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      For the Defense

      Released Jul 19, 1930 1h 2m Drama List
      Reviews 27% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings A shrewd underworld lawyer gets entangled in the mob's legal problems. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (1) Critics Reviews
      Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) A great film? No, but it's a well made, fast-moving drama with some terrific performances that makes it worth a look. Rated: 4/5 Apr 21, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (5) audience reviews
      Steve D Contrived but the leads make it entertaining. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/24 Full Review Jeffrey O As far as precode Hollywood films go, FOR THE DEFENSE is better than average. William Powell's performance is terrific and Kay Francis looks fantastic in stylish 1930s deco clothing. The film moves briskly as well. It has everything I like about precode stories: hoodlums, boozy speakeasies, hardboiled one-liners, and a meddlesome detective. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/10/23 Full Review brad h Not a good film, but William Powell gives a good performance. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member mgm and WB end st 4 thisars Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Old timey, but solid courtroom melodrama about sleazy lawyer William Powell, who specializes in getting crooks off, is forced to protect his actress fiancee Kay Francis who drunkenly kills a pedestrian in her car while she was stepping out on Powell with another man. The other man takes the fall for Francis and Powell defends him in order to protect Francis. It's the kind of sleazy pre-code story you wouldn't see once the production code was put into effect, but even setting that aside, this is a pretty engrossing little melodrama. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      For the Defense

      For the Defense (1930) For the Defense (1930) For the Defense (1930) For the Defense (1930) For the Defense (1930) View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A shrewd underworld lawyer gets entangled in the mob's legal problems.
      Director
      John Cromwell
      Screenwriter
      Oliver H.P. Garrett
      Production Co
      Paramount Pictures
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jul 19, 1930, Limited
      Release Date (DVD)
      May 7, 2014
      Runtime
      1h 2m