after realizing he was still alive. At that point she confesses that after the accidental gun discharged and Pidgeon's wife ran out of the apartment, she did, indeed, kill her husband. Pidgeon then defends the murderer and she is acquitted, and Pidgeon forgives his wife.
Now it sounds very soapy, but for most of the film it actually works very well. The three problems I have with the film is that Pidgeon makes his client testify against herself AND that there are times when Pidgeon's wife (Virginia Bruce) has an oddly calm look on her face as she remains silent, but is nearly caught in her imagined guilt. And, Pidgeon's wife's friend (Ilka Chase, who is generally an excellent character actress) is a little too smooth in accepting that the apparently wrong woman will go to her death.
But okay, it still works overall, and is rather dramatic. This is somewhat early in Pidgeon's career -- a couple of years before his successes with Greer Garson, which is probably why he was in what was clearly a B picture. I already mentioned some miscues on Bruce's part. Lee Bowman is just right as a sleazy blackmailer...not playing it over the top. Ann Dvorak is very good as the wronged wife.
This is a good film and worth watching, although it probably won't rate a place on your DVD shelf. Perhaps by extending the length of the film a bit (it was only 78 minutes long), they could have ironed out the problems I had with the film.