A lot of familiar faces in a good one about a hot shot defense attorney accused of bribing a juror. It features a standout performance from Jack Carson as a crooked sheriff.
Charleen Reston comes home after some big fun with a bartender. Her husband Michael has had it. He grabs a gun and puts her in the car and they take off. There’s Larry Bell after his fun night. Michael gets out of the car and guns him down.
James Blane (Jeff Chandler) is hired to defend them. With him on a train is reporter Ralph Adams (Edward Platt). They make a brief stop so Blane can see his wife and kids. They’re seperated.
When they get to the small town in the desert Blane can see and feel the hostility. They don’t like New York lawyers. He can’t stand his clients. They’re rich, arrogant and shallow.
Sheriff Nick Hoak (Jack Carson) drives Blane to his place and shows him Bell’s parents. They also have a friendly talk about Hoak’s college football days. He also tells him that Bell was like a son to him. Now the trial.
Blane makes mince meat out of Hoak on the stand and the Reston’s are aquitted. At the celebration party the prosecutor (Paul Birch) serves Blane with a subpoena. He’s to appear before the grand jury on a charge of bribing a juror.
Blane gets in a poker game. He drives out to a cabin in the sheriff’s jeep. He loses five grand. That’s just the amount juror Mrs.Morrow (Gail Russell) has on her. She says Blane gave it to her. The card players are long gone.
Coming to town to show support are Vegas comedian Billy Giles (George Tobias). He’s a former client Blane got off on charges of killing his wife and her lover. He was guilty. Also showing up, Blane’s wife Diane (Jeanne Crain) to support him.
The lawyer originally slated to defend the Restons, Lester Rawlings (Edward Andrews) says he’ll defend him. When he tells Blane to plead guilty that’s the end of that. Rawlings really believes he is guilty.
It’s getting obvious to Blane that Hoak is framing him. Things start getting real nasty. A long speech by Blane doesn’t help the movie at all. It’s supposed to be a highlight but it gets into cornball territory and needed some serious editing. In spite of it the movie is still worth a look. It was also nice to see all those character actors. In a blink and you’ll miss him part as a court clerk is William Schallert.
TV fans know George Tobias as Abner Kravitz on “Bewitched” (1964-71).
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