Purely Joyful Movie!

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This is a good noir-ish courtroom drama that is well acted and nicely paced, directed by Robert Wise. It is a b- movie but is very solidly made and it will hold your attention.Tom Conway stars as a criminal defense lawyer with a flamboyant courtroom style. In one particularly long courtroom scene early in the film Conway delivers a stunning performance. Anyone who has any doubts about Conway's acting abilities should view that one scene and they will change their mind. Little known Martha O'Driscoll is very beautiful in this, her nightclub scenes are well staged and her overall performance is first rate. Many fine performers such as Robert Armstrong and the great Addison Richards round out the cast.If you want to see courtroom dramatics and cunning legal maneuvers in a mid-1940's film-noir setting, "Criminal Court" is recommended for you.

***SPOILERS*** Interesting but a bit nutty courtroom drama with big time defense attorney Steve Barnes, Tom Conway, trying to get his client as well as girlfriend night club singer Georgia "On his Mind" Gale, Martha O'Briscoll, off on a murder rap that he in fact committed. Well not exactly murder but self-defense. That's when Georgia's mobbed up boss Club Circle owner Vic Wright, Robert Armstrong, got into a scuffle with Barnes and after he dropped his gun, that he was going to shoot Barnes with, it went off accidentally hitting and killing him!What started all this was Barnes planning to release to the press photos and motion picture film of Wright's brainless kid brother Frankie,Steve Brodie, paying off judges district attorneys and politicians to look the other way in not having him indited for, among other things, serving liquor to minors in his club as well as not having a genuine, his is faked, liquor license to boot! It was Georgia's misfortune to have dropped into her boss Vic Wright's office just as her lover Barnes checked out and be spotted, with smoking gun in hand, by kid brother Frankie! Barnes! Now determined to prove Georgia innocent Barnes tries to prove that he not Georgia was the one who gunned down Vic Wright! It never seemed to occur to Barnes that if he succeeded in getting Georgia off while getting himself convicted he may well up not only disbarred but put behind bars for life or even executed from killing Vic Wright! That's if his self-defense strategy in shooting Wright backfires and is not believed by the jury!**SPOILERS*** In a typical feel good Hollywood style ending everything turns out to be all right for both Bearnes and Georgia in the end. It's Bernes private secretary Joan Mason, June Claynorth, who in fact was secretly working for Vic Wright who was an eye witness to his death by being in the other room and watching the whole scene through a peephole. It's Joan who finally, with a little persuasion on Barnes' part, came through for him in the film's final and almost laughable sequence. But that's after a number of the late Vic Wright's goons were apprehend by the police right inside the courtroom spectator galley as they were about to blast Joan to keep her from talking!

Tom Conway stars in Criminal Court, a 1946 B movie also starring Martha O'Driscoll, and June Clayworth. Conway plays Steve Barnes, a lawyer with a great reputation who is going to run for DA. When his girlfriend (O'Driscoll, who in real life married big money and got out of Dodge) is accused of the murder of the gangster whose club she worked in, he defends her. It was an accidental shooting, and he actually did it. There is an eye witness, if only he can find out who it is -- and there is a lot of resistance to him finding out.This is a very light noir without much suspense, mildly entertaining. I always enjoy Tom Conway, and I wasn't that familiar with O'Driscoll, so I found it enjoyable.

Although always in his brother's shadow - he even took over the Falcon series that his brother (George Sanders) had originated - Tom Conway improved every film that he appeared in. A lot more light hearted in his acting than his brother, who often portrayed the world weary cynic. In this early directorial effort of Robert Wise, he plays Steve Barnes, a lawyer, who just finds out that his girlfriend Georgia has secured a singing spot at the Club Circle, run by the notorious Vic Wright (Robert Armstrong, looking great and always good to watch). Georgia is played by Martha O'Driscoll, a beautiful, under-rated actress who retired way too early. In this film she gets to sing 2 popular songs - "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" and "This is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" and she puts them over really well.Wright is involved in a shooting and has bribed one of his dumb henchmen to identify an innocent man as the murderer. By producing a gun in court and causing a sensation Barnes proves the man is lying. Meanwhile photos have been taken of Vic's brother Frank (Steve Brodie) making a payment to an ex vice cop. Vic calls Steve to offer him money for his campaign (Steve is running for District Attorney) on condition that he doesn't show the pictures to the police. When Steve is summoned to Vic's office a scuffle breaks out and Vic is accidentally shot. Georgia calls into his office after her song and is then accused of murder.The rest of the film deals with Steve and his efforts to get people to believe his confession. Georgia comes to him for help and he promises to represent her. His secretary, Jane, was in reality, in the pay of Vic and had been feeding him information about Steve. She saw the whole thing from a panel in the door and confesses to the big crime boss (Robert Warwick) that it was wholly accidental but is told to keep quiet. Steve then has to prove that he is the guilty one and enlists his secretary to leave no stone unturned to find the lone witness to the event (Steve still has no idea that Jane had been working for Vic). Jane is played by June Clayworth, who made her film debut as a talentless singer in a Lee Morse musical short "The Music Racket"(1930).At only an hour this film really moves along and is recommended.