For the Defense

Before he was associated with Myrna Loy over at MGM, during his Paramount years William Powell was teamed with Kay Francis for several films in the early sound era. For The Defense was one of them and it holds up very well today.

According to the Citadel Film series book on his films, Powell's character is based on criminal attorney William Fallon who numbered Arnold Rothstein among his clients. Fallon was a Perry Mason type who worked on the dark side and Powell is just that in this film.

Powell is courting actress Kay Francis, but he makes it abundantly clear he's not the marrying kind. So Francis starts seeing young Scott Kelk and while driving him home she hits a man with her car and kills him. Kelk takes the wrap and wouldn't you know it, Powell becomes his defense attorney. That sets in motion a whole series of consequences for all involved.

Powell whom I've mentioned in other reviews apparently instinctively knew how to handle sound from the beginning of the talkies. He has wonderful chemistry with Kay Francis on this and other collaborations.

Some other people to take note of are James Finlayson the great nemesis of Laurel&Hardy playing a bribed juror. Also William B. Davidson as the District Attorney who does something that Hamilton Burger never got to do with Perry Mason. Finally Thomas Jackson who the following year would play the same kind of dogged police detective in Little Caesar.

For The Defense is a great example of William Powell's smooth playing before his glory years at MGM. A definite must for his legion of fans.

"For the Defense," from 1930, is loosely based on the career of William Fallon, who never met a client he couldn't convince a jury was not guilty.

William Powell plays William Foster, whose specialty is challenging cases, defending some real low-life characters. He always manages to have them found not guilty, and he doesn't rely on any unethical practices to do it.

Foster is seeing Irene Manners, a glamorous dancer (Kay Francis), who wants to get married. Foster, it seems, has some problems with commitment.

Irene has another man, Jack Dafoe (Scott Kolk) who is interested in her and wants to marry her. However, she wants to wait until she can explain the situation to Bill, whom she truly loves.

One night, Jack talks her into going for a drive with him. He's plastered, so she drives. The two are arguing when Irene hits a man in the street, who dies.

Jack sobers up quickly and tells her to hide. He takes the rap. She in turn begs Bill to defend him. Bill is jealous of Jack and doesn't want to take the case, but when Irene swears there is nothing between them, he accepts.

During court, the prosecutor questions Jack and asks if a woman was with him, which he denies. The prosecutor then tries to submit a ring of Irene's, found in the car, as evidence. When Foster sees it, he knows Irene was lying.

Good movie directed by John Cromwell, which moves quickly and has a wonderful performance from Powell and a good one by Francis. They made a great team. Powell could do drama and comedy with equal facility. You'll see none of the lighthearted Thin Man here.

Certainly worth a look. It doesn't have any of what made pre-code different - this could have been made after the code - but it's still good.

A most entertaining Paramount Picture in which William Powell enacts what was to become a common-place role as a fast-talking lawyer (based on real-life William Fallon), but handles the part with such verve and charisma it still fascinates today.

Cromwell's strikingly forceful direction helps no end, as does the superb acting of Kay Francis in a difficult study of a woman torn between two loves—a role which she handles to perfection. An excellent support cast includes fine studies by William B. Davidson (in his best role ever) and comedian James Finlayson (minus his trademark mustache) in a rare, dramatic part.

Not as Good as The Mouthpiece (1932) this Similar Story of a Shady Defense Attorney whose Clients were the "Poor Souls" (low-lifes and gangsters) that Desperately Needed a Lawyer. For the Most Part He gets Them Off. Loosely Based on Real-Life Attorney William Fallon (who defended Arnold Rothstein).

The Film is Not Without Interest, Mainly the Teaming of William Powell and Kay Francis, it is Nonetheless a Talky Bore at Times and the Pacing is Ponderous. Powell Broods More than Usual and His Drunk is more "Pity Me" than Witty and Whimsical.

The Mood of the Movie is Sombre and Serious and Never Makes Much of an Impact, but it is a Pretty Good Pedestrian Paramount Picture. The Pre-Code Presentations are More Implied than Usual and have Very Little to Offer those Seeking this Out for Sleazy or Edgy Stuff. There is a lot of Drinking, a Few Skanky Characters and a Raccoon Coat for Some Flavor.

For the Defense (1930)

*** (out of 4)

Exciting drama from Paramount has lawyer William Foster (William Powell) at the top of his game. He's a lawyer who plays strictly by the book but what rubs people the wrong way is that he gets criminals and thugs off of their crimes. Foster's skill is put to the test when the woman he loves (Kay Francis) asks him to defend a man that Foster knows loves her too. Things take a complicated turn when Foster learns that it was the woman who actually did the crime.

Back in the 1930s it wasn't uncommon for Hollywood to take newspaper headlines and wrap them into a movie. This film is partially based on the career of lawyer William Fallon who was flawless when it came to defending some of the biggest criminals of the era. FOR THE DEFENSE is a really good movie that has some terrific performances, a rather good story and an ending that really packs a nice little punch. The film manages to keep you caught up in the story from the opening credits up until the very end so fans of classic Hollywood are really going to enjoy this.

I think the greatest thing about the picture is the performance of Powell. When watching his films today it's amazing to see how easy he makes acting look because he could pretty much transform himself into any type of role and this here is what he is best at.

This is a very smart character, constantly thinking and constantly on the movie. Powell plays this with ease and manages to build a real character. Francis is also very good, although her role isn't nearly as memorable. William B. Davidson also deserves a lot of credit as the District Attorney who can never beat Foster and sees him getting criminals off as a major problem for the safety of the country.

The story itself has a couple nice twists and turns along the way and there's no doubt that director John Cromwell knows how to handle the material and he keeps the film moving at a very nice pace. The great thing about Turner Classic Movies is that you can always stumble across films with actors that you know but perhaps films you haven't heard of. It's really too bad that FOR THE DEFENSE isn't better known today because it's a perfect example of a great cast, a strong story and how these small movies used to be made for quality.