Ladies of the Jury (1932) User Reviews

Great...for a select audience

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 20 October 2014]

The attraction here is the superb character actress Edna May Oliver. I have always thought that Oliver was more impressive in significant character roles in A films, and not quite as interesting in starring roles in B films, though she did quite a few of those. I was a tad disappointed here, particularly in the early scenes of the film where she overdid the snooty attitude of a society dame, Later in the film it seemed more reasonable.

The story here is, essentially, "Twelve Angry Men", but with humor. The crux of the film, however, is the mostly humorous peccadillo of each member of the jury. Talk about stereotypes...but that's what brings most of the humor to the film.

Of note in the cast is Ken Murray. As a kid back in the 1950s, I remember Murray showing his "home movies" of the stars. I thought he was a big blow hard then, and I think so even more after watching him in this film. Hambone.

Also in the cast is Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, whom we are more used to seeing in Westerns.

Of course, it's politically incorrect now, but the stutterer is quite funny.

Although this is a B picture, for 1932 the production values were quite good. The ending is clever, though the film ends just a little too quickly...must have run out of money.

Recommended for buffs of the really old films or fans of Edna May Oliver...and to compare it to "Twelve Angry Men". However, if you don't like really old films,this won't be your cup of tea.

When you've got Edna May Oliver sniffing around, watch out!

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 24 July 2010]

This wonderful character actress could do more with a sniffle or the raise of an eyebrow than practically any actress in Hollywood. What appears at first sight to be a pompous, judgmental and oh-so-uptight woman is anything but. She lights up a room just by walking into it, as she does when she makes her entrance into the courtroom in this predictable but entertaining comedy/mystery. The same year she made her first appearance as the irrepressionable Hildegarde Withers (think Jessica Fletcher as a school marm), she appeared in "Ladies on the Jury", in which she is one of several woman out to either convict or free a young French woman accused of murdering her older husband. Nobody has a chance when Oliver is on screen, and here, she dominates every frame with her delightful presence. Jill Esmond (then the wife of the yet unknown Laurence Olivier) is the woman on trial; Cora Witherspoon is a masculine jury member who is more concerned over the maid's attendance at church and obviously judges Esmond more based on her looks as well as the fact that she was married to a much older man. Her male suit and tie give a hint of lesbianism hid beneath the exterior of pomposity. Roscoe Ates is the annoying stutterer on the jury, while Robert McWade adds some comedy as the perplexed judge who obviously knows Oliver's character socially. Don't expect much for mystery. Just watch for EM's delightful performance. Unfortunately, the conclusion, heard over "The End" credits, is a weak finale to a fairly entertaining film. There were enough changes in the 1937 remake "We're on the Jury" to be able to watch the two films back to back to compare without being bored, even though EMO and her successor, Helen Broderick, are different types.

Edna May Oliver steals the show as an imperious juror...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 22 July 2010]

LADIES OF THE JURY is a little programmer boosted by the performance of leading player EDNA MAY OLIVER as a Bostonian aristocrat who is allowed to ask questions of the woman on trial for her life (JILL ESMOND), accused of murdering her husband.

Edna May is the only member of the jury who believes the woman "not guilty" on the first ballot. The balance of the courtroom scenes show how she turns everyone around to thinking differently.

Surprisingly, GUINN ("BIG BOY") WILLIAMS, who livens up the proceedings with some characteristic humor and facial expressions, is not even credited in the film's cast. Among the supporting players, he's the one that stands out.

Unfortunately, the script is uneven and the treatment is less than routine with the outcome assured. The abrupt ending makes no impact at all even though the last word goes to Miss Oliver.

The humor is scanty and it's surprising to see KEN MURRAY cast as a flippant juror whose attempt at comedy is not really successful.

Edna Mae all the way.

[SkippyDevereaux · 25 December 1999]

If you love Edna Mae Oliver, then see this film. It's hers all the way as she destroys the jury system in this comedy. A close second would have to go to Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, who is also a riot. It's too bad the studios never gave this great actress more opportunities to shine in the lead roles.

The original 'Twelve Angry Men'

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 26 January 2022]

Can someone tell me what the big deal was about 1957's Twelve Angry Men? It was a remake of a Playhouse 90 special, and in 1950 there was an extremely similar story about one juror pinned against eleven prejudiced ones: Perfect Strangers. Recently, I just discovered an even earlier version from 1932 with the same theme. In Ladies of the Jury, Edna May Oliver stars as an intelligent, intuitive juror who has the task of changing the other eleven people's minds when they're all set to vote the defendant guilty.

This movie is very dated, engaging in early 1930s tropes, like the overemotional judge, the long-winded stammerer, the gum-chewing floozy, and the low-class Greek. Edna usually took supporting parts in her career, so if you really like her you can rent this or her "Snoopy Withers" mysteries to see her in the lead. But I would really only recommend it if you want to see the original 12 Angry Men. There are times when it gets pretty silly, and it doesn't stand the test of time.

Surprisingly good B-movie with abrupt ending

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 25 September 2023]

Probably not the ideal movie to educate someone on how the American jury system operates, "Ladies Of The Jury" is more of a wacky comic version of "12 Angry Men" - which it predates by 25 years! Edna May Oliver is fab, especially if you're already a fan, but what really makes this limited-set B-movie stand out from the rest is a wide array of colorful and distinct characters, acted with gusto by a largely - if not completely - unknown cast; I particularly liked one couple where the man has a flair for the poetic and the woman looks to be what you would call in modern terms a "nerd" (an unusual female portrayal for that time). If there is one flaw in this movie, it's the very abrupt ending - in fact, this may be the only movie in history where the resolution occurs over "The End" title card! **1/2 out of 4.

some fun in the jury room

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 11 July 2022]

Snotty society lady Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane (Edna May Oliver) gets picked to be on a jury. Ex-chorus girl Yvette Gordon is accused of murdering her rich elderly husband.

This is 12 Angry Men but wackier. Edna May Oliver has a bit of fun. Every character is cracked. It's not really a mystery. The story has some unreal turns. Crane can't do her own investigation. All in all, there is some fun especially in the jury room.

Silly AND Wonderful - Edna May Oliver fans, don't miss it!

[small45-670-264771 · 8/10 · 23 July 2010]

It's too bad that real trials aren't like the one depicted in this film. The trial and jury deliberations shown in this film are completely unrealistic, but what does that have to do with good movie making? I love Edna May Oliver's rendition in the Hildegard Withers series, which this film is NOT part of. It is, however, a worthy precursor of her later sleuthing roles.

The film is something of a comic version of 12 Angry Men. A single juror votes not guilty, then, using appeals to the prejudices and passions of the other jurors more than reason, persuades other jurors to change their vote to "Not Guilty" until the final scene where the innocence of the accused is "proved". A fast wrap up has the jury declaring, in voice over on the end credit, that they find the defendant "Not Guilty".

You won't find realistic situations anywhere in this film. What you will find is an acting tour de force by Edna May Oliver, excellent characterizations by the rest of the cast, an excellent period piece of the early 1930's.

This is not a film for everyone. It is a film for true cinephiles. Not a classic, but a classic example of early talkies.

I'm sorry I could not explain it's appeal better, but it's appeal is ephemeral. Good acting, good humor, good story - good, good, good. Good enough to make it's flaws worth ignoring.

Lady of the Jury

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 24 October 2014]

In New Jersey, hidden from camera range, ex-chorus girl Jill Esmond (as Yvette Gordon) kills her husband. She is charged with murder, but claims the gun went off accidentally. The case goes to jury trial. Despite being pushy and over-talkative, wealthy society matron Edna May Oliver (as Mrs. Crane) is accepted as a juror. She creates chaos in the courtroom. As you will surely guess, Ms. Oliver has a contrary opinion in the deliberation room. Oliver would be more amusing if the comedy worked. For example, have Oliver blurt out a question from the jury box and be overruled; an Oliver muttering and mugging after being scolded would be funnier. This was based on a play, so RKO and director Lowell Sherman presumably adhered to the original. It was titled "Ladies of the Jury" too, despite having a jury consisting of both "ladies and gentlemen." A better title would have been "Lady of the Jury", although even that is a judgment call.

**** Ladies of the Jury (2/5/32) Lowell Sherman ~ Edna May Oliver, Jill Esmond, Helene Millard, Leyland Hodgson

12 Malleable Jurors

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 22 July 2010]

Before there was 12 Angry Men there were several women on juries in other states, several in this particular film led by the formidable Edna May Oliver. In Ladies Of The Jury Oliver plays what she was in real life, a New England society woman who is very used to having her own way.

With the Boston Brahmin name of Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane, Edna May Oliver gets chosen for jury duty and proceeds to wreak havoc on the criminal justice system with her imperious ways. Not only in her state which is apparently Massachusetts allows women on the jury back in the day, but also allows jurors to question witnesses which Oliver takes full advantage.

Just like Henry Fonda she believes that defendant Jill Esmond is innocent, but the others are convinced that she took her husband's life. One by one she wins them over though her methods aren't exactly those of reason and logic.

A fine group of character players make up the rest of the jurors and other roles. But Ladies Of The Jury is Edna May's show all the way and she makes the most of it.

I wonder if Sidney Lumet who directed 12 Angry Men ever saw this comedy gem. Ladies Of The Jury is a B picture comedy gem, don't miss it if TCM broadcasts it again.

Not a Classic. Edna May Oliver saved it for me.

[Victor-J-1964 · 4/10 · 5 October 2017]

While this movie was made 20 years before "12 Angry Men", it isn't near the masterpiece. Edna May Oliver is exceptional as usual and the cast is fairly solid. While this movie provides some laughs it almost makes a mockery of the jury system. I labored to the end.

Victor J.

Oliver Showcase

[dougdoepke · 29 September 2017]

That first part is a real hoot. Society matron Oliver is used to having her own way. So when she enters the rule-bound courtroom as a juror, the judge is driven to distraction. Oliver's superb, amusing rather than dislikable as she disrupts the constrained proceedings with her constant remarks. Thus, it's a high society presumptions versus a frazzled judge and the court's rules. So did Mrs. Gordon (Esmond) murder her husband or not. With one exception, the jury thinks so, and we know who the exception is. But how long can Oliver hold out. Here the movie reminds me of that heavy 1957 courtroom melodrama 12 Angry Men. Except this is done for comedic effect with an array of jury characters—the blonde chippie and her glandular admirer, a wisecracking Ken Murray, a stuttering Roscoe Ates, et al. The script includes some snappy lines and an occasional pre-Code innuendo. Note too, the gender-bending woman in a man's suit who's also a prude. And even though the dialogue seldom pauses, there's little action, while events themselves are pretty much confined to two courtroom sets. All in all, it's an entertaining programmer with a lot of character color, but not much diversion for the eye.

Hysterical

[jcravens42 · 9/10 · 13 May 2021]

Maybe it's because I had such low expectations, but I laughed over and over at this! Edna May Oliver is a gift beyond measure, although her best part is the first 10 minutes of the movie. And according to the TCM pre-talk, there were, indeed, some jurisdictions in the USA where jurors are or were allowed to ask questions of witnesses. The juror room scene is full of hilarious, exaggerated characters/stereotypes - although the religious zealot on the juror actually isn't all that exaggerated... The comments about women were over-the-top even then, obviously, and the use of the term "sugar daddy" may surprise people that think it's a new term. Comments like "Hey, talk American" the insults to the French, all of which were meant then to be so ridiculous as to be funny then, will make you think of your last pre-COVID Thanksgiving with THAT uncle. Why is this not a well-loved much loved classic?!?!?

Twelve not very bright angry men and women

[marcslope · 4/10 · 27 July 2010]

A complicated murder trial is argued and decided in record time--just over an hour--in this RKO potboiler, leavened by the presence of Edna May Oliver, harrumphing and lip-pursing with her characteristic panache. But jeez, if this is American justice, I fear for the court system. As the most influential juror, Ms. Oliver decides the defendant (Jill Esmond, then married to Laurence Olivier, and employing a sturdy French accent) is innocent because her "women's intuition" tells her so. And the other jurors--including an annoying Ken Murray as a real estate tycoon, a more annoying Roscoe Ates stuttering, and Cora Witherspoon as a dowdy miss we're supposed to dislike because she wears a man's suit--come around to her side of thinking for the tritest reasons: they like her, or they like each other, or they're offended by something some other opposing juror said, or something about the defendant reminds them of someone they love. I've been on juries, and at least we were a little more analytical than that. The panel finally retires to the scene of the crime, where a highly contrived finish (including a hidden sliding wall, borrowed from RKO's horror department) leads them to the right verdict, uttered over the closing credits. It's a cheap-looking little movie, abundant in juror stereotypes; only Guinn Williams, unbilled, as a blue-collar garage mechanic, creates anything like a real person.

Edna May Oliver at her best

[louiseculmer · 9/10 · 25 February 2020]

Edna May Oliver is on the jury at the trial of a woman accused of murdering her husband. the woman insists it was an accident, but all the evidence seems to be against her. Edna May Oliver is the only juror who believes her innocent, and sets out to talk the other jurors round to her point of view. It is a very similar plot to the more famous Twelve Angry Men, except that it is a comedy and played mainly for laughs. If you like Edna May Oliver you will enjoy this, she is centre stage throughout the film and is as always a delight.

Like "12 Angry Men" but written for stupid people!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 1 October 2010]

I watched this film for one reason--Edna May Oliver. Cinephiles in the know adore this actresses films--even if she's pretty much forgotten today. However, this courtroom drama turned out to have a lot of shortcomings--mostly because the courtroom procedures were completely ridiculous. No courtroom on this planet is run this way and no judge is that stupid! For example, the lady on trial for murder CONSTANTLY interrupts the proceedings and even chases the jurors as they leave the box to deliberate--begging them to find her innocent!! As for the lawyers, the argue with each other openly in court and scream and yell at witnesses! And, a couple of the jurors make inappropriate comments during the trial that clearly would have had them disqualified. Once in the jury room, most of the jurors seemed much less intelligent than Mr. Potatohead! Now I don't mind a little leeway here, but all this ruined the film for me--most of this wasn't funny and just seemed dumb.

Believe it or not, this totally brainless movie was reworked into the teleplay and movie "12 Angry Men"--a movie classic!!! I watch that instead, as despite having Oliver, "Ladies of the Jury" is junk.

Strange But Very Fun

[Michael_Elliott · 26 July 2010]

Ladies of the Jury (1932)

*** (out of 4)

Interesting comedy with just a pinch of drama. A chorus girl is accused of murdering her much older husband so that she can get his money. Eleven people of the jury thinks she's guilty but one (Edna May Oliver) believes that there isn't a way she did the crime due to a questionable witness at the trial. Sound familiar to a certain Henry Fonda movie called 12 ANGRY MEN? This film was based on a Broadway play and there's no question that it has a lot of strong connections to the much more famous Fonda film. I can't go into any real detail as it would provide spoilers for both films but it was rather funny seeing how many characters shared some similarities as well as reasons why those thinking the woman is guilty switch sides and go for not guilty. Fans of 12 ANGRY MEN will certainly get an added kick out of this film but even on its own this thing isn't too bad. I think what's most interesting is that the first thirty-five minutes is pure comedy as we're in the court room as the evidence is given and all hell is constantly breaking loose. This includes the lawyers fighting each other, the suspect constantly screaming at the witness and of course there's Edna May Oliver who is constantly jumping up to ask her own questions of the witnesses. A lot of the comedy is very forced and over the top but most of it works. It even works when we get to the jury room where more craziness follows including jurors falling in love and of course more fighting. While there's a lot of over-the-top moments, the film actually takes the case rather serious and keeps the mystery going right up until the ending. I think it was a rather interesting move keeping the dramatic side of the case strong and it makes for a rather unique experience since most films would either go for all laughs or all drama. A big reason this film works are the performances with Oliver really delivering the goods in the main role. She's perfectly believable as the rich woman who gets her way and will let no one tell her how to do things. The supporting actors are quite strong as well with Jill Esmond (who was married to Laurence Olivier at the time), Ken Murray, Kitty Kelly, Cora Witherspoon and Robert McWade all doing fine work. We even get some very funny moments from stutterer Roscoe Ates who is best remembered for his role in FREAKS. At just 63-minutes this thing flies by and is certainly worth checking out when it shows up on TCM.