The natural drama and tension that comes as a result of a courtroom setting is basically a perfect place to base a movie in. If a director can't produce drama, tension and a bundle of nerves, maybe movies aren't for them. The back and forth of a lawyer questioning a witness, the science of getting a jury on your side, the desperate play which in a lot of ways can be a life and death situation, it is all screaming 'DRAMA!' For Ray's debut, the courtroom scenes are the best thing going for the movie. Unfortunately, it takes too long to get to those courtroom scenes, wasting time in some very 1950s melodrama that could have been ripped from a badly written soap opera. Making it worse, the ending gets a little preachy, trying to deliver a message that feels contrived and forced. Other than that, the movie is a solid debut.
A lawyer working for a firm that sees him as a future name partner, Andrew Morton (Humphrey Bogart) is faced with a difficult decision. A young man, Nick Romano (John Derek), who Andrew has defended before -- several times actually -- is again in trouble, but this time for a much more serious charge. Romano (dubbed 'Pretty Boy' by the newspapers) is on trial for robbing a bar and then murdering a police officer who tried to stop the robbery. Romano's record is checkered with past run-ins with the law so Morton has his work cut out for him. The case seems like a slam dunk against Romano, but Morton feels an obligation to defend him. His only tactic may be condemning society for turning Romano into the small-time thug that put him in this situation. But even making it a character issue, will that be enough?
As a fan of both Bogart and Ray, I was excited to stumble across this one on TCM's schedule a few weeks ago. A courtroom drama with Bogie as a defense lawyer sounded like a slam dunk. And to be fair, the courtroom angle of the movie is the best thing going for Ray's debut. The negative comes from how long it takes to get to the actual trial. Most of an hour is spent in flashback-mode, giving plenty of background about Derek's Nick Romano. He grows up in Skid Row, turning to a life of crime to get by mostly because he doesn't want to work. He falls in love and marries good girl, Emma (Allene Roberts), only to push her away with his actions. My impression was that these scenes were meant to humanize Romano, even make us sympathize with him, but it fails. This is a despicable character in my mind. He has all the chances in the world to better himself and turns his back on every single one of them. The scenes are dull, repetitive and as mentioned before, melodramatic. It kills any momentum heading into the actual trial.
Then there's the courtroom. Playing a defense lawyer has to be the modern equivalent of playing a Shakespearean main character. These are parts tailor-made for above average actors (and actresses to be fair) to just go to town, throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. These are flashy parts. Think of Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird, James Stewart in Anatomy of a Murder, Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, Maximillian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg. These are parts that allow actors to stretch out, get settled and show off their skills. Bogart is one of the all-time greats so seeing him work the jury, the witnesses, the district attorney, even the judge is a thing of beauty. The back and forth as Bogie tries to get a not guilty verdict. Then there's the whole interest of if Romano is guilty. Ray keeps you guessing until the very end as to his innocence or guilt. The reveal is a little hammy, a little overdone, but it still works. It's just too bad that so much time was spent getting there.
Playing the noble defense lawyer, defending the downtrodden and beaten down, Bogart does not disappoint. He so often played the tough lead, the thug, the hired gun, the escaped convict, that it was great to see him playing a more polished, upper class role. The background on Bogie's Morton is that he's like Romano, the young man he is defending. He comes from Skid Row and rose above it, working his tail off to amount to something in life. He feels some obligation to Romano because he sees some of himself in him, a potential, a chance to make a good life for himself. As unlikable as Derek's Romano is, Bogart's Morton cancels it out. You like Morton, respect his ability in the courtroom to do what he needs to do. Bogart and Derek dominate the movie, not leaving much for the supporting cast. George Macready is the apparently slow-witted district attorney gunning for Romano, saving the big guns for late, Candy Toxton is Andrew's wife who has maybe 4 lines in the whole movie, Barry Kelley as Judge Drake, and Dewey Martin and Davis Roberts as two witnesses in Morton's case.
If there's one thing I don't like in my movies, it is a message that is delivered in such a heavy-handed fashion that it loses any meaning. Not subtle or sly in its delivery, we're talking beat you over the head until it is battered into your brain. That's what Ray throws at you in the courtroom finale. Bogie gets his shot to blow away the audience and doesn't disappoint, delivering his angry monologue with fervor and passion. He condemns anyone and everyone, the individual, the family, the system, the government for creating a society where Skid Rows exist and young men have to turn to a life of crime to get by. He blames so many people and their lack of interest, initiative in making the world a better place, turning a blind eye to the plight of society that I completely tuned the message out. A message is one thing, but screaming that message at the viewer is the complete opposite end of the spectrum (and not in a good way). The final two shots of the movie help the movie end on a moving note, but that heavy-handed attempt just rubbed me the wrong way.The movie is a mixed bag, the courtroom scenes and Bogart making it worthwhile (barely).
Knock on Any Door <---TCM clips (1949): ** 1/2 /****
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