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The People Against O'Hara

Play trailer Poster for The People Against O'Hara 1951 1h 41m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 37% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
After being accused of murdering a shopkeeper, Johnny O'Hara (James Arness) begs retired lawyer James Curtayne (Spencer Tracy) to represent him. Once in court, the shaky Curtayne struggles in the face of a tough prosecutor -- and worse yet, his alcoholism also threatens to unravel him. After O'Hara ends up in prison because of his lawyer's botched handling of the case, a reeling Curtayne will stop at nothing to redeem himself, even if it means taking matters into his own hands.
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The People Against O'Hara

Critics Reviews

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Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine 01/28/2020
It's a bit lumbering in pace, but decent and unpretentious, and some of the minor roles are unusually well-acted. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 02/11/2005
B-
It's not the usual strong role Spencer Tracy is noted for. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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CL 10/27/2023 Excellent noir cinematography, good acting, good writing. See more Steve D 06/23/2023 Predictable melodrama sure to disappoint. See more 08/28/2019 The movie starts out as a good courtroom drama with good performances by Spencer Tracy and James Arness. Halfway through it becomes more of detective drama and a more typical film noir. At that point it loses its unique touch. But overall it's a good film. See more 07/15/2019 There's a lot to like about the film noir, but the script isn't one of them. See if for John Alton's superb B & W cinematography, and the stellar performances from Spencer Tracey, Diana Lynn and others. See more 06/20/2015 Not a classic noir but a decent drama with Tracy customarily excellent. See more Read all reviews
The People Against O'Hara

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Cast & Crew

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John Sturges

Director

Spencer Tracy

James P. Curtayne

Pat O'Brien

Det. Vincent Ricks

Diana Lynn

Virginia `'Ginny'` Curtayne

John Hodiak

District Attorney Louis Barra

Eduardo Ciannelli

Sol `'Knuckles'` Lanzetta
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The People Against O'Hara

The People Against O'Hara (1951) The People Against O'Hara (1951) The People Against O'Hara (1951) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After being accused of murdering a shopkeeper, Johnny O'Hara (James Arness) begs retired lawyer James Curtayne (Spencer Tracy) to represent him. Once in court, the shaky Curtayne struggles in the face of a tough prosecutor -- and worse yet, his alcoholism also threatens to unravel him. After O'Hara ends up in prison because of his lawyer's botched handling of the case, a reeling Curtayne will stop at nothing to redeem himself, even if it means taking matters into his own hands.
Director
John Sturges
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 1951, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 41m
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