Counsellor at Law (1933)
4.0 of 5 from 45 ratings
1h 22min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
A briskly-paced, Depression-era drama based upon the play by Elmer Rice, William Wyler's Counsellor At Law is often cited as the best film to ever tackle the intricacies and pitfalls of the legal profession. John Barrymore stars as George Simon, a high-powered attorney who frantically juggles scandals, crimes and crises that pass through the chrome-and glass doors of his art deco office high in the Empire State Building. Balanced on an ethical tightrope, Simon engages in insider trading and bleeds funds from wealthy clients, while tending to the needs of the less fortunate New Yorkers who come from his own working-class background. A political enemy uncovers a past legal indiscretion and begins disbarment proceedings, causing Simon's socialite wife to seek comfort in the arms of another man. With the unflagging support of his faithful secretary (Bebe Daniels), Simon attempts to exercise his legalistic wizardry to defend his reputation and protect those who rely upon him for justice. Flavoured with social commentary and wry humour, Counsellor At Law is an exceptional example of the hard-boiled dramas that defined the Pre-Code cinema of the early 1930's. - Actors:
- John Barrymore, Bebe Daniels, Doris Kenyon, Isabel Jewell, Melvyn Douglas, Onslow Stevens, Thelma Todd, Clara Langsner, John Hammond Dailey, Mayo Methot, Robert Gordon, Malka Kornstein, Vincent Sherman, Marvin Kline, T.H. Manning
- Directors:
- William Wyler
- Writers:
- Elmer Rice
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Drama
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