Richie-67-485852 Who doesn't like and enjoy Edward G. Robinson? He was a unique person that brought what ever scene or movie he was in alive and believable. He is just a natural entertainer and Hollywood did well to have him. This little gem of a movie is a nice short story that gets to the point and keeps you there. Yes, it is not accurate in its court scenes and the portrayal of the D.A.'s office but for entertainment back then it was considered a nice night out perhaps with a double feature too. Can't go wrong here and the ending is satisfying. Good snack movie with a tasty drink to up the enjoyment. Thank you

gordonl56 ILLEGAL - 1955Illegal is the second remake of the 1932 film, THE MOUTHPIECE. Here, Warner's lets W.R. Burnett (The Asphalt Jungle)punch up the story and move it up to the 50's.Edward G. Robinson plays a slick D.A. who wins far more cases than he loses. He wins a big one and decides it is time to run for higher office. This idea goes south when the man he sent to the chair, turns out to be innocent. Robinson resigns and takes to the bottle in a big way.One day, after spending a night in the drunk tank, Robinson helps a man, Jay Adler, beat a murder beef. He decides to dry out and open up a civil practice. He is soon in demand with all the wrong people. Mobster, Albert Dekker hires him to get various mob types off.Nina Foch, a friend from his D.A. days is not amused with Robinson's working for the "dark side". The new D.A. Edward Platt, is sure that Robinson must have a source inside the D.A.s office. Platt is sure that the source is Miss Foch. Actually, it is Foch's husband, Hugh Marlowe. Marlowe got in deep with the mob over a large gambling debt. He is paying the debt off by feeding Dekker info on cases.This arrangement soon ends when wife Foch learns the truth. She ends up shooting hubby Marlowe when he tries to silence her. D.A. Platt, believes that Foch had murdered Marlowe to stop "him" from informing on Foch. She is charged with murder.Robinson quickly steps up and takes her case. Needless to say no one believes a word that Foch says. Robinson digs around and comes up with a witness to Dekker and Marlowe being in cahoots. Dekker is not the least bit amused with this, and sends a hit-man to deep six Robinson. Robinson survives the attack and presents his witness, Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield coughs up more than enough evidence to get Foch off and mobster Dekker in deep trouble.A quite watchable film noir with Robinson as usual, giving a reliable performance. Foch, Marlowe and Dekker are also good. The hourglass figured Mansfield, in her first billed role, seems to spend all her limited screen time leaning her upper-works into the camera.The director here, Lewis Allen is in good form as well. His other film noir include, SUDDENLY, DESERT FURY, A BULLET FOR JOEY, APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER and CHICAGO DEADLINE. The sharp looking film was shot by veteran cinematographer, Pev Marley. The two time, Oscar nominated Marley's work, includes, THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS, LIFE WITH FATHER, PRIDE OF THE MARINES, DRUMBEAT and KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE.

bkoganbing Illegal marks the third time Warner Brothers told this tale of a lawyer's downfall and redemption. It was previously filmed as The Mouthpiece and The Man Who Talked Too Much with Warren William and George Brent playing the role that Edward G. Robinson does here. I've not seen the other two films as yet, but it's hard to imagine either of the other players doing it better. In fact both the other guys would certainly play it differently than Robinson.Illegal finds Edward G. Robinson cast as a zealous prosecutor who convicts DeForest Kelley wrongly of murder. There's no last minute pardon from the governor however, no verdict set aside, because the evidence that could clear him comes as the switch is being thrown on the electric chair.Robinson's an ambitious fellow who would like to have been governor or more, but this does set him back on his heels and he takes to drink. But soon enough he realizes he still has the skills so now he can put them to work for the other side.That by the way is the standard way criminal defense attorneys are born, the best training they can receive can be as Assistant District Attorneys. After a nifty bit of legal legerdemain Robinson winds up working for mobster Albert Dekker. In the meantime his former assistant in the DA's office Nina Foch winds up killing her husband Hugh Marlowe when she discovers he's been a mole there for Dekker.The legal legerdemain is by far the best bit in the film. Robinson gets James McCallion out of an embezzlement charge and fixes it so that McCallion's boss Howard St. John is left without a leg to stand on.Jayne Mansfield lends her gravity defying presence to Illegal in one of her earliest films. She plays Dekker's moll and sings Too Marvelous For Words very badly. But as a singer it's not her voice that perks Dekker's interest.In many ways the lead in this story is a dream role for a player. Every actor worth his salt wants a courtroom drama because of the histrionics involved. Robinson has several courtroom scenes on both sides of the fence and convicts and frees clients by some interesting methods.In his memoirs Robinson called from 1949 with All My Sons until 1956 in The Ten Commandments as his B picture period. But I'm here to say that while the films weren't big marquee box office, they were pretty much well done dramas that Robinson brought his sense of professionalism to each role. Illegal is one of the best of them.

MartinHafer Considering that this film stars Edward G. Robinson, it's of course worth watching. Heck, I'd watch him in any film. However, I must admit that this is one of his weaker films--especially because it ended in a very clichéd manner.The film begins with Robinson working as a prosecuting attorney. He has just done a masterful job and sent a man (DeForest Kelley) to the death house. However, in a twist, they discover another man was the murderer and Robinson tries, in vain, to stop the execution. Having him call only a second or two too late was a good way to build tension but it was also a cliché--you just KNEW it would be too late and this lacked realism.As a result of this, Robinson has a breakdown and spends the next few scenes drinking, getting in fights and quitting his job. He just can't stand the idea of prosecuting another innocent man. But, in an odd twist and through a strange series of events, he soon finds himself defending mobsters--and manipulating the law and ethics as much as he possibly can to get these obviously guilty men off. So, you are expected to believe that Robinson went from crusading prosecutor to a sleazy shyster in such a short amount of time--an interesting idea but one that is hard to believe.By the end of the film, however, the mob is trying to convict an old lady friend of Robinson. He tries, in vain, to get the mob to relent, but when they won't Robinson springs to her defense--and incurs the wrath of the mob bosses for which he used to work. The final scenes, with Robinson being shot and yet convincing the court and then dying right there was once again exciting to watch but very contrived.Overall, there were just too many situations in which the impossible occurred. Credibility is strained to the breaking point by the end of the film. Exciting and worth watching, but also tough--very tough-- to believe.By the way, Jayne Mansfield appears here in her first film. Yet despite it being a very small role, I noticed she was very prominently displayed on the DVD case (I'm actually surprised they could fit her on it considering her ample...assets). The same thing has been done with many early Marilyn Monroe films--she barely appears in it at all but is front and center on the DVD art.UPDATE: I finally got to see the original version, "The Mouthpiece". It's significantly better...and a lot racier!