csteidler Fast talking lawyer Pat O'Brien sets out to do a job—on the level, but only for the money, it seems. The "job" is fighting the highway monopoly controlled by smooth talking crime boss Edward Arnold. Broderick Crawford is O'Brien's law partner and pal; they set out to take down Arnold and his empire.Sounds like a solid drama, but…soon silly girl singer Ruth Terry is telling O'Brien "I like you" at a party. He half-heartedly discourages her enthusiastic advances on him, and he doesn't quite believe that she's eighteen years and two months old, as she says; however, she persists in chasing him around for the rest of the movie, wearing down his resistance and distracting him from the real plot—A woman is murdered and the few clues point toward O'Brien. Who really did the murder, and why is O'Brien being framed? –There's the mystery O'Brien has to sort out, with assistance (and frequent interference) from partner Crawford, from the kid singer Terry, and from the cops—who may be Arnold's stooges.Bizarre humorous touches distract somewhat from the mystery plot; for example, the scene in which all of the suspects remove their shoes to be examined for blood stains, and Edward Arnold has an embarrassing hole in the toe of his sock. Terry and O'Brien giggle madly…even though the corpse is still lying in the next room. It just doesn't quite fit. I would have liked to see more of three other women characters: Claire Dodd as an early victim (intimate friends with more than one suspect), Eve Arden as O'Brien's secretary (smart and ready), and Phyllis Brooks as Arnold's daughter (conscience crying out as she learns about her father). All are very good in too small roles. We do get plenty of Ruth Terry…who is actually very good herself, except that hers and O'Brien's relationship never really convinces, the chemistry never really gels. Unfortunately for her, she comes across as rather annoying.One truly chilling moment involves a discovery at a desk—a shock that is totally unexpected and perfectly executed. Otherwise, the plot is passable, the cast a bunch of pros, the dialog zippy—and the romance and humor a little oddball. Fun—just a little unsteady.

kidboots Quite amazing for a B movie!!! Travis Banton was Paramount's top clothes designer in the early thirties. He designed dresses for Marlene Dietrich, Claudette Colbert, Kay Francis and Carole Lombard among others.John Webb, an attorney, (Pat O'Brien) is invited to a party by Alma (Claire Dodd), an old girlfriend, who is now the mistress of Cushing (Edward Arnold). He meets an annoying singer Ann (Ruth Terry), who he later rescues from the paws of a drunken guest. When Webb finds Alma murdered, he determined to "square" it but can't shake the irritating Ann. Helped by his sassy secretary (Eve Arden) and dopey associate (Broderick Crawford), he is stymied by District Attorney Joyce (oily Alan Dinehart) who is in pretty thick with Cushing. Suspects pile up - Alma's ex husband George (Douglas Dumbrille), even Ann puts her foot in it by implicating Webb!!! As one of the reviewers implied, Ann and Webb would have to be the odd couple of the century. In real life he would never find happiness with an air head like her!!! When Webb's secretary is found dead (Eve Arden didn't get much of a chance to strut her stuff), suspicion puts Webb on the top of the list. Evelyn Keyes has a bit as the new secretary and Phyllis Brookes also has a small part as Cushing's beautiful daughter. Things come to a head in a little Texas cemetery.The film is excellent because of the superior quality of everyone associated with it. The cast was top notch - aside from Pat O'Brien you have Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford, Douglas Dumbrille and Alan Dinehart, one of the most suave villains of the 30s. Then on the female side you have the beautiful Claire Dodd, Phyllis Brooks, sassy Eve Arden and the lovely Evelyn Keyes (who would have been excellent as Ann, not nearly so annoying as Ruth Terry). Tay Garnett was a real "man's" director who was at home with action adventures ie "China Seas" (1935) and "Trade Winds" (1938).Claire Dodd, is definitely my favourite bad girl. When she appeared in a film, good girls like Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak and Helen Twelvetrees had some pretty anxious moments - she even played Della Street in a couple of early Perry Masons. Whoever she played she always looked a dream. Phyllis Brooks had been a McClelland Barclay model and although she was decorative her acting skills were almost non existent. Evelyn Keyes was more noted for her wit and racy memoirs but she was extremely vivacious and it was always nice to see her in movies.Recommended.

Terrell-4 Pat O'Brien, to my way of thinking, was always an interesting actor. He was one of that breed of Thirties men who almost blasted self-confidence. He was fast-talking, always ready with a quick comeback and a one-two punch. He was hard to deflate. Think of others such as Chester Morris, Lee Tracy and Lloyd Nolan. O'Brien played up the Irish charm like a poster. Unlike those others, O'Brien made it to the big time in the Thirties. He was great friends with James Cagney and starred with Cagney in nine films. But with opportunities to be a leading man, O'Brien just sucked the air away from anyone else in the room. He was dynamic to a fault, in my view. When he tried to do comedy line reading, he usually came across as emphatic and irritable. When he was playing tough, he could come across as emphatic and unmovable. With Slightly Honorable, a 1940 film directed by Tay Garnett, O'Brien plays John Webb, a strong-willed, fast-talking lawyer who is determined to bring down Victor Cushing (Edward Arnold), the leader of a corrupt political machine, a man responsible for rigging highway construction bids and using shoddy materials. Even the district attorney is part of Cushing's operation. Webb's only helper is his law associate, Russ Sampson (Broderick Crawford). There is the attempted corruption of an 18-year-old singer, two murders by dagger and two attempted murders, and a tense political debate in the state capitol where we learn how much pressure it takes to crumble second-rate concrete. There's even a climactic scene at night in a foggy, isolated cemetery, with old tombstones being read by flashlight and a thrown dagger coming very close to permanently ending Webb's law practice. And this is a comedy...or, at least, an attempt at a comedy mystery. The background music is jaunty. The repartee is quick and sometimes witty (and sometimes awful: "Well," says Webb, "it looks like the good old frameroo."); the 18-year-old lamb chop is cute, ditzy and dumb; there's a souse on a barroom floor and a black elevator attendant who roles his eyes and does shuffle steps. Eve Arden even shows up as Miss Ater, Webb's ironic secretary. The result teeters close to being a mess, but a fast-moving one. O'Brien, with his high- energy line delivery and no nonsense style, dominates the proceedings. Even Edward Arnold, smooth, avuncular and good-humored as Mr. Big, isn't able to steal any scenes from O'Brien. Ruth Terry as Ann Seymour, the young singer who wants to be John Webb's girl friend, is fine delivering a song and dance, but doing young and ditzy she sounds like a motor mouth Shirley Temple on amphetamines. She survives the plot and manages to win Webb, but after a while I started hoping she'd be one of the victims. Broderick Crawford does a fine job as Webb's partner, younger, not as sharp but ready to stand up and be counted. There are two problems with Slightly Honorable. The first is that as a leading man Pat O'Brien can get tiresome. The second is that Tay Garnett couldn't make up his mind whether he was directing a comedy or a crime drama. The movie is often fun to watch but it keeps veering from one style to the other. It's hard to believe that a few years later Garnett would direct one of the most satisfying, well-made and depressing crime noirs ever filmed, The Postman Always Rings

secragt Macroscopically, this movie is surprisingly entertaining, with crackling dialogue and charming performances by O'Brien and Crawford. Under closer scrutiny, the plot really doesn't hold up, nor do a number of character's motivations, but O'Brien's effortless cool covers a multitude of sins and the THIN MAN comparisons are apt. Overall, an underrated old-fashioned big ensemble good time the way they used to craft them back in the 40s. This isn't as good as Garnett's THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE and you won't gain much insight into the human condition or require a handkerchief, but you will laugh and you will be amused. One of the highlights from a 50 - pack of public domain crime dramas called "50 Dark Crimes" currently available for super cheap (how I discovered it), and like that inexpensive offering, worth far more than the price of admission.