everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Don't Believe the Hype

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Ladies of the Jury (1932) *** (out of 4) Interesting comedy with just a pinch of drama. A chorus girl is accused of murdering her much older husband so that she can get his money. Eleven people of the jury thinks she's guilty but one (Edna May Oliver) believes that there isn't a way she did the crime due to a questionable witness at the trial. Sound familiar to a certain Henry Fonda movie called 12 ANGRY MEN? This film was based on a Broadway play and there's no question that it has a lot of strong connections to the much more famous Fonda film. I can't go into any real detail as it would provide spoilers for both films but it was rather funny seeing how many characters shared some similarities as well as reasons why those thinking the woman is guilty switch sides and go for not guilty. Fans of 12 ANGRY MEN will certainly get an added kick out of this film but even on its own this thing isn't too bad. I think what's most interesting is that the first thirty-five minutes is pure comedy as we're in the court room as the evidence is given and all hell is constantly breaking loose. This includes the lawyers fighting each other, the suspect constantly screaming at the witness and of course there's Edna May Oliver who is constantly jumping up to ask her own questions of the witnesses. A lot of the comedy is very forced and over the top but most of it works. It even works when we get to the jury room where more craziness follows including jurors falling in love and of course more fighting. While there's a lot of over-the-top moments, the film actually takes the case rather serious and keeps the mystery going right up until the ending. I think it was a rather interesting move keeping the dramatic side of the case strong and it makes for a rather unique experience since most films would either go for all laughs or all drama. A big reason this film works are the performances with Oliver really delivering the goods in the main role. She's perfectly believable as the rich woman who gets her way and will let no one tell her how to do things. The supporting actors are quite strong as well with Jill Esmond (who was married to Laurence Olivier at the time), Ken Murray, Kitty Kelly, Cora Witherspoon and Robert McWade all doing fine work. We even get some very funny moments from stutterer Roscoe Ates who is best remembered for his role in FREAKS. At just 63-minutes this thing flies by and is certainly worth checking out when it shows up on TCM.

This wonderful character actress could do more with a sniffle or the raise of an eyebrow than practically any actress in Hollywood. What appears at first sight to be a pompous, judgmental and oh-so-uptight woman is anything but. She lights up a room just by walking into it, as she does when she makes her entrance into the courtroom in this predictable but entertaining comedy/mystery. The same year she made her first appearance as the irrepressionable Hildegarde Withers (think Jessica Fletcher as a school marm), she appeared in "Ladies on the Jury", in which she is one of several woman out to either convict or free a young French woman accused of murdering her older husband. Nobody has a chance when Oliver is on screen, and here, she dominates every frame with her delightful presence. Jill Esmond (then the wife of the yet unknown Laurence Olivier) is the woman on trial; Cora Witherspoon is a masculine jury member who is more concerned over the maid's attendance at church and obviously judges Esmond more based on her looks as well as the fact that she was married to a much older man. Her male suit and tie give a hint of lesbianism hid beneath the exterior of pomposity. Roscoe Ates is the annoying stutterer on the jury, while Robert McWade adds some comedy as the perplexed judge who obviously knows Oliver's character socially. Don't expect much for mystery. Just watch for EM's delightful performance. Unfortunately, the conclusion, heard over "The End" credits, is a weak finale to a fairly entertaining film. There were enough changes in the 1937 remake "We're on the Jury" to be able to watch the two films back to back to compare without being bored, even though EMO and her successor, Helen Broderick, are different types.

Before there was 12 Angry Men there were several women on juries in other states, several in this particular film led by the formidable Edna May Oliver. In Ladies Of The Jury Oliver plays what she was in real life, a New England society woman who is very used to having her own way.With the Boston Brahmin name of Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane, Edna May Oliver gets chosen for jury duty and proceeds to wreak havoc on the criminal justice system with her imperious ways. Not only in her state which is apparently Massachusetts allows women on the jury back in the day, but also allows jurors to question witnesses which Oliver takes full advantage. Just like Henry Fonda she believes that defendant Jill Esmond is innocent, but the others are convinced that she took her husband's life. One by one she wins them over though her methods aren't exactly those of reason and logic.A fine group of character players make up the rest of the jurors and other roles. But Ladies Of The Jury is Edna May's show all the way and she makes the most of it. I wonder if Sidney Lumet who directed 12 Angry Men ever saw this comedy gem. Ladies Of The Jury is a B picture comedy gem, don't miss it if TCM broadcasts it again.

If you love Edna Mae Oliver, then see this film. It's hers all the way as she destroys the jury system in this comedy. A close second would have to go to Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, who is also a riot. It's too bad the studios never gave this great actress more opportunities to shine in the lead roles.