Slightly Honorable (1939)

A lawyer is framed for the murder of a young party girl and tries to clear his name.

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writers:

Ken Englund (screenplay), John Hunter Lay (adaptation)

Stars:

Pat O'Brien, Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pat O'Brien	...	John Webb
Edward Arnold	...	Vincent Cushing
Broderick Crawford	...	Russ Sampson
Ruth Terry	...	Ann Seymour
Alan Dinehart	...	Commisioner Joyce
Claire Dodd	...	Alma Brehmer
Phyllis Brooks	...	Sarilla Cushing
Eve Arden	...	Miss Ater
Douglass Dumbrille	...	George Taylor
Bernard Nedell	...	Pete Godena
Douglas Fowley	...	Madder
Ernest Truex	...	P. Hemingway Collins
Janet Beecher	...	Mrs. Cushing
Evelyn Keyes	...	Miss Vlissigen
John Sheehan	...	Mike Daley

Storyline

Attorney John Webb, is fighting the crooked political-ring headed by newspaper publisher Vincent Cushing and his crony George Joyce, the district attorney. When Alma Brehmer, Cushing's mistress and Webb's former sweetheart, is murdered, Cushing and Joyce try to railroad Webb as the killer.

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Plot Keywords:

district attorney | mistress | lawyer | murder | damsel in distress | 

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Taglines:

YOU'VE NEVER MET SUCH PEOPLE!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Send Another Coffin

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walter Wanger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was one of two dozen Walter Wanger/Harry Sherman/Cinema Guild productions originally released by United Artists, re-released theatrically in 1948 by Masterpiece Productions, and ultimately sold by them for USA television syndication in 1950. It was first telecast in Los Angeles Sunday 4 June 1950 on KTLA (Channel 5), in New York City Saturday 24 June 1950 on WCBS (Channel 2), in Cincinnati Saturday 1 July 1950 on WKRC (Channel 11), in Chicago Monday 17 July 1950 on WENR (Channel 7), in Phoenix Sunday 20 August 1950 on KPHO (Channel 5), in Albuquerque Tuesday 22 August 1950 on KOB (Channel 4), in Atlanta Thursday 28 September 1950 on WSB (Channel 8), in Detroit Sunday 1 October 1950 on WXYZ (Channel 7), in Philadelphia Saturday 7 October 1950 on WFIL (Channel 6), in Boston Sunday 15 October 1950 on WNAC (Channel 7), in San Francisco Saturday 25 November 1950 on KGO (Channel 7), and in Pittsburgh Friday 22 December 1950 on WDTV (Channel 3).

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Goofs

Although the character played by Pat O'Brien is unencumbered by marital ties, he wears a wedding ring throughout the film.

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Quotes

George Taylor: Who's conducting this inquiry - the police or this ambulance chaser?

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Soundtracks

Cupid's After Me
Lyrics and music by Jule Styne
Sung by Ruth Terry

User Reviews

Going On the Defensive

Pat O'Brien and Broderick Crawford are a couple of attorneys and political enemies of Boss Edward Arnold who's grown rich on all kinds of graft. They're starting to have people listen to them until a couple of murders get pinned on O'Brien. They're on the defensive after that until those murders are solved.

Tay Garnett manages to strike the right blend of humor and drama to Slightly Honorable. O'Brien, Crawford, and Arnold do well in very familiar roles to them.

One thing that truly was annoying was juvenile Ruth Terry. She's fresh out of bobby sox and O'Brien's a man of the world. Now if she was something slinky and sexy like Lauren Bacall was with Humphrey Bogart or even sophisticated like Myrna Loy with William Powell, the attractiveness would make some sense. But she's frankly just one royal pain. I can't figure out why O'Brien would possibly be interested in her.

Still it's an interesting plot that the audience will find intriguing.