Counsel for Crime (1937) DVD-R

Starring Otto Kruger, Douglass Montgomery, Julie Bishop, Thurston Hall,
Nana Bryant
Directed by John Brahm

Print: black/white
Runtime: 61 min.
Genre: drama
Print Quality: B

Law school graduate Paul Maddox, adopted son of Senator Robert
Maddox, accepts an offer to join the law firm of William "Bill" Mellon,
brilliant but unscrupulous criminal attorney. Mrs. Maddox is actually
Paul's real mother, although neither the Senator nor Paul know it, and Bill
Mellon is his father. Yes, it is one of "those" plots. Paul is at first critical
of Mellon's sharp practices, but he relents when Ann McItyre convinces
him it's all within the law, a fact most law school graduates would have
learned in law school. Gambler Georgie Evans comes to Mellon and tells
him he has just killed Harrison, another underworld character, and insists
it was in self defense. Mellon coaches Evans in how to tell his story to the
police, then sends him to police headquarters to give himself up, and
then assigns Paul to follow up on the case. While Evans and Paul are on
separate routes to the police station, Evans stops by Harrison's and kills
him under circumstances corresponding with Mellon's fool-proof alibi
version already supplied before the act. Truly a good example of why it is
best to consult an attorney before committing a rash act. Mellon learns of
this post-dated action but, for a large sum of money from Evans, agrees
to have his firm represent him and assigns Paul the task. Paul, of course,
wins Evans an acquittal. Paul later learns that the killing was committed
after Evans had retained Mellon and quits the firm. Paul's moral snit does
not extend past the point of allowing his adopted-father's influence
getting him appointed Assistant District Attorney. Paul begins a probe
against malpractice in the law profession, and Mellon hires Mitchell to dig
up scandal on state officials sponsoring the probe. Mitchell does this
even better than Mellon anticipated, especially when he comes back with
the truth about Paul actually being Mrs. Maddox' own son. When Mitchell
refuses to give up the papers with the proof, he and Mellon struggle and
Mitchell dies from a shot from his own gun. Mellon is charged with
murder and Paul is the prosecutor. Will Paul send his real Pa to jail for
life?