Defesa que Humilha

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.

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.

William Powell is an unscrupulous lawyer who always seems to get his clients, whether they're innocent or guilty. Kay Francis is the lady who loves him. Or does she? While the film starts out rather slow, we find out almost halfway through the film, she thinks she's in love with another man, who wants to marry her. The pace picks up, due to a car accident they had. From there, it gets even more intricately involved, culminating in a rather abrupt albeit upbeat ending. This was a good little film, though not as great as I might have hoped, considering the lead actors. Also, the film definitely feels old and doesn't have the freshness a quick programmer would have. If you like the leads, you'll probably be pleased, but all in all, I've seen better films with Kay and William.

In the late teens and through much of the 1920s, defense lawyer William Fallon was unbeatable. In 120 murder cases, NONE of his clients were found guilty! While this might have made him famous in and of itself, his clients were a Who's Who of the scum of the day. Fallon defended mobsters, pimps and other low-lifes! The film "For the Defense" is based, in part, on Fallon's life--as is Warren Williams' film "The Mouthpiece"--which came out just two years later.

This film begins with William Powell playing William Foster--a hot-shot attorney who is known as much for getting off his slimy clients as his courtroom theatrics. However, while he seems like he's on top of the world, he has two serious problems--his drinking (which, in real like killed Fallon when he was still quite young) and his girlfriend, Irene (Kay Francis). The problem with Irene is that she loves Foster but he's unwilling to marry her (and the film STRONGLY implied they have been cohabiting) and she is entertaining a proposal of marriage from another guy!

One night when Irene is stepping out on Foster with this other man, she is driving during a hit and run death. Why she runs is never really believable, as she was neither intoxicated nor at fault as her drunk boyfriend sitting next to her really caused the accident. However, she leaves the scene and the boyfriend stays and takes responsibility-- saying that he was driving. And, since he was drunk, it looks like prison time for the guy. Naturally, Foster is called in to defend the guy--and the case ends up ruining Foster. How and why? See the film.

This movie is, in some ways, typical of many of the Pre-Code films. As I mentioned above, it is implied that Foster and Irene were doing the horizontal hokey-pokey ('sex' for those who prefer the more direct way of saying things). And, the film does glorify Foster (at least to a degree). But, it also shows that eventually evil is punished and Foster gets his comeuppance. Entertaining but a bit of a disappointment, as some might hope for more salacious Pre-Code shenanigans.

In their second of 6 screen-team efforts, William Powell and Kay Francis excel in this courtroom melodrama. Controversial lawyer Powell receives a quasi-marriage proposal from actress girlfriend Francis. "After all these months, don't you think that would be rather silly?" he replies. Francis, disappointed, decides to rendevouz with a boozer pal (Scott Kolk),she has been keeping on the side in case her "Powell affair" fizzled. With Kay at the wheel, Kolk pawing her in a drunken haze -- she hits and kills a roadside bystander. Francis begs Powell to defend Kolk who is taking the rap for her. Kolk gets off the hook and Powell learns about his liason with Francis. I won't give away the ending, but Francis must have been grateful for finally having a role at Paramount that was rather substantial and chock full of emotional complexities. FOR THE DEFENSE was her 10th film at the studio and they seldom built up her parts. This was her 2nd of 5 films with director John Cromwell.