I realize that this was supposed to be a dramatic piece especially when the young lawyer Raymond Fleuriot (John Beal) unbeknownst to himself is representing his own estranged mother Jacqueline Fleuriot (Gladys George) during his very first murder trial. In his big dramatic defense opening monologue the young lawyer Raymond Fleuriot heeds the advice given to him earlier on what he would do to defend his client by his own father, the very successful lawyer in his own right Bernard Fleuriot (Warren William) . Raymond's own lawyer father Bernard advised his son that to turn the jury into a sympathetic jury, Raymond should attempt to deflect all blame onto a third unknown party to explain his clients criminal actions.
So the young and inexperienced lawyer Raymond who does not know he is actually defending his own estranged mother Jacqueline Fleuriot who was exiled by her lawyer husband Raymond Fleuriot from the family home and from her parental rights for an indiscretion of infidelity. Jacqueline left her young son Raymond and the family estate to run amok for the next twenty (20) years into a series of drunken binges and empty affairs always staying one step ahead of the law and her husband Bernard who had hired detectives to try and find her and forgive her for her infidelity decades ago.
The big dramatic scene begins with the young and very green defense lawyer Raymond, heeding his own fathers advice and he begins by totally disparaging his own father when he blames his clients husband for throwing his client out on the streets penniless and homeless and without any rights to ever see her own son again, not realizing he is talking so offensively about his own loving father who he has always placed on a pedestal. This is supposed to be a big dramatic scene but it reminded me so much of one of the many comedy scenes that the 1960-70's comedy TV show The Carol Burnett show would do and when of her many talented cast would always hilariously put their foot in their proverbial mouths.
It is a decent dramatic story for a 1937 film release, but being a baby boomer myself, I couldn't help but think of the ending of this dramatic film without putting a comedic spin on the young lawyer Raymond Fleuriot's opening defense monologue.
I give the film a decent 6 out of 10 IMDB rating for a 1937 film. made some 84 years earlier long before the 1960's TV comedy series The Carol Burnett Show had ever aired.
So the young and inexperienced lawyer Raymond who does not know he is actually defending his own estranged mother Jacqueline Fleuriot who was exiled by her lawyer husband Raymond Fleuriot from the family home and from her parental rights for an indiscretion of infidelity. Jacqueline left her young son Raymond and the family estate to run amok for the next twenty (20) years into a series of drunken binges and empty affairs always staying one step ahead of the law and her husband Bernard who had hired detectives to try and find her and forgive her for her infidelity decades ago.
The big dramatic scene begins with the young and very green defense lawyer Raymond, heeding his own fathers advice and he begins by totally disparaging his own father when he blames his clients husband for throwing his client out on the streets penniless and homeless and without any rights to ever see her own son again, not realizing he is talking so offensively about his own loving father who he has always placed on a pedestal. This is supposed to be a big dramatic scene but it reminded me so much of one of the many comedy scenes that the 1960-70's comedy TV show The Carol Burnett show would do and when of her many talented cast would always hilariously put their foot in their proverbial mouths.
It is a decent dramatic story for a 1937 film release, but being a baby boomer myself, I couldn't help but think of the ending of this dramatic film without putting a comedic spin on the young lawyer Raymond Fleuriot's opening defense monologue.
I give the film a decent 6 out of 10 IMDB rating for a 1937 film. made some 84 years earlier long before the 1960's TV comedy series The Carol Burnett Show had ever aired.