Film

Criminal Lawyer

1937 · 1h 12m · Action · Romance · Drama

IMDb

5.8

Barry Brandon, a criminal lawyer, visits the night club of Denny Larkin, his primary client, with Betty Walker, a spoiled society girl. The police raid the club and Brandon pleads that the whole group is guilty, just to get even with Larkin for a rebuke. On the same night in court, Madge Carter is on trial for disorderly conduct, and Brandon volunteers to defend her, and proves the case against her if a frame-up. Finding that she is penniless, Brandon hires her as his secretary, and falls in love with her. Brandon is appointed district attorney and has ambitions of becoming the state governor. Having dinner at Betty's home, she maneuvers him, while he is drunk, into marrying her. Later, Madge is a witness when Larkin shoots down a fellow gangster. By threatening Brandon's life, he forces her to commit perjury at his trial, and say he fired in self-defense. Brandon, the prosecuting attorney (who has had his marriage to Betty annulled) knows she is lying but doesn't know why.

Lee Tracy

Brandon

Margot Grahame

Madge Carter

Eduardo Ciannelli

Gene Larkin

Betty Lawford

Betty Walker

Erik Rhodes

Tony Bandini

Frank M. Thomas

William Walker

Wilfred Lucas

Brandon's Assistant

William Stack

District Attorney Hopkins

Charles Lane

Attorney (uncredited)

Aileen Pringle

Mrs. Manning (uncredited)

Francis McDonald

Jack 'Fingy' Doremus (uncredited)

Lita Chevret

Nora James (uncredited)

Theodore von Eltz

Larkin's Attorney (uncredited)

Cyril Ring

Extra at Larkin's Nightclub (uncredited)

Edward Van Sloan

Bit (uncredited)

William Worthington

Party Guest (uncredited)

• Edward KillyDirector
• Christy CabanneDirector
• G.V. AtwaterScreenplay
• Thomas LennonScreenplay
• Louis StevensStory
• David AbelDirector of Photography
• Jack HivelyEditor

Release date

January 29, 1937

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 12m

Genres

Action, Romance, Drama, Crime