A hugely successful DA goes into private practice after sending a man to the chair -- only to find out later he was innocent. Now the drunken attorney only seems to represent criminals and low lifes.
Acting
Robinson's volcanic self-loathing — he doesn't act drunk, he IS drunk.
Cinematography
Shadow-drenched courtrooms where justice goes to die.
Director
Lewis Allen
Edward G. Robinson
Victor Scott
Nina Foch
Ellen Miles
Hugh Marlowe
Ray Borden
Jayne Mansfield
Angel O'Hara
Albert Dekker
Frank Garland
Howard St. John
E.A. Smith
Ellen Corby
Miss Hinkel
Edward Platt
Ralph Ford
Jan Merlin
Andy Garth
Robert Ellenstein
Joe Knight
Jay Adler
Joseph Carter
Henry Kulky
Taylor
James McCallion
Allen Parker
Addison Richards
Steve Harper
Lawrence Dobkin
Al Carol
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is actually the third film adaptation of Frank Wead's play 'The Mouthpiece' (1932). Robinson previously played a similar DA in Fritz Lang's 'Fury' (1936).
Jayne Mansfield's 'Angel' helped define the 'bad girl with a heart' archetype that dominated 1950s noir — her contract stipulated she couldn't play anyone named 'Angel' for two years after.
US
