Guilty Hands (1931)

Richard Grant is a lawyer who believes that murder under certain circumstances is justifiable. Richard's daughter, Barbara, takes her dad to a dinner party hosted by Richard's old friend, ... See full summary »

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Bayard Veiller (screenplay), Bayard Veiller (story)

Stars:

Lionel Barrymore, Kay Francis, Madge Evans

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lionel Barrymore	...	Richard Grant
Kay Francis	...	Marjorie West
Madge Evans	...	Barbara 'Babs' Grant
William Bakewell	...	Tommy Osgood
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Reverend Hastings
Polly Moran	...	Aunt Maggie
Alan Mowbray	...	Gordon Rich
Forrester Harvey	...	Spencer Wilson
Charles Crockett	...	H.G. Smith
Henry A. Barrows	...	Harvey Scott (as Henry Barrows)

Storyline

Richard Grant is a lawyer who believes that murder under certain circumstances is justifiable. Richard's daughter, Barbara, takes her dad to a dinner party hosted by Richard's old friend, wealthy playboy, Gordon Rich. Gordon tells Richard that he and Barbara plan to marry. Richard threatens Gordon's life if he marries Barbara. Richard is unaware that Barbara has no plans to marry Gordon, and she's in love with Tommy Osgood. Richard enraged of the thought of Barbara marrying Gordon goes into Gordon's room, undetected, and kills him...Has Richard committed the perfect crime?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | playboy | district attorney | last will and testament | alibi | 

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Taglines:

They both knew how he had met his death! Why didn't they tell?

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Genres:

Drama | Crime

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Enoha heria

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Although Forrester Harvey is credited onscreen as Spencer Wilson, it is Charles Crockett's character who is referred to as "Mr. Wilson" at one point. Harvey's character name is never spoken in the movie.

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Soundtracks

"God Save the King!"
Written by Henry Carey (1744)
A few bars played on piano

User Reviews

Not with my daughter

Guilty Hands is listed as the film Lionel Barrymore followed with after his Oscar winning performance for A Free Soul. Nothing is truer in the film business than if something succeeds, follow it with several imitations.

In A Free Soul Barrymore played a defense attorney who defends gangsters but doesn't want them courting his daughter. In Guilty Hands Barrymore is a former prosecuting attorney who does not like the news that a playboy client wants to marry his daughter Madge Evans and take her away from her earnest sweetheart William Bakewell. He says that he will kill the client Alan Mowbray and soon to prevent it.

And by God he does kill him and really cleverly as well, it looks like suicide. However the Mowbray's former mistress Kay Francis is well on to him. Even though he was throwing her over, Francis is still carrying a torch.

By 1930 at least this cast of players had mastered the technique of sound film and there was no overacting even in a film like this which goes melodramatic. I was impressed by Kay Francis in the climax where Barrymore with his years of criminal justice experience walks the local police through the scene and has them convinced of suicide. Yet your main focus is on Francis who with her expressions conveys a gallery of emotions as she knows the truth, but Barrymore has her cowed.

Guilty Hands, a decent followup to A Free Soul is way melodramatic, but still has a certain fascination. Watch Francis in this, she really is something.