This film is just full of tired movie tropes - the tough - in this case older - retired gun moll with a heart of gold (Helen Ware as Susie) and the foster son who is everything to her who becomes the unjustly imprisoned man (Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Dick), the girl who loves the convict and does what she must to keep his soul alive (Billie Dove as Mary), etc. If that was all there was to it I'd say don't bother.
However, the photography is to die for. Cinematographer Ernest Haller includes shots of elevators shafts that actually express dread and a nightmarish courtroom scene in which a judge presides from a giant bench and its shadow is cast upon the defendant who looks tiny in comparison. The two women in his life sit in individual chairs in the darkened room and look on. No lighting, no lawyers, no spectators. A giant modified lady justice sits behind the judge, blindfold off sword drawn. Absolutely breathtaking.
I don't know why Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is second billed here, because he is barely a supporting player. Instead this is the tale of two women. First there is Susie - Fairbanks' foster mom and apparent widow of a gangster who helps gangsters she knows settle their differences and go straight. BUT she is not absolutely religious about the straight part. The gangs live in a tough world with tough realities, and she realizes sometimes bad apples must be dealt with by meting out the ultimate penalty. After all lady justice is not blind, as signified in the courtroom scene. The other woman is Mary, the chorus girl that John loves and via her profession doesn't run into the most honorable guys around.
There is some unintentionally fun stuff here courtesy of early talking Warner Brothers. For one, there are some scenes that WB is just too small yet to handle. They don't have the cash to show big theatre scenes, and they do their best, but the lack of budget shows. Then there is the choreography. These are bored chorines. They basically look like they are playing a continuous game of Hopscotch. Paging Busby Berkeley! Finally there are the gangsters. I have to give WB credit, they did come up with some "mugs" for the parts, but none of them leave a lasting individual impression. Not exactly Bogart or Cagney. But it's a good start.
Finally the precode material. On the serious side, the aftermath of a rape. On the humorous side tough bird Susie trying to get into an evening gown assisted by...her butler??? You won't see THAT after the production code era begins!
And finally, what really makes this film stay with me. How DID that last act that the screen does not show but is relayed via a telephone call get done? Are the gangsters and Susie telepathic or something? She never did call them and tell them to do anything. Perhaps it was something that the usually lax production code insisted upon. Watch and see what you think.
