Just as the Walter Huston movie Law and Order had nothing to do with the successful television series, neither does 1932's Night Court. If you're looking for the inspiration for the comedic tv show, this isn't it. Go out and rent something funny, because this Night Court is extremely dramatic.
Remember what I always say about Walter Huston? He's wonderful as an honorable character, but he's spectacular when he lets his hair down. In Night Court, he plays a judge, but not a very honorable one. In the first scene, he's seen kissing Mary Carlisle in his office. When reporters knock on the door, he hides Mary in the closet and gives a soap-box type speech about morality in the courts to the reporters, only to have one of them accidentally open the closet on his way out. Mary has to think on her feet, and she pretends she's a sentenced man's sister, desperate to try and talk the judge out of his ruling to explain why she was hiding in the closet. It's a perfect opening scene. It shows how corrupt Walter is, how he and Mary can both spontaneously lie at the spur of the moment, and it sets the audience up for a grand dilemma. How far can Walter go to cover up his own corruption before the audience stops rooting for him?
That's a question everyone has to answer for herself, and it's an exhilarating ride as you struggle to figure it out. Joining the cast are Phillips Holmes, Anita Page, Lewis Stone, Rafaela Ottiano, and Jean Hersholt, and this fast-paced, exciting drama will remind you of everything the Hays Code prevented films from showing after 1934. This fantastic pre-Code flick is similar to L.A. Confidential, so buckle up and get ready for an emotional experience!
Remember what I always say about Walter Huston? He's wonderful as an honorable character, but he's spectacular when he lets his hair down. In Night Court, he plays a judge, but not a very honorable one. In the first scene, he's seen kissing Mary Carlisle in his office. When reporters knock on the door, he hides Mary in the closet and gives a soap-box type speech about morality in the courts to the reporters, only to have one of them accidentally open the closet on his way out. Mary has to think on her feet, and she pretends she's a sentenced man's sister, desperate to try and talk the judge out of his ruling to explain why she was hiding in the closet. It's a perfect opening scene. It shows how corrupt Walter is, how he and Mary can both spontaneously lie at the spur of the moment, and it sets the audience up for a grand dilemma. How far can Walter go to cover up his own corruption before the audience stops rooting for him?
That's a question everyone has to answer for herself, and it's an exhilarating ride as you struggle to figure it out. Joining the cast are Phillips Holmes, Anita Page, Lewis Stone, Rafaela Ottiano, and Jean Hersholt, and this fast-paced, exciting drama will remind you of everything the Hays Code prevented films from showing after 1934. This fantastic pre-Code flick is similar to L.A. Confidential, so buckle up and get ready for an emotional experience!