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The People Against O'Hara

Play trailer Poster for The People Against O'Hara Released Sep 1, 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 It's a bit lumbering in pace, but decent and unpretentious, and some of the minor roles are unusually well-acted. Jan 28, 2020 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's not the usual strong role Spencer Tracy is noted for. Rated: B- Feb 11, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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CL Excellent noir cinematography, good acting, good writing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/27/23 Full Review Steve D Predictable melodrama sure to disappoint. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/23/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Not a classic noir but a decent drama with Tracy customarily excellent. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review 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) 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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