IMDb > The People Against O'Hara (1951)

The People Against O'Hara (1951) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   319 votes
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Director:
John Sturges
Writers:
Eleazar Lipsky (novel)
John Monks Jr. (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The People Against O'Hara on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 September 1951 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Film-Noir more
Plot:
James Curtayne has retired from law but he returns to defend John O'Hara on a murder charge. Curtayne's... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
Spencer Tracy uplifts a familiar plot more (10 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Spencer Tracy ... James P. Curtayne
Pat O'Brien ... Det. Vincent Ricks
Diana Lynn ... Virginia 'Ginny' Curtayne
John Hodiak ... District Attorney Louis Barra
Eduardo Ciannelli ... Sol 'Knuckles' Lanzetta
James Arness ... John Fordman 'Johnny' O'Hara
Yvette Duguay ... Mrs. Katrina Lanzetta
Jay C. Flippen ... Sven Norson
William Campbell ... Frank Korvac

Richard Anderson ... Jeff Chapman
Henry O'Neill ... Judge Keating
Arthur Shields ... Mr. O'Hara
Louise Lorimer ... Mrs. Peg O'Hara
Ann Doran ... Betty Clark, Policewoman
Emile Meyer ... Captain Tom Mulvaney
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
102 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Although almost of the film takes place in New York City, there is less than 5 minutes of footage filmed on location in the City of New York. more

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User Comments

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
Spencer Tracy uplifts a familiar plot, 4 September 2005
8/10
Author: blanche-2 from United States

An excellent performance by Spencer Tracy in "The People Against O'Hara" lifts this all too familiar plot line to a different level. Tracy is an alcoholic who, for the sake of his health and sobriety, becomes a civil attorney, only to be drawn back into criminal work when neighborhood friends need him to defend their son. The son is played by a pre-Gunsmoke, blond James Arness, and it was a pleasure to see him do something besides the one-note Matt Dillon. Diana Lynn does an excellent job as Tracy's protective daughter, and a pathetically young Richard Anderson is her patient fiancé.

Tracy's performance drives the film, which is really just an excuse for a character study, and who better to essay it. He beautifully shows the man's torment and loss of abilities. The ending is tense and suspenseful.

There is a fine cast, including the above, Pat O'Brien John Hodiak, Eduardo Cianelli, and William Campbell (who in real life was for a time married to Judith Exner, the woman who went public with her affair with JFK).

I think Spencer Tracy is always worth watching, and this film is no exception.

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