''Lawyer Man'' is a 1932 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

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

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

, based on the novel by Max Trell. The film stars

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the '' Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters cr ...

and

Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...

. It was produced by Warner Bros. By the time of the release, several actors were credited in the studio, but were not seen in the film. These include Edward Arnold,

Harold Huber Harold Huber (born Harold Joseph Huberman, December 5, 1909September 29, 1959) was an American actor who appeared on film, radio and television. Early life Huber was born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrants from Imperial Russia, who had arrived in ...

and Henry Armetta.

Plot

Anton Adam is a lawyer from the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...

of New York City who has just got a client acquitted against the well-established uptown attorney Granville Bentley. Bentley admires Adam's work as a litigator and offers the poorer lawyer a partnership. Adam accepts. Adam's faithful secretary Olga Michaels isn't delighted to see Adam make the move. Adam had meanwhile turned down an offer to work for local party boss Gilmurry. Adam's downfall comes when he meets the beautiful actress Virginia St. Johns, who is introduced as a woman whose fiance, associated with Gilmurry, has abandoned her. She provides Adam with love letters that he believes will win her a large amount in a breach of promise suit. Adam sues Dr. Gresham, but Virginia soon phones Adam to say she wants to drop the suit. Adam heatedly responds that the case has gone too far to stop now, which Virginia records. The love letters are stolen from Adam's desk. Now Adam is sued for filing a fraudulent case. The trial ends with a

hung jury A hung jury, also called a deadlocked jury, is a judicial jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after extended deliberation and is unable to reach the required unanimity or supermajority. Hung jury usually results in the case being tried again. T ...

, but he loses his reputation and his partnership with Bentley, so he decides to become the ruthless attorney that the public imagines him to be. Adam eventually gets Gilmurry to recommend him for a position as an

assistant district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...

, where he gets his revenge by prosecuting Gresham and his corrupt brother, a judge, for fraud against the city. Gilmurry then offers Adam the open judgeship, but Adam turns him down rather than become a party hack. With only his admiring secretary by his side, Anton returns to his old neighborhood to reestablish an honest legal practice. The film's title comes from what a neighborhood boy calls Adam.

Cast

as Anton "Tony" Adam *

as Olga Michaels * David Landau as John Gilmurry *

Helen Vinson Helen Vinson (born Helen Rulfs, September 17, 1907 – October 7, 1999) was an American film actress who appeared in 40 films between 1932 and 1945. Early life Vinson was born in Beaumont, Texas, the daughter of oil man Edward Rulfs. She de ...

as Barbara Bentley *

Claire Dodd Claire Dodd (born Dorothy Arlene Dodd; December 29, 1911 – November 23, 1973) was an American film actress. Life and work Dorothy Arlene Dodd was born on December 29, 1911, in Baxter, Iowa, to Walter Willard Dodd, a farmer whose family ...

as Virginia St. Johns *

Alan Dinehart Mason Alan Dinehart Sr. (born Harold Alan Dinehart; October 3, 1889 – July 18, 1944) was an American actor, director, writer, and stage manager. Biography Dinehart initially studied to be a priest, but he turned to the theater instead. ...

as Granville Bentley *

Allen Jenkins Allen Curtis Jenkins (born Alfred McGonegal; April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor and singer who worked on stage, film, and television. Life and career Jenkins was born on Staten Island, New York, on April 9, 1900. ...

as Izzy Levine *

Jack LaRue Jack La Rue (born Gaspare Biondolillo; May 3, 1902 – January 11, 1984) was an American film and stage actor. Early years The son of Sicilian immigrants Pasquale and Concetta Biondolillo, La Rue was born in New York City. His father sailed to ...

as Spike Murphy (uncredited) *

Sterling Holloway Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in '' Dumbo'', A ...

as Olga's drinking companion (uncredited)

External links

* *
''Lawyer Man''
at Turner Classic Movies {{William Dieterle 1932 drama films 1932 films American drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by William Dieterle Warner Bros. films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun Films about lawyers Films set in New York City