Joan Blondell is a tough newspaper reporter for editor Pat O'Brien. She determines that a rich man has been poisoned, and writes a series of stories that gets his widow, Margaret Lindsay put on trial for murder. Then, watching the trial, she decides Miss Lindsay didn't do it.
I've been looking at late 1930s Warner Brothers features recently, renewing my acquaintance, and in general, I don't find them as good as I used to. Perhaps my standards have become more persnickety. However, let's start with why this one now seems not much of a good movie. First, it hangs around for almost 37 of its 80 minutes before it finds the story it wants to tell. Second, Miss Blondell's line readings become monotonous after she decides that Miss Lindsay is innocent.
There are some oddities, like O'Brien being top-billed, but that's a matter for the front office. Ray Enright was one of Warners' workhouse directors, able to turn out a fine movie; his direction of the usually delightful Miss Blondell is astonishingly bad; but then, John Litel is in this movie, and he gives a poor performance too. What was going on? With George E. Stone, Walter Byron, and Regis Toomey.
I've been looking at late 1930s Warner Brothers features recently, renewing my acquaintance, and in general, I don't find them as good as I used to. Perhaps my standards have become more persnickety. However, let's start with why this one now seems not much of a good movie. First, it hangs around for almost 37 of its 80 minutes before it finds the story it wants to tell. Second, Miss Blondell's line readings become monotonous after she decides that Miss Lindsay is innocent.
There are some oddities, like O'Brien being top-billed, but that's a matter for the front office. Ray Enright was one of Warners' workhouse directors, able to turn out a fine movie; his direction of the usually delightful Miss Blondell is astonishingly bad; but then, John Litel is in this movie, and he gives a poor performance too. What was going on? With George E. Stone, Walter Byron, and Regis Toomey.