There have been a number of examples of great courtroom dramas on films, primary, and perhaps slightly clichéd to mention for some, examples being 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'Witness for the Prosecution' and 'Anatomy of a Murder'. Have liked and respected various films of the always competent Mervyn LeRoy, especially 'Random Harvest', 'Waterloo Bridge' and 'Gold Diggers of 1933', and have always found Claude Rains a fine actor.
While maybe not quite one of the all-time greats or as great as the above, 'They Won't Forget' is a powerful and not easy to forget film that deserves far more credit and exposure. Have seen quite a number of very good to outstanding films recently and throughout my time as a reviewer here that are criminally underseen and under-appreciated, and it makes me sad to see that treatment when there are far inferior, and in some cases not good, films that make a lot of money and far more accessible in availability regardless of whether they're good or not.
Sure, 'They Won't Forget' is not the most visually beautiful, although it is well shot, or evocative film in the world and occasionally the content is hammered home too much, but the film was so searingly powerful and stirred so many emotions in me that they were not major issues and more like nit-picks.
LeRoy's direction, as it rightly should be, is no-nonsense and he keeps the storytelling tight and concise. Every scene is taut and important, with a good deal of meat, and there is no fat and no padding, nothing needed to be trimmed. 'They Won't Forget' is never dull and there is never once any difficulty with following or understanding it, didn't ever find myself confused. The dialogue is crisp and thoughtful.
Also really admired how it contained very gritty and heavy themes, ones quite daring to portray back then, and handled them in a very realistic and searing fashion. There is a lot of suspense, a lot of tension and a lot of poignancy, and it appropriately made me cry and angry. Worthy of much admiration is the ending, that the film refused to end too tidily or patly, which would have struck a false chord and juxtaposed too much, and instead ended grimly and unrelentingly without any signs of feeling tacked on or ruined by studio interference. A lot of memorable scenes, but particularly notable examples are Gloria Dickson's final speech, which gave me chills, and Lana Turner on the side-walk.
Have no issues with the acting, helped by the writing and that they have compellingly real characters that don't irritate or feel underdeveloped with clear and understandable motivations. Rains' performance has divided opinions and although it is not one of his most subtle performances certainly it is a very commanding and riveting performance all the same. Edward Norris gives one of the better performances for any defendant in a film courtroom drama for me, and Otto Kruger and Elisha Cook Jr do well against type. Lana Turner makes a promising film debut, even if her role is not large (but crucial). Dickson makes the most impression, especially in her final speech where her delivery was chilling and moving.
In conclusion, great and overlooked film. 9/10 Bethany Cox
While maybe not quite one of the all-time greats or as great as the above, 'They Won't Forget' is a powerful and not easy to forget film that deserves far more credit and exposure. Have seen quite a number of very good to outstanding films recently and throughout my time as a reviewer here that are criminally underseen and under-appreciated, and it makes me sad to see that treatment when there are far inferior, and in some cases not good, films that make a lot of money and far more accessible in availability regardless of whether they're good or not.
Sure, 'They Won't Forget' is not the most visually beautiful, although it is well shot, or evocative film in the world and occasionally the content is hammered home too much, but the film was so searingly powerful and stirred so many emotions in me that they were not major issues and more like nit-picks.
LeRoy's direction, as it rightly should be, is no-nonsense and he keeps the storytelling tight and concise. Every scene is taut and important, with a good deal of meat, and there is no fat and no padding, nothing needed to be trimmed. 'They Won't Forget' is never dull and there is never once any difficulty with following or understanding it, didn't ever find myself confused. The dialogue is crisp and thoughtful.
Also really admired how it contained very gritty and heavy themes, ones quite daring to portray back then, and handled them in a very realistic and searing fashion. There is a lot of suspense, a lot of tension and a lot of poignancy, and it appropriately made me cry and angry. Worthy of much admiration is the ending, that the film refused to end too tidily or patly, which would have struck a false chord and juxtaposed too much, and instead ended grimly and unrelentingly without any signs of feeling tacked on or ruined by studio interference. A lot of memorable scenes, but particularly notable examples are Gloria Dickson's final speech, which gave me chills, and Lana Turner on the side-walk.
Have no issues with the acting, helped by the writing and that they have compellingly real characters that don't irritate or feel underdeveloped with clear and understandable motivations. Rains' performance has divided opinions and although it is not one of his most subtle performances certainly it is a very commanding and riveting performance all the same. Edward Norris gives one of the better performances for any defendant in a film courtroom drama for me, and Otto Kruger and Elisha Cook Jr do well against type. Lana Turner makes a promising film debut, even if her role is not large (but crucial). Dickson makes the most impression, especially in her final speech where her delivery was chilling and moving.
In conclusion, great and overlooked film. 9/10 Bethany Cox