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The Defense Rests

Date: 1934
Type: Crime / Drama / Film noir
Rating: 3 Stars 3/5
Colour: Black and White
Director: Lambert Hillyer
Producer:

Comment/Synopsis

A laywer who always wins thanks to his links with crime employs a new assistant who aims to expose his criminal background and make him do the right thing. Jack Holt is a laywer who is only interested in winning and publicity and Jean Arthur is the new idealistic graduate. They clash over a child kidnapping and eventually he ends up doing the right thing and bringing down the criminal gang. This has the various elements of film noir although not a classic of the style. Lambert Hillyer shoots it with lots of close up and one and two heads which gives it a certain style.

Actors


Jack HoltJack Holt
Jean ArthurJean Arthur
nat PendletonNat Pendleton
Arthur HohlArthur Hohl
Raymond WalburnRaymond Walburn
Harold HuberHarold Huber
Robert GlecklerRobert Gleckler
Sarah PaddenSarah Padden
Shirley GreyShirley Grey
Donald MeekDonald Meek
Vivien OaklandVivien Oakland
Selmer JacksonSelmer Jackson
J Carrol NaishJ Carrol Naish
Samuel S HindsSamuel S Hinds

Oscars

None
Production
Columbia Pictures