Illegal

That court room scene! And the other courtroom scenes too! You wouldn't imagine a film about a lawyer would have so much energy, but I guess it makes sense when that lawyer is Eddie G. Robinson. It's a really engaging tightly woven script about corruption with some nice theatrics. It could use some more depth and complexity, no plot threads hang around very long, but it's a fun time.

This is a nice little noir, carried largely by Edward G. Robinson (who is always dependable to give a great performance) as an aggressive, clever district attorney who ends up on the wrong side of the law after a costly mishap. However, he's not all the film has going for it; the plot is simple enough but clever with a few interesting twists, the dialogue is solid with more than a few humorous one-liners, and the ending is strong. It's not exceptional, but it's damn good.

A pretty by-the-books film, not an extraordinary legal drama or anything. But what it does offer is quite good. The script is pretty snappy, and Robinson never fails. His performance is the obvious highlight.

Meh. A legal melodrama with very little that I would call noir. From a play that had been previously adapted for the screen in 1932 and 1940, and it definitely seems to belong more to that time. Robinson is good (hardly one of his defining roles, though) and there's one or two interesting beats, but mostly it's a rather dull story, and told without much flair. Some rather questionable interpretations of the legal process as well. Look for early appearances by Jayne Mansfield and DeForest Kelly.

This is billed as a noir in some places, but it's more of a legal melodrama, and not a bad one. Robinson's character arc is interesting, as is his performance. The plot is nothing special but works okay. The legal stuff is bad, often hilariously so, and the villains aren't particularly interesting. It's short and moves quickly, though.