Perfect Strangers

1950
Approved
1h 28m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan, serving on a sequestered jury during a murder trial, fall in love. She is divorced, he is married.Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan, serving on a sequestered jury during a murder trial, fall in love. She is divorced, he is married.Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan, serving on a sequestered jury during a murder trial, fall in love. She is divorced, he is married.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

614

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos24

+ 18

User reviews19

6.1614

Featured reviews

5utgard14

"Ladies and gentlemen, juror #3 is very much in love with juror #5."

Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan serve on a sequestered jury during a murder trial. The two fall in love, despite his still being married and her separated. Combination courtroom drama and soap opera. The murder trial stuff is okay. Not 12 Angry Men but interesting enough. The soaper part is weak and drags the movie down. Predictable safe ending doesn't help. The selling point is the cast. Rogers and Morgan are both likable. The rest of the jurors are made of a variety of colorful characters. The standouts being Thelma Ritter, Anthony Ross, and Alan Reed (voice of Fred Flintstone). It's watchable enough but nothing special. Avid Ginger fans will appreciate it more than most.

5cbmd-37352

THIRD TRY FOR THIS STORY

THIS story of jury members falling in love originated with Hungarian playwright Ladislaw BirdFekete, titled 12 IN A BOX. Unclear how well the original did, but other writers kept reworking it. In 1939 Hart and MacArthur produced it on Broadway as LADIES and GENTLEMEn starring Helen Hayes. The critics loved her, but the play not so much. This third try is from 1950, and reeks of the 1950s moralism-if a man loves a woman not his wife and wants to divorce her, he is morally corrupt and capable of anything including murder. The mechanics of jury selection were somewhat interesting, but it drags on as the sequestered jury acts like a bunch of misbehaving schoolchildren. Harry Bellaver as the official having to manage them has the best part-mature non biased. The deliberations in the jury room were fairly decent. Overall it is easy to see why Reginald Rose chose to have an all male jury in his jury drama. Did enjoy seeing Sarah Selby, Whit Bissell ad Anson Rainey in bit parts. Ironically Anson Raining played a convicted killer on death row in The Last Mile.

6SnoopyStyle

boring leads but interesting 12

In Los Angeles, Terry Scott (Ginger Rogers) and David Campbell (Dennis Morgan) are selected to serve on the jury of Ernest Craig's murder trial. The jury gets sequestered and are forced to live in close quarters.

David comes off as dull. Terry is less so. Their chemistry is at best lukewarm. The trial is not that interesting. The rest of the jury is a motley crew of fun characters. It would be better to let the side characters stretch their legs. Almost every time, the side characters get a funny bit or a cute little moment or a poignant turn. On the other hand, the two leads have the most boring chemistry. The movie only takes off during the deliberations. It's a lesser "12 Angry Men" in that section but that's still pretty good. There is one tense scene with a cliffside re-enactment. It's very manufactured. There's no reason for that policewoman to be standing so close to the edge but that can be excused. This movie just needs to make the two leads into two of twelve.

7mls4182

Better than you'd expect

The plot may be mundane but the writing is good and the motley cast is superb and very entertaining. This is much more than a typical courtroom drama. In face the trial is more of a subplot.

6boblipton

Not Really About A Trial

Ford Rainey is accused of murdering his wife and the jury assembles. Two of them, Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan, fall in love, despite being married to others.

It's based on a stage play by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, and it covers some of the minutiae of assembling a jury. When it comes to the actual trial, it is better than the average courtroom drama, but far from perfect; in the need for drama, the jurors are sequestered and they feel free to discuss the case from the get-go.

It's filled with fine performers like Thelma Ritter, Alan Reed, Paul Ford, and Ned Glass. But in sum, it's not about the case, it's about the relationship between Morgan and Miss Rogers. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but if you're looking for a movie about a trial, better stick with TWELVE ANGRY MEN.

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Trivia
This film marks a reunion between Rogers and Morgan who previously co-starred in the highly successful Kitty Foyle playing lovers, for which Ginger won the 1940 Academy Award as Best Actress. According to Rogers, she and Morgan had wanted to work together again ever since and Perfect Strangers provided them with the perfect opportunity. Since that pairing, Rogers had notably become a free agent in Hollywood. Ginger Rogers reportedly took the role after Lauren Bacall turned it down.

Goofs
In the fourth day of trial, the district attorney produces a two-page letter written to the defendant which he intends to read to the jury. The defense attorney objects but does not state the grounds for his objection. The objection is overruled by the judge. The D.A. reads the letter and submits it as People's Exhibit #1. First, how could they go full three days in a murder trial without submitting any other evidence? Note that up until then the prosecutor had been questioning witnesses and this could be the first physical evidence presented. Second, such a letter should have been provided to the defense prior to trial and any issues briefed and decided before trial. Note that the defense could still object during the trial to specific evidence even if it was known and disclosed previously. Third, the judge overruled the objection without even looking at the letter and allowed it into evidence without even glancing at the signature page. Note again that the judge would have been aware of the evidence and therefore been quick to overrule the objection. Fourth, the letter was not verified by any witness prior to its introduction (a prerequisite, especially for "surprise" items). Note if this was new evidence it would have been presented as such and the judge would have reviewed it before allowing it to be read.

Quotes
Theresa (Terry) Scott: Now what happens?
Robert (Bob) Fisher: They start picking the jury. Twelve men - and women, I hope. By the way, my name's Fisher, Bobby.
Theresa (Terry) Scott: And my name is Scott, Mrs.