''Grand Jury'' is a 1936 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Albert S. Rogell Albert S. Rogell (August 21, 1901 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - April 7, 1988 Los Angeles, California) was an American film director. Rogell directed more than a hundred movies between 1921 and 1958. He was the uncle of producer Sid Rogell. Filmogr ...

from a screenplay by Joseph A. Fields and

Philip G. Epstein Philip G. Epstein (August 22, 1909 – February 7, 1952) was an American screenwriter most known for his screenplay for the film ''Casablanca'' (1942), which won an Academy Award. He had written it in partnership with his twin brother Julius and ...

, based on a story by

James Edward Grant James Edward Grant (July 2, 1905 – February 19, 1966) was an American short story writer, screenwriter and film director, who contributed to more than fifty films between 1935 and 1971. He collaborated with John Wayne on twelve projects, sta ...

and

Thomas Lennon Thomas Patrick Lennon (born August 9, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, director, and novelist. He plays Lieutenant Jim Dangle on the series ''Reno 911!'' Lennon is an accomplished screenwriter of several major st ...

. Produced and distributed by

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

, it premiered in New York City on July 31, 1936, and was released nationwide the following week on August 7. The film stars

Fred Stone Fred Andrew Stone (August 19, 1873 – March 6, 1959) was an American actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel shows, went on to act in vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and in feature films, which earned h ...

, Louise Latimer and Owen Davis, Jr.

Plot

George Taylor is one of the scions of town. When his son, John Taylor, is called to sit on the town's grand jury, the younger Taylor laments the necessity of the duty. His father quickly upbraids him for his lack of civic responsibility. The trial he is to serve on the grand jury for is to determine whether a local racketeer, Joseph Britt, should be tried for the murder of a young man. Fearful of vengeance by Britt, the grand jury refuses to indict. As he leaves the courtroom, Britt is shot and wounded by Tom Evans, the father of the murder victim. Evans is also a friend of George Taylor. A young cub reporter, Steve O'Connell, is filling in for a more senior reporter, scores the story, ingratiating himself to his boss. O'Connell is engaged to Edith Taylor, George's granddaughter. Using his connections, George Taylor gets O'Connell into see Evans, where he learns that Evans has evidence which will incriminate Britt, as well as several prominent local businessmen. When the story hits the papers, one of those prominent citizens, Jim Hanify, concocts a plot to have Evans released from jail, so that the gang can kill him. George Taylor is drafted to lead the cause to have Evans paroled, not knowing the true motives of Hanify. As he and O'Connell walk Evans out of the jail, Evans is gunned down by the mobsters. When O'Connell is scooped by other reporters, in spite of him being an eyewitness to the murder, he is fired by his boss. When the elder Taylor decides to track down the killers, he receives a threatening phone call from Britt, after which John Taylor hires a bodyguard to protect his father. George eludes the bodyguard, and blunders onto the hideout of the gang. While he is eavesdropping on the gangsters, he mistakenly believes their conversation as they are playing Monopoly to be a real conversation about their criminal activities. Eventually he is discovered and captured by the mobsters. When O'Connell shows up to rescue him, he is also captured. However, just before they are about to be shot by Britt, the police arrive to rescue the two. George Stone is acclaimed as a local hero, and O'Connell redeems himself in the eyes of his editor, who rehires him with a promotion and raise, which will allow him to afford to marry Edith.

Production

Thomas Lennon completed the story upon which the screenplay was based in February, 1936, at which point RKO announced that the film would be produced by Lee Marcus. Later that month, it was announced that James Edward Grant had been assigned to assist in adapting the story for the screen, and that Charles Vidor had been selected to direct the picture. Production was originally scheduled to begin on May 15, but was later delayed until the middle of June. In early May it was announced that Vidor had been replaced by

Albert Rogell Albert S. Rogell (August 21, 1901 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - April 7, 1988 Los Angeles, California) was an American film director. Rogell directed more than a hundred movies between 1921 and 1958. He was the uncle of producer Sid Rogell. Filmog ...

as director on the project. In early June, RKO announced that Louise Latimer would be starring in the film. Lattimer's small figure was remarked upon by papers of the day. On June 13 it was reported that the movie was one of 12 in production by RKO. And the film was definitely in production by June 22. By the end of June,

Robert Emmett Keane Robert Emmett Keane (March 4, 1883 – July 2, 1981) was an American actor of both the stage and screen. Biography Keane began on stage in the 1910s, his first Broadway appearance being in the production of '' The Passing Show of 1914''. He co ...

was added to the cast. In addition to Latimer,

and Owen Davis, Jr. had already been slated to star in the film. At that time George Lloyd, Mattie Fain, and Harry Bowen were also announced as members of the cast, although they did not appear in the final version of the film. Photoplay

In the first week of July, several other actors were added to the cast. They were

Frank M. Thomas Frank Marion Thomas (July 13, 1889 – November 25, 1989) was an American character actor of stage, screen and television. He and his wife, actress Mona Bruns, both lived to 100 years old. He died the day before her 90th birthday; she died 11 y ...

, Harry Jans, "Big Boy" Williams, Russell Hicks,

Moroni Olsen Moroni Olsen (June 27, 1889November 22, 1954) was an American actor. Life and career Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah to Latter-day Saint parents Edward Arenholt Olsen and Martha ( Hoverholst) Olsen, who named him after the Moroni found in the ...

, Thomas E. Jackson, Harvey Clark, William Bailey, Robert Fiske, and Billy Arnold. Other actors added to the cast in early July were

Edward Gargan Edward Gargan (July 17, 1902 – February 19, 1964) was an American film and television actor. Career He was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York. He was the elder brother of actor William Gargan. As soon as he had left college, he wen ...

, Sid Jarvis, J.C. Fowler, Jack Gardner,

Robert Middlemass Robert Middlemass (September 3, 1883 – September 10, 1949) was an American playwright and stage actor, and later character actor with over 100 film appearances, usually playing detectives or policemen.(13 Feb 1937)Mrs. Susan C. Middlemass ...

, and

Henry Roquemore Henry Roquemore (March 18, 1886 – June 30, 1943) was an American character actor who primarily played bit parts. He appeared in 229 silent and sound films from 1927 until 1943. Many of his roles were uncredited parts in Western movies, ...

. The movie was still shooting into July. The film had its premiere in New York City at the RKO Palace on July 31, 1936, with its official widespread opening the following week, on August 7. In August the

National Legion of Decency The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency, was a Catholic group founded in 1934 by Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content in motion pictur ...

gave the film an A-1 rating, meaning it was classified as unobjectionable for general audiences.

Cast

as Commodore George Taylor * Louise Latimer as Edith Taylor * Owen Davis, Jr. as Steve O'Connell *

as Davis * Guinn Williams as Joseph Britt *

as John Taylor *

Harry Beresford Harry J. Beresford (4 November 1863 – 4 October 1944) was an English-born actor on the American stage and in motion pictures. He used the professional name Harry J. Morgan early in his career. Career Harry Beresford began his acting career i ...

as Tom Evans * Harry Jans as "Sully" Sullivan * Russell Hicks as Jim Hanify * Charles Wilson as Clark *

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects ...

as Otto * Ed. Gargan as Officer Tim Burke *

as Walters (uncredited) *

as Chief Brady * Margaret Armstrong as Martha * Robert Fiske as District Attorney * Billy Arnold as Barnes * Harvey Clark as Whalen * Thomas E. Jackson as Stroble (Cast list as per AFI Film Database)

Reception

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...

'' gave the film a positive review, calling it "wholesome entertainment for the whole family, combining human interest, comedy and romance." They complimented Rogell's direction, especially the pacing of the action sequences, and they also enjoyed the story and screenplay. While '' Harrison's Reports'' gave it a more lukewarm, yet still positive review, rating it "fair", and stating the it was "... amusing, and at times fairly exciting." '' Photoplay'' was even less kind, calling the picture a "... not very interesting small town drama."

References

External links

* * {{Albert S. Rogell 1936 films 1936 crime drama films American crime drama films Films directed by Albert S. Rogell American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films