Sued for Libel (1939)

The trial of Albert Pomeroy on the charge of murdering Edward Webster,arouses interest because Webster's widow, Muriel insists Pomeroy is innocent. Meanwhile, back to radio station NYEB, ... See full summary »

Director:

Leslie Goodwins

Writers:

Wolfe Kaufman (story), Jerome Cady (screenplay)

Stars:

Kent Taylor, Linda Hayes, Lilian Bond

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kent Taylor	...	Steve Lonegan
Linda Hayes	...	Maggie Shane
Lilian Bond	...	Mrs. Muriel Webster
Morgan Conway	...	Albert Pomeroy
Richard Lane	...	Smiley Dugan
Roger Pryor	...	District Attorney Willard Corbin
Thurston Hall	...	David Hastings
Emory Parnell	...	Jerome Walsh
Roy Gordon	...	Colonel Jasper White
Keye Luke	...	Chang Howe
Edward Earle	...	Judge Samuel Clark
Vinton Hayworth	...	Dr. Bailer (as Jack Arnold)
Leona Roberts	...	Mrs. Trent

Storyline

The trial of Albert Pomeroy on the charge of murdering Edward Webster,arouses interest because Webster's widow, Muriel insists Pomeroy is innocent. Meanwhile, back to radio station NYEB, owned by the Evening Bulletin, Steve Lonegan waits for a flash from Smiley Dugan so he can broadcast the verdict---But Dugan leaves and asks reporter Maggie Dugan to tip him off it something happens...and something happens when the jury comes in unexpectedly,and this jury comes in with a "Not Guilty" verdict. But fun-loving Maggie, as a gag, phones Smiley and tells him Pomeroy was found guilty, and unreliable Smiley relays this false information to Lonegan who tells a waiting world that Pomeroy was found guilty, signs off the air, locks up the station and goes home...and leaves the station wide open for a million-dollar libel suit. Lonegan and Colonel White decide that the only out from paying Pomeroy a million bucks in a libel-suit is to dig up something on Pomeroy that will force him to drop the ...

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Plot Keywords:

widow | libel suit | jury | trial | secretary | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Juicio por calumnia

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)"
(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Music by Richard Wagner
Played by the radio station band for the wedding re-enactment

User Reviews

A reminder of how bad a B-movie can be

The studios cranked out a lot of this type of film in the 1930s and 1940s, and this is an example of how cheap and silly they could be. The film overuses what begins as an interesting plot device - a radio dramatization of the news - so that it becomes flatly ridiculous. The story is way too complicated and progressively harder to follow as the picture progresses. The acting ranges from colorless (Kent Taylor) to hilariously over-the-top (Lilian Bond). In short, this is a real time-waster.