Ladies of the Jury

Maybe it's because I had such low expectations, but I laughed over and over at this! Edna May Oliver is a gift beyond measure, although her best part is the first 10 minutes of the movie. And according to the TCM pre-talk, there were, indeed, some jurisdictions in the USA where jurors are or were allowed to ask questions of witnesses. The juror room scene is full of hilarious, exaggerated characters/stereotypes - although the religious zealot on the juror actually isn't all that exaggerated... The comments about women were over-the-top even then, obviously, and the use of the term "sugar daddy" may surprise people that think it's a new term. Comments like "Hey, talk American" the insults to the French, all of which were meant then to be so ridiculous as to be funny then, will make you think of your last pre-COVID Thanksgiving with THAT uncle. Why is this not a well-loved much loved classic?!?!?

Ladies of the Jury (1932)

*** (out of 4)

Interesting comedy with just a pinch of drama. A chorus girl is accused of murdering her much older husband so that she can get his money. Eleven people of the jury thinks she's guilty but one (Edna May Oliver) believes that there isn't a way she did the crime due to a questionable witness at the trial. Sound familiar to a certain Henry Fonda movie called 12 ANGRY MEN? This film was based on a Broadway play and there's no question that it has a lot of strong connections to the much more famous Fonda film. I can't go into any real detail as it would provide spoilers for both films but it was rather funny seeing how many characters shared some similarities as well as reasons why those thinking the woman is guilty switch sides and go for not guilty. Fans of 12 ANGRY MEN will certainly get an added kick out of this film but even on its own this thing isn't too bad. I think what's most interesting is that the first thirty-five minutes is pure comedy as we're in the court room as the evidence is given and all hell is constantly breaking loose. This includes the lawyers fighting each other, the suspect constantly screaming at the witness and of course there's Edna May Oliver who is constantly jumping up to ask her own questions of the witnesses. A lot of the comedy is very forced and over the top but most of it works. It even works when we get to the jury room where more craziness follows including jurors falling in love and of course more fighting. While there's a lot of over-the-top moments, the film actually takes the case rather serious and keeps the mystery going right up until the ending. I think it was a rather interesting move keeping the dramatic side of the case strong and it makes for a rather unique experience since most films would either go for all laughs or all drama. A big reason this film works are the performances with Oliver really delivering the goods in the main role. She's perfectly believable as the rich woman who gets her way and will let no one tell her how to do things. The supporting actors are quite strong as well with Jill Esmond (who was married to Laurence Olivier at the time), Ken Murray, Kitty Kelly, Cora Witherspoon and Robert McWade all doing fine work. We even get some very funny moments from stutterer Roscoe Ates who is best remembered for his role in FREAKS. At just 63-minutes this thing flies by and is certainly worth checking out when it shows up on TCM.

If you love Edna Mae Oliver, then see this film. It's hers all the way as she destroys the jury system in this comedy. A close second would have to go to Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, who is also a riot. It's too bad the studios never gave this great actress more opportunities to shine in the lead roles.

Before there was 12 Angry Men there were several women on juries in other states, several in this particular film led by the formidable Edna May Oliver. In Ladies Of The Jury Oliver plays what she was in real life, a New England society woman who is very used to having her own way.

With the Boston Brahmin name of Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane, Edna May Oliver gets chosen for jury duty and proceeds to wreak havoc on the criminal justice system with her imperious ways. Not only in her state which is apparently Massachusetts allows women on the jury back in the day, but also allows jurors to question witnesses which Oliver takes full advantage.

Just like Henry Fonda she believes that defendant Jill Esmond is innocent, but the others are convinced that she took her husband's life. One by one she wins them over though her methods aren't exactly those of reason and logic.

A fine group of character players make up the rest of the jurors and other roles. But Ladies Of The Jury is Edna May's show all the way and she makes the most of it.

I wonder if Sidney Lumet who directed 12 Angry Men ever saw this comedy gem. Ladies Of The Jury is a B picture comedy gem, don't miss it if TCM broadcasts it again.

That first part is a real hoot. Society matron Oliver is used to having her own way. So when she enters the rule-bound courtroom as a juror, the judge is driven to distraction. Oliver's superb, amusing rather than dislikable as she disrupts the constrained proceedings with her constant remarks. Thus, it's a high society presumptions versus a frazzled judge and the court's rules. So did Mrs. Gordon (Esmond) murder her husband or not. With one exception, the jury thinks so, and we know who the exception is. But how long can Oliver hold out. Here the movie reminds me of that heavy 1957 courtroom melodrama 12 Angry Men. Except this is done for comedic effect with an array of jury characters—the blonde chippie and her glandular admirer, a wisecracking Ken Murray, a stuttering Roscoe Ates, et al. The script includes some snappy lines and an occasional pre-Code innuendo. Note too, the gender-bending woman in a man's suit who's also a prude. And even though the dialogue seldom pauses, there's little action, while events themselves are pretty much confined to two courtroom sets. All in all, it's an entertaining programmer with a lot of character color, but not much diversion for the eye.