Lawyer Man

"Lawyer Man" pairs William Powell and Joan Blondell. That, in itself, is enough reason to see this film about a downtown attorney, Anton "Tony" Adam, who aspires to something bigger, but is unfocused about exactly what he wants. Joan Blondell, in one of the ten film releases of 1932 that list her in its credits, is a real joy as Olga, the secretary who tries to keep Tony on track and out of mischief. She has her hands full, because Tony has an eye for the skirts and a good left hook.

When Tony's natural talents as an attorney land him in an uptown office, he still struggles to keep his nose clean. And he never notices Olga's personal feelings for him.

In 1932, Blondell was not married yet, but only four years away from her second marriage, to Dick Powell. Seeing her in this pre-Code film is a real treat, though she could have used more on-screen time.

That song, mentioned above, played throughout the film. William Powell is "Lawyer Man" in this 1932 film also starring Joan Blondell, Allen Jenkins, Helen Vinson, and Claire Dodd.

Powell plays Anton "Tony" Adam, a lower east side attorney with a small practice. He comes to the notice of a higher-priced attorney who invites him to become a partner. His secretary (Joan Blondell) of course goes with him. But Adam runs into trouble almost immediately when he takes a breach of promise case. The case is merely a setup by the corrupt political machine to frame him. Adam is thrown out of the partnership. On the face of it, he decides that if he can't beat 'em, join 'em. Actually, he has something else in mind.

Powell is very good, but he's too uptown to be a lower east side lawyer. The role was more suited for other contract players, such as Jimmy Cagney or Humphrey Bogart. Blondell is great as a secretary who's smarter than her boss, in love with him, and can see his mistakes before he even makes them.

William Powell is worth seeing in anything, even something he's not quite right for, and Joan Blondell is always a delight. This was probably a B film as it's pretty short.

A Pre-Code movie that would be G-rated by today's standards, "Lawyer Man" is entertaining and good fun but should be billed as a drama/comedy, if you can imagine such. It moves very quickly as its star, William Powell, goes from honest, hard-working lawyer to shyster and back in 72 easy minutes. The problem is that, apart from Powell, all the other characters are two-dimensional, and are seemingly there for Powell to bounce lines off. David Landau, especially, was criminally wasted (no pun intended) as the 'big boss' and king-maker. Despite his role, he was likable while enduring endless insults from Powell. Most men in his position probably would have had Powell 'rubbed out' early on.

That said, there is a lot to like in this picture. First off, there is Powell himself, elegant and dapper while miscast as a lower East Side lawyer representing lower class shlubs. There is also Joan Blondell, in her customary role as the torch-bearing secretary overlooked by Powell. There is Alan Dinehart, an excellent 30's character actor with a part that was too small for his talent. Despite the seriousness of the plot, much of it is played for laughs. In one amusing scene, two hit men turn soft in a goofy confrontation with Powell. Throw in some laughs via Blondell wise cracks, and you have a basically good-natured movie which I would rate a seven.

P.S. Do you like old standards? This picture has some of the best you can hear nowadays on the soundtrack, played in the background by a 30's band.

Really liked 'Lawyer Man's' premise and thought to myself quickly that this had potential to be a great film. Have loved Joan Blondell and especially William Powell in other films and was interested to see how Powell would fare in a role quite different for him. William Dieterle wasn't one of the greatest directors in my view and some films were better (much better in a few cases) than others, but his best work was absolutely great.

'Lawyer Man' was not quite great. Two thirds of it actually to me was great and extremely entertaining, one third not so much when things got less plausible. Dieterle did do better, as well as worse, films but 'Lawyer Man' is a solid representation of him. Same goes for Blondell, who was nearly always was a bright spot in her work, and for Powell, who always gave it one hundred percent and had a commanding presence in everything he did.

Both Powell and Blondell are great here. Especially Powell, whose suave charisma, easy-going charm and intensity really shines in a type of role that people wouldn't usually associate him typically with. Blondell is pert, lovely to watch and has a good deal of energy. They gel very well together. The supporting cast are solid too, although generally the supporting characters themselves could have been better fleshed out. David Landau plays his crook with a heart sort of character without over-playing or looking bored. Dieterle makes sure that the energy and intrigue doesn't slip.

It has a slick, professional look and much of 'Lawyer Man' goes at a lively pace, having a good deal of content without cluttering and it doesn't feel padded. Two thirds of the story is hugely compelling with lots of tension and intrigue and little obviousness, further benefitting from a sharp script with a surprisingly cynical edge on politics and legal ethics handled thoughtfully and not in a preachy way.

Sadly didn't think that the final third was as good, where credibility is pushed and strained to the limit. The pace also didn't feel as tight.

Also felt that the film ends a little too patly and pretty predictably and it is a shame that the supporting characters are not developed enough, most being there as mainly plot devices.

Overall though, well worth seeing for namely Powell. 7/10

Just an average pre-Code film, this one about corruption in New York politics and the legal system, but elevated because of William Powell (the streetwise lawyer who isn't afraid to take on the system) and Joan Blondell (his plucky secretary who isn't afraid to chastise him for his various indiscretions). Part of the amusement is Powell's wandering eyes; he ogles women walking by, unwittingly leers at Blondell's legs while she's getting her shoes shined, and even seems to admire the backside of a small statue of Lady Justice after turning her around on his desk. While admiring the svelte form of a beautiful actress sitting in front of him with her plunging neckline (Claire Dodd), he slowly tilts his cigar upwards in his mouth in a mock erection, which for 1932 cracked me up. Blondell is adorable, showing her frustration and devotion to Powell and tossing out lines like "I smelled trouble the minute that long blonde started throwing those bedroom eyes on you," but she isn't given enough to do. The setup to the film was decent enough, but it meanders around while trying to pit Powell against the corrupt local boss (David Landau), a character who isn't strong enough considering his position. There isn't enough edge in the plot relative to the depiction of corruption, and not enough clarity to make it a strong drama or romance. It's mildly entertaining though, and of special interest because it was the only time Powell and Blondell worked together, two actors I'm fond of.