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(There are Spoilers) Quiting his high powered law firm by rejecting a case where he felt his client was guilty out of job attorney Steve Bennett, Dennis O'Keefe, catches the eye of the city's District Attorney Craig Warren, Adolphe Menjou, who hires him as his assistant D.A.

On Steve's first assignment involving power-broker James Randolph's, George Coulouris, real-estate & construction firm-Randolph & Longfield-he meets Randolph's private secretary Marcia Manning, Margerite Chapman, and it's love at first sight. Steve doesn't realize it but Marcia is a tough dame who knows what she want's and how to get it. What Marcia want's from Steve is what evidence the D.A's office has on her boss and secret lover James Randolph.

D.A Warren knows full well Marcia's background back in Kansas City where she was involved in a suspicious car accident, that she was acquitted of, were an important state witness was run down and killed. Not wanting to openly interfere in his assistants, Steve Bennet, love life Warren gets him out of the country to extradite a local hood, in Italy, so in time the big romance will cool off.

With Steve back in town, after some three weeks in sunny Italy, he finds out to his shock and surprise that his honey and the girl that he left behind Marcia had married her boss James Randolph while he was away! Holding his boss D.A Warren responsible from his break up with Marica Steve quits his job and eventually end up working as Randolph's attorney!

Steve soon finds out that Randolph is dirty and working with the mob as a front-man for mobster and nightclub owner Berotti, Steven Geray. The two hoods, Randolph & Berotti, are trying to get the city counsel to pass a bill to build a superhighway straight through the heart of the city's Westgate District.

Things start to get ugly with the so-called suicide of Randolph's legal expert Ed Jamison, Ralph Morgan, who was, in an effort to save his neck, ready to talk to the D.A's office to strike up a deal with D.A Warren. Meanwhile back in the Westgate District Berotti and Randolph's hoods shake down the merchants by forcing them to sell out to Randolph's firm. By buying up all the real-estate in Westgate Randolph and his silent partner Berotti will make millions when the superhighway is finally built!

It takes a while for the confused and love-sick Steve Bennet to get his head screwed back on in realizing that Marcia has absolutely no use for him other then have Steve used as a accessory to crime. It turns out that Steve's only reason in working for Randolph is to throw off the D.A's investigation of Randolph and Berotti criminal connections. By the time Steve realizes what a sucker he was it's almost too late from him to get out of the mess that he put himself into.

***SPOILER ALERT***In a desperate attempt to make up for what he did in helping the mob and their, or is it the other way around, stooge James Randolph Steve confronts Randolph at his office and ends up, in self-defense, shooting him dead. With a murder rap now hanging over his head Steve has only one choice left and that's to come clean! But with Marcia manipulating, from behind the scenes, him whatever evidence that can exonerate Steve in Randolph's murder has been destroyed! Or has it!

"Mr. District Attorney" is a 1947 film starring Dennis O'Keefe, Michael O'Shea, Marguerite Chapman and Adolphe Menjou. It has a solid B cast that includes Jeff Donnell and George Coulouris. O'Keefe plays Steve Bennett, a defense attorney who is offered a job in the DA's office by Craig Warren (Menjou) and accepts. Unfortunately he's being played by the Chapman character, Marcia Manning, who's trying to get information from him that will help the case of her boyfriend, James Randolph (Coulouris). By listening in on a phone conversation, she finds out about a witness, who suddenly disappears.

Warren suspects Manning, who has a police record, so he sends Steve to Italy to find a witness and convinces Marcia to get out of his life. She does so, by marrying Randolph. When Steve returns and finds his girlfriend married, he blames Warren and quits the DA's office, making him ripe for exploitation by Randolph yet again.

This is an okay film, brightened by the performance of Michael O'Shea as an investigator who works in the DA's office. Menjou is very good as the DA. O'Keefe is a likable and attractive actor who doesn't register much here. Chapman is effective. I mainly know who she is from the '80s, where she was selling her own memorabilia and always had an ad in "Hollywood Studio Magazine." The movie felt a little dragged out.

Dennis O'Keefe is "Bennett" and aspiring lawyer who joins the team of District Attorney "Warren" (Adolphe Menjou). Initially he is prepared to put in the graft, and his boss is impressed - but when he begins to fall for the enigmatic "Marcia" (Marguerite Chapman) his focus starts to wander and he and his boss part company. Now on the other side of the fence, "Bennett" finds himself working for "Randolph" (George Coulouris) and embroiled in a complex property scam that could involve his new love. It's not a bad effort at a crime noir, this, but there is far too much dialogue and little on-screen chemistry between O'Keefe and his not-so-smouldering femme-fatale Chapman. It is probably about fifteen minutes too long, with a little too much preamble that could have been reinvested in the grittier end of the proceedings that are all rather conveniently - and hastily - pulled together. It's pretty procedural and I can't think you'll remember watching it afterwards, but it passes the time ok.

A young assistant DA gets mixed up with an unscrupulous woman and her criminally connected husband.

On the whole, the movie is a rather pleasant surprise, thanks to a lively cast and an edgy script. From the unpromising title, I expected a replay of the radio series that was nothing special. Instead, however, the movie plays more like a 40's noir than a legal documentary.

The story's crux revolves around Marcia's (Chapman) ruthless manipulations, and Chapman is excellent as the designing spider woman. As a result of the clever script and adept acting, it's hard to detect Marcia's true intentions. That leaves us in the same position as her paramour, the befuddled Steve (O'Keefe). But, Steve's none too ethical himself since he hires out to crooked businessman Randolph (Coulouris), after leaving the DA's office. Together, Marcia and Steve make a good tarnished pair, well suited to noir.

It's a dynamic Adolph Menjou as the truculent DA, however, who makes the film work. Thanks to actor Menjou, we understand why Steve has a love-hate relationship with his boss. As a result, Steve's basic dilemma revolves around which he will follow—the DA and his profession or Marcia and her allure. Fortunately, if things get too heavy, the lively Harrington (O'Shea) is around with his well-scripted quips.

Despite its assets, the film's far from a classic, but does remain a lively little programmer thanks to a large dose of Hollywood professionalism.

This film version of the popular radio and later television series stars Adolph Menjou in the title role as the incorruptible District Attorney of an unnamed city. Menjou's famous waxed mustache proved handy in the role as it suggested that other mustached DA who ran for president, Thomas E. Dewey.

The plot finds Menjou hiring Dennis O'Keefe after he overhears him quitting a case where he found the evidence bogus. That kind of integrity impresses Menjou and he puts him to work.

But O'Keefe has a weakness and it's for Marguerite Chapman one cold hearted minx if there ever was one. She skirted on a murder accomplice charge already and she's in the pay of construction tycoon George Coulouris. When O'Keefe begins investigating Coulouris, she's right there to tip him to every move.

Menjou busts them up, but O'Keefe takes it the wrong way and goes over to the dark side. It's only then we see just how evil Chapman is and she's one of the most evil women ever seen on the big screen this side of Jane Greer in Out Of The Past.

Michael O'Shea as Menjou's investigator and Jeff Donnell as the DA's secretary/receptionist also contribute some noteworthy characterizations as does Steven Geray who was a regular in these Columbia noir type films.

The image of Menjou as Dewey is reinforced in the film by the fact that he tells O'Keefe to be ready to work long and desultory hours in obtaining convictions. That is exactly what Dewey did to his staff, he drove himself just as hard. Curiously enough though the DA's name on the radio series is unmentioned, here his last name is Warren and another guy who was at one time the District Attorney of Alameda County which is Oakland in California was Governor of California when Mr. District Attorney came out. He would run with Dewey for Vice President in 1948 and later became one of our greatest Chief Justices, meaning of course Earl Warren.

Though Menjou and O'Keefe are fine, this film belongs to Marguerite Chapman in what was her career role in her screen career. Not much in the way of production, but a solid plot and characterization make Mr. District Attorney a good noir feature.

When the story begins, DA Craig Warren (Adolph Menjou) approaches a young lawyer he just observed in court. Warren is impressed with Steve Bennett (Dennis O'Keefe) and offers him a job. For a while, Bennet is a very valuable asset to his boss...so valuable that Warren does something truly awful. When he learns that Bennett is dating Marcia Whiting (Marguerite Chapman), however, he takes it upon himself to talk to Marcia....to tell her to break off her relationship with him! Why? Because she has a past and Warren is worried it will harm Bennett's chances of one day becoming the District Attorney. She agrees and, not surprisingly, when Bennett finds out about this he is furious. But by now the damage has been done...and she's married some mobster. Bennett, naturally, quits his job.

Soon Bennett is offered a chance to defend his ex-girlfriend...and when he does it, the mob thinks they have a lawyer who will do their bidding...and they're right. Is there any hope for Bennett? And what's next?

The first half of the film is excellent...and hooked me. The second half, while not terrible, is REALLY tough to believe. Neat...but tough to believe. Overall, a very good time-passer.

Marguerite Chapman is a dream of beauty here, she is loved by too many, Dennis O'Keefe is one of them, employed by Adolphe Menjou as the District Attorney, who drives him hard, but this whole intricate business would have been a total bore, in spite of constant crossfire conversation with bullets flying around everywhere, if Michael O'Shea wasn't there to humour it up. But for him the show would have been as dreary as Anna Karenina. Because of his sugar and spice the cocktail becomes tasty, and at least you won't fall asleep. There is a mystery as well, there are too many murders crowding in upon each other, some of them anonymous, but the final murder attempt closes the case with a vengeance, as there are no more crooks left to murder.

Dennis O'Keefe can't stomach defending men he knows to be guilty, so he joins D. A. Adolphe Menjou's office. His boss is pleased with his work until he loses a case. Menjou thinks his mind isn't on his business, so he investigates and discovers O'Keefe is in live with Marguerite Chapman. She was tried for murder in Kansas City, but beat the rap. Menjou thinks she did it, and sends O'Keefe to Italy to get a witness. While he's gone, Miss Chapman marries her boss and the local mob's, George Coulouris. O'Keefe returns, finds out what happened, and quits.

It all runs back to Phillips Lord's radio series of the same name, and with an involved and noirish plot, this runs along pretty well. A good part of that can be attributed to the cast, which includes Michael O'Shea, Jeff Donnell, Steve Geray, and Ralph Morgan. Although as a mystery it's no great shakes, the fast pace keeps things interesting.