True Confession (1937)
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- Approved
- 1h 25min
- Comedy, Crime
- 24 Dec 1937 (USA)
- Movie
A lawyer defends his wife, a pathological liar, in a murder trial.
Director:
Writers:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Carole Lombard | ... |
Helen Bartlett
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| Fred MacMurray | ... |
Kenneth Bartlett
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| John Barrymore | ... |
Charley Jasper
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| Una Merkel | ... |
Daisy McClure
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| Porter Hall | ... |
Mr. Hartman
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| Edgar Kennedy | ... |
Darsey
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| Lynne Overman | ... |
Bartender
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| Irving Bacon | ... |
The Coroner
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| Fritz Feld | ... |
Krayler's Butler
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| Richard Carle | ... |
Judge
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| John T. Murray | ... |
Otto Krayler
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| Tom Dugan | ... |
McDougall
(as Tommy Dugan)
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| Garry Owen | ... |
Tony Krauch
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| Toby Wing | ... |
Suzanne Baggart
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| Hattie McDaniel | ... |
Ella
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Eleanor Fisher | ... |
Reporter
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Beaudine Anderson | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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| Herbert Ashley | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Frank Austin | ... |
Caretaker (uncredited)
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| Baby Peggy | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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| Rosita Butler | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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Dudley Clements | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Chester Clute | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Nick Copeland | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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| Anne Cornwall | ... |
Alternate Juror (uncredited)
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Charlotte Dabney | ... |
Newspaper Sketch Artist (uncredited)
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Jack Daley | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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Frank Du Frane | ... |
Maitre d'hotel (uncredited)
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| Martin Faust | ... |
Door Attendant (uncredited)
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Harry Fleischmann | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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| Byron Foulger | ... |
Ballistic Expert (uncredited)
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| George B. French | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Norah Gale | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Wesley Giraud | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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| Ned Glass | ... |
Second Photographer (uncredited)
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| Grace Goodall | ... |
Taxpayer Spectator (uncredited)
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| George Guhl | ... |
Darsey's Assistant (uncredited)
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| Harriette Haddon | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Jack Isley | ... |
Policeman (uncredited)
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Elmer Jerome | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Carmencita Johnson | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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Seessel Anne Johnson | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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| Lew Kelly | ... |
Court Captain (uncredited)
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| Kenner G. Kemp | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Gwen Kenyon | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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| Arthur Lake | ... |
Attendant (uncredited)
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Peggy Leon | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Sharon Lewis | ... |
Yvonne Bolero (uncredited)
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Jane Loofbourrow | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Wally Maher | ... |
Assistant Prosecutor Ralston (uncredited)
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| Joyce Mathews | ... |
Girl in Cocktail Lounge (uncredited)
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| Bradley Metcalfe | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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John Nasborough | ... |
Doorman (uncredited)
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Billy O'Brien | ... |
Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
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| George Ovey | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Franklin Parker | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Don Roberts | ... |
Court Attendant (uncredited)
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Alma Ross | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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| Art Rowlands | ... |
First Photographer (uncredited)
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| Charles Sherlock | ... |
Chauffeur (uncredited)
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| C.L. Sherwood | ... |
Door Attendant (uncredited)
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Cora Shumway | ... |
Jail Matron (uncredited)
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Gertrude Simpson | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Walter Soderling | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Mark Strong | ... |
Assistant Court Clerk (uncredited)
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| Brick Sullivan | ... |
Police Detective (uncredited)
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Bernard Suss | ... |
Pedestrian (uncredited)
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Jim Toney | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Virginia Vale | ... |
Brunette Girl (uncredited)
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| Monte Vandergrift | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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| Blanca Vischer | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Pat West | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Irving White | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Gloria Williams | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Wesley Ruggles | ||
Written by
| Claude Binyon | ... | (screenplay) |
| Louis Verneuil | ... | (play "Mon crime") and |
| Georges Berr | ... | (play "Mon crime") |
Produced by
| William LeBaron | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| Albert Lewin | ... | producer |
Music by
| Friedrich Hollaender | ... | (as Frederick Hollander) |
Cinematography by
| Ted Tetzlaff | ... | (photographed by) |
Editing by
| Paul Weatherwax | ||
Art Direction by
| Hans Dreier | ||
| Robert Usher | ||
Costume Design by
| Travis Banton | ||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Arthur Jacobson | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| A.E. Freudeman | ... | interior decorator |
| Arthur Camp | ... | props (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Earl S. Hayman | ... | sound recordist (as Earl Hayman) |
| Don Johnson | ... | sound recordist |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Boris Morros | ... | musical director |
Additional Crew
| Reed Bovee | ... | digital film scanning |
| Adolph Zukor | ... | presenter |
Production Companies
- Paramount Pictures (presents)
Distributors
- Paramount Pictures (1937) (United States) (theatrical)
- Paramount Film Service (1937) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Paramount British Pictures (1937) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Paramount Film Service (1937) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Les Films Paramount (1938) (France) (theatrical)
- Films Paramount (1938) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Film AB Paramount (1938) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Filmaktieselskabet Paramount (1938) (Denmark) (theatrical)
- Filmaktieselskapet Paramount (1938) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Paramount Films (1938) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Paramount-Films (1938) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Paramount Filmes (1939) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (United States) (tv)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2006) (United States) (DVD) (Carole Lombard: The Glamour Collection)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2014) (United States) (DVD) (Universal Vault Series)
- The Criterion Channel (2021) (United States) (tv) (digital)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Western Electric (mirrophonic sound recording)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Helen and Ken are a strange couple: She is a pathological liar; he is a scrupulously honest (therefore unsuccessful) lawyer. Helen starts a new job, and when her employer is found dead, all the (circumstantial) evidence points to her. She is put on trial for murder, and her husband defends her. He thinks she is lying again when she says she didn't do it, and insists she should plead that she did, but in self-defense. Charlie, a shady, odd character who may or may not know something about what really happened, hangs around the courtroom and jail, making rude comments and noises. After Helen is acquitted, he tries to blackmail them.
Written by John Oswalt |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Immensely amusing, freshly plotted drama. (Print Ad-Hendricks Pioneer, ((Hendricks, Minn.)) 11 February 1938) See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | During filming, Una Merkel rescued a movie prop man named Arthur Camp from drowning at Lake Arrowhead, California, when the backwash from her motorboat upset his skiff. She caught his suspenders with a boat hook and held him until help arrived from the shore. Camp was unable to swim. See more » |
| Goofs | John Barrymore's pant's legs are wet to the knees when he pushes off from the lake shore in his row boat, showing that there was previous action (film takes) where he got wet. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Referenced in Fred MacMurray (1961). See more » |
| Soundtracks | True Confession See more » |
| Quotes |
Ballistic Expert:
I got the call about 10 o'clock Wednesday morning from the homicide bureau. I found the defendant, I mean, er, the deceased, laying, er, lying face down on the floor, I mean the rug. So I examined the uh, rug, or, er, uh, the body, and found that death was caused by two bullets, fired into his range, I mean, two bullets fired at close range into his lead, er, head. See more » |