Counsellor at Law (1933)

Successful attorney has his Jewish heritage and poverty-stricken background brought home to him when he learns his wife has been unfaithful.

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Elmer Rice (play), Elmer Rice (screenplay)

Stars:

John Barrymore, Bebe Daniels, Doris Kenyon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Barrymore	...	George Simon
Bebe Daniels	...	Regina 'Rexy' Gordon
Doris Kenyon	...	Cora Simon
Isabel Jewell	...	Bessie Green
Melvyn Douglas	...	Roy Darwin
Onslow Stevens	...	John P. Tedesco
Thelma Todd	...	Lillian La Rue
Clara Langsner	...	Lena Simon
John Hammond Dailey	...	Charlie McFadden (as J. Hammond Dailey)
Mayo Methot	...	Zedorah Chapman
Robert Gordon	...	Henry Susskind (as Bobby Gordon)
Malka Kornstein	...	Sarah Becker
Vincent Sherman	...	Harry Becker
Marvin Kline	...	Herbert Howard Weinberg
T.H. Manning	...	Peter J. Malone

Storyline

Crackerjack lawyer George Simon is a workaholic, and a successful one, at that. Having just gotten a woman acquited of a murder charge, he is juggling cases ranging from breaking a will to quashing the disorderly conduct charges against the son of a woman he knew in the old neighborhood, before he became a hot shot counsellor. He adores his wife Cora, who feels she married a bit below her station. His step-children think so, too. His secretary Rexy adores him, although he is oblivious to the fact. Threatened with losing his practice due to a discretion in a case seven years earlier, his wife leaves for Europe until the scandal blows over, and he comes to realize (just in time) who his true friends are.

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Plot Keywords:

secretary | lawyer | jewish | witness | cross examination | 

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Taglines:

Great is the word for...COUNSELLOR AT LAW!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Yiddish

Release Date:

25 December 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le grand avocat

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 6 November 1931 and closed in July 1932 after 232 performances. Many of the cast originated their movie roles in the play: John Hammond Dailey, Malka Kornstein, Marvin Kline, T.H. Manning, John Qualen, Angela Jacobs, Elmer Brown and Conway Washburne. Also in the opening night cast was Paul Muni (who turned down his role of George Simon for the movie) and Ned Glass. Vincent Sherman was in a Chicago production of the play.

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Quotes

Bessie Green: [answering a call] I thought you were dead and buried. Well sure I missed you, like Booth missed Lincoln. What do you think I've been doing, sitting around the house embroidering doilies?

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: Directed by William Wyler (1986)

User Reviews

Hard-boiled and fast-paced social commentary with John Barrymore in great form

Based upon the play "Counsellor at Law" by Elmer Rice, John Barrymore shines in this depression-era drama as George Simon, a Jewish lawyer who frantically juggles the scandals, crimes and crises that pass through his art deco office high in the Empire State Building. Simon is far from perfect and engages in insider trading and bleeds funds from wealthy clients, while tending to the needs of the less fortunate New Yorkers who come from his own working-class background. Everything seems to be going pretty well for him, but when a political enemy uncovers a past legal indiscretion and begins disbarment proceedings, Simon's socialite non-Jewish wife (Doris Kenyon) walks out on him and seeks comfort in the arms of another man (Melvyn Douglas). With the unflagging support of his faithful secretary (Bebe Dabiels in a truly magnificent performance) Simon attempts to exercise his legal skills to defend his reputation and protect those who rely upon him for justice.

Is George Simon a modern-day Robin Hood? In a sense he is, but he is far from perfect. Simon doesn't seem to grasp the many of his wrong-doings and largely blames his downfall on the outside world. John Barrymore gives a rich and very credible performance as a rags-to-riches Jewish lawyer, despite his Waspish appearance and Bebe Dabiels as his loyal secretary Miss 'Rexy' Gordon really gives a stand-out performance. A typical film of the era, fast-paced, and very stagy with the camera never moving out of the office, but thanks to Wyler's crisp direction and a superb cast this still makes very agreeable viewing, although the ending is so abrupt, I had to rewind in order to see what happened in order to see the last twenty minutes again. Everything goes so incredibly fast, attention must be paid.

Camera Obscura --- 8/10