J'accuse cette femme

"Mr. District Attorney" is a 1947 film starring Dennis O'Keefe, Michael O'Shea, Marguerite Chapman and Adolphe Menjou. It has a solid B cast that includes Jeff Donnell and George Coulouris. O'Keefe plays Steve Bennett, a defense attorney who is offered a job in the DA's office by Craig Warren (Menjou) and accepts. Unfortunately he's being played by the Chapman character, Marcia Manning, who's trying to get information from him that will help the case of her boyfriend, James Randolph (Coulouris). By listening in on a phone conversation, she finds out about a witness, who suddenly disappears.

Warren suspects Manning, who has a police record, so he sends Steve to Italy to find a witness and convinces Marcia to get out of his life. She does so, by marrying Randolph. When Steve returns and finds his girlfriend married, he blames Warren and quits the DA's office, making him ripe for exploitation by Randolph yet again.

This is an okay film, brightened by the performance of Michael O'Shea as an investigator who works in the DA's office. Menjou is very good as the DA. O'Keefe is a likable and attractive actor who doesn't register much here. Chapman is effective. I mainly know who she is from the '80s, where she was selling her own memorabilia and always had an ad in "Hollywood Studio Magazine." The movie felt a little dragged out.

Dennis O'Keefe can't stomach defending men he knows to be guilty, so he joins D. A. Adolphe Menjou's office. His boss is pleased with his work until he loses a case. Menjou thinks his mind isn't on his business, so he investigates and discovers O'Keefe is in live with Marguerite Chapman. She was tried for murder in Kansas City, but beat the rap. Menjou thinks she did it, and sends O'Keefe to Italy to get a witness. While he's gone, Miss Chapman marries her boss and the local mob's, George Coulouris. O'Keefe returns, finds out what happened, and quits.

It all runs back to Phillips Lord's radio series of the same name, and with an involved and noirish plot, this runs along pretty well. A good part of that can be attributed to the cast, which includes Michael O'Shea, Jeff Donnell, Steve Geray, and Ralph Morgan. Although as a mystery it's no great shakes, the fast pace keeps things interesting.

A young assistant DA gets mixed up with an unscrupulous woman and her criminally connected husband.

On the whole, the movie is a rather pleasant surprise, thanks to a lively cast and an edgy script. From the unpromising title, I expected a replay of the radio series that was nothing special. Instead, however, the movie plays more like a 40's noir than a legal documentary.

The story's crux revolves around Marcia's (Chapman) ruthless manipulations, and Chapman is excellent as the designing spider woman. As a result of the clever script and adept acting, it's hard to detect Marcia's true intentions. That leaves us in the same position as her paramour, the befuddled Steve (O'Keefe). But, Steve's none too ethical himself since he hires out to crooked businessman Randolph (Coulouris), after leaving the DA's office. Together, Marcia and Steve make a good tarnished pair, well suited to noir.

It's a dynamic Adolph Menjou as the truculent DA, however, who makes the film work. Thanks to actor Menjou, we understand why Steve has a love-hate relationship with his boss. As a result, Steve's basic dilemma revolves around which he will follow—the DA and his profession or Marcia and her allure. Fortunately, if things get too heavy, the lively Harrington (O'Shea) is around with his well-scripted quips.

Despite its assets, the film's far from a classic, but does remain a lively little programmer thanks to a large dose of Hollywood professionalism.

I won't rehash the entire storyline here as that's already been done. I will say that Mr. District Attorney is a better and more enjoyable film that I initially expected. It's filled with a solid and well rounded cast all of which bring the goods. With Chapman strong and only surpassed by Adolphe Menjou, who I think really pulls everything together nicely. The script is pretty good as well and it does a credible job of keeping the true motives of Chapman's character intentionally hazy as long as is needed. The end isn't really a surprise but still everything leading up to it, including steady and brisk direction, all contribute to a positive viewing experience.

This film version of the popular radio and later television series stars Adolph Menjou in the title role as the incorruptible District Attorney of an unnamed city. Menjou's famous waxed mustache proved handy in the role as it suggested that other mustached DA who ran for president, Thomas E. Dewey.

The plot finds Menjou hiring Dennis O'Keefe after he overhears him quitting a case where he found the evidence bogus. That kind of integrity impresses Menjou and he puts him to work.

But O'Keefe has a weakness and it's for Marguerite Chapman one cold hearted minx if there ever was one. She skirted on a murder accomplice charge already and she's in the pay of construction tycoon George Coulouris. When O'Keefe begins investigating Coulouris, she's right there to tip him to every move.

Menjou busts them up, but O'Keefe takes it the wrong way and goes over to the dark side. It's only then we see just how evil Chapman is and she's one of the most evil women ever seen on the big screen this side of Jane Greer in Out Of The Past.

Michael O'Shea as Menjou's investigator and Jeff Donnell as the DA's secretary/receptionist also contribute some noteworthy characterizations as does Steven Geray who was a regular in these Columbia noir type films.

The image of Menjou as Dewey is reinforced in the film by the fact that he tells O'Keefe to be ready to work long and desultory hours in obtaining convictions. That is exactly what Dewey did to his staff, he drove himself just as hard. Curiously enough though the DA's name on the radio series is unmentioned, here his last name is Warren and another guy who was at one time the District Attorney of Alameda County which is Oakland in California was Governor of California when Mr. District Attorney came out. He would run with Dewey for Vice President in 1948 and later became one of our greatest Chief Justices, meaning of course Earl Warren.

Though Menjou and O'Keefe are fine, this film belongs to Marguerite Chapman in what was her career role in her screen career. Not much in the way of production, but a solid plot and characterization make Mr. District Attorney a good noir feature.