Shirley Grey
A reporter gets in big trouble trying to prove a point. An attempt is made to mix in some comedy but it falls flat with a big thud.
John Cassidy is sentenced to death due to circumstantial evidence. In the courtroom are reporter Jim Baldwin (Chick Chandler) and from the art department Adrienne Grey (Shirley Grey). Before the jury returns Jim proposes to Adrienne and she accepts. She says just last night their pal, columnist Fred Stevens, proposed and she turned him down.
The jury’s back. Guilty. Jim rants about how the death penalty shouldn’t be given in cases decided by circumstantial evidence. Back at the office Fred congratulates them on the engagement and everyone is happy. Jim cooks up a plan with Fred to prove a point. The two will fake an argument and then they’ll fake Fred’s death. Jim will be charged with murder. Circumstantial evidence will convict him. Fred will show up in time to stop Jim from being hanged.
They put their plan into action. Their argument is so convincing that Adrienne breaks the engagement. Jim carries on at the office like he hates Fred.
Fred is wealthy and has purchased a big house in the country. He’s having a party. Before the guests arrive the boss’s wife shows up. The two have been having an affair. Here come the guests and she has to disappear. As planned Jim is spotted in the area. The party’s over.
Jim comes in after everyone leaves. Fred has a skeleton and the plan is to set the place on fire so that all that will be found are burned bones and half of Jim’s cuff link. Jim leaves and Fred sets it up. After he lights a fire someone shoots him.
The next day the coppers go to the newspaper to arrest Jim. He acts like he could care less. Then Adrienne mentions that Fred’s body was found and he was identified. That’s news to Jim. He tells everyone about the big plan. Doesn’t matter. He tried and sentenced to death. (In the courtroom scene Robert Frazer gets to really ham it up as the D.A.).
While Jim sits in jail details of Fred’s secret life start to come out. The movie takes some amateur twists and turns and comes to a unintentional laughable ending. Overall it’s not worth the time.
Chick Chandler had a long career in movies and TV. He played Toubo Smith in the series “Soldiers Of Fortune” (1955-57) and Barney Hogan in “One Happy Family” in 1961.
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