Illegal (1955) User Reviews (59)

Almost Forgotten Noir

[jpdoherty · 6/10 · 2 May 2009]

A remake of Warner's "The Mouthpiece" (1932) "Illegal" is a substantial half forgotten Noir! Directed for Warners in 1955 by Englishman Lewis Allen it stars Edward G. Robinson as a highly accomplished prosecuting attorney who becomes disillusioned when he learns that the man he was responsible for sending to the electric chair (a young DeForest Kelly) has finally been exonerated and found to be innocent after all. With his reputation now in tatters he hits the bottle ending up on skid row. But he slowly picks himself up from the gutter becomes a defence lawyer and a "fixer" for racketeer Albert Dekker. Robinson is terrific in it! His screen presence - with that soft spoken matter of fact acting style - is altogether appealing. This, after "Key Largo" (1948) was his first picture for the studio since his contract ended with them in 1942. And while not being an overly auspicious return it wasn't a bad one either. Others in the cast are Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe and making her debut , as Dekker's moll, the voluptuous Jayne Mansfield with the dubious moniker Angel O'Hara (Dekker auditioning her as she plays the piano glibly declares to Robinson "interesting girl - lives and breaths music!"). A fairly engaging movie, nicely written and sharply photographed in monochrome by Perverell Marley. The studio's legendary composer Max Steiner provides an attractive score which gives the movie an agreeable pace.

"Illegal" is the second feature on this excellent DVD that also features RKO's enjoyable Mitchum Noir "The Big Steal" (1949). A splendid package this fine double bill comes with trailers and commentaries for both movies plus a featurette. Interestingly the commentary on "Illegal" is spoken by the film's leading lady Nina Foch (she pronounces it Fash) who informs us that she now teaches film directing at USC. Not bad for an 84 year old! Also Robinson is interviewed on set by the ill-fated Gig Young where we learn that Robinson loaned some of his prized and valuable paintings from his famous art collection to the studio for use in the picture. They can readily be seen in the movie in Dekker's palatial apartment.

Classic line from "Illegal" - when Robinson warns Dekker not to blame him if the court case goes wrong - Dekker responds "I don't blame people - I bury 'em"!

Some legal two-step, and a potboiler plot, with Robinson shining...

[secondtake · 7/10 · 17 May 2010]

Illegal (1955)

If a little creaky on the edges, the core of this minor movie is solid as it gets: Edward G. Robinson as a troubled lawyer. It starts fast, gets faster, has some spectacular twists (in the courtroom, apparently based on real legal cases), and ends up being redemptive.

The support cast is the biggest problem here (and probably the direction that is trying to get the most out of them). The story is slightly sensational, and has some clichéd parts (the bad mobster, the crooked D.A., the woman caught in the middle) but it's a lot of fun at the same time. Director Lewis Allen is obscure, and possibly over his head in a fairly complicated movie. The only big name behind the scenes is the impeccable Max Steiner, so the score is terrific.

And Robinson shows how much he can act, again. It's worth it just for him.

Edward G. Robinson Could Play Charles Manson and Make Him Likable

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 20 September 2010]

A bit of far-fetched legal melodrama is anchored by the performance of that old pro Edward G. Robinson.

Robinson plays a renowned attorney with a flair for the theatrical who turns crooked after he finds out a man he sent to the chair was truly innocent and his faith in the system of justice is shaken. He attracts the attention of a crime kingpin because of his skill in winning cases by any means necessary, but he suffers a crisis of conscience when his sort-of surrogate daughter/sort-of love interest (Nina Foch) ends up on trial for a murder she didn't commit that's tied to the activities of the crime boss.

Robinson is terrific as usual. He excelled at roles like this one -- the rogue anti-hero who doesn't play by anyone's rules but his own. You always root for him, even when he's the bad guy.

"Illegal" is packaged as a film noir, but it's not even close to being one, so you might be disappointed if that's what you're expecting. However, if you can get past that, it's a fun, snappy film that has a refreshingly off-kilter unpredictability to it. Three quarters of the way through the film I was still trying to guess where it was headed.

Grade: B+

Entertaining Throwback

[dougdoepke · 15 October 2014]

Shades of the 1930's. It's Robinson and Warner Bros. in b&w, except Eddie's not a thug, instead he's an ex-DA turned gangland lawyer. Seems that as a prosecutor, he got the wrong man electrocuted. Now he's drinking and looking for the big money. Probably, there's an element of self-loathing, explaining why he goes over to the dark side. So, being a Code governed production, some final expiation is in order. On the whole, it's a good script by crime master WR Burnett, though I'm not sure I buy Ray and Ellen's showdown.

Even if he's a ripe 62, Robinson's lost none of his trademark self-assurance. He's as masterful here as a shady attorney as he was back in his gangster salad days. Then too, I'm really glad to see Ellen Corbett (Miss Hinkel) get a bigger role than her usual cleaning lady drudge, while underrated Jan Merlin does his icy bit as hit-man Andy. I'm just sorry we don't get close-ups of Merlin who could sneer with the best of them. Add the commanding Albert Dekker as boss Garland, and a warmer-than-usual Nina Foch as conflicted Ellen, and it's a superb lineup of cast principals. And, oh yes, mustn't overlook an exaggerated Mansfield. I guess her busty blonde was the movie's big concession to 50's fads.

The film may be a b&w throwback, at a time when the screen was turning wide and to color. Nonetheless, the movie succeeds in a way that I think movies are supposed to, namely, as engrossing entertainment, with a number of plot twists.

The Second Remake of "The Mouthpiece" Is Above-Average.

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 11 May 2010]

This innocuous black & white 1955 juristic crime melodrama is more entertaining than realistic. Edward G. Robinson plays a district attorney with political aspirations who sends the wrong man to the electric chair and never recovers from the experience. Clearly, the message here is that the death penalty is flawed. "Illegal" is the second remake of "The Mouthpiece" (1932) with Warren William originating the role of the aggressive district attorney that Robinson would play. The first remake was "The Man Who Talked Too Much" (1940) with George Brent and Brenda Marshall. Our ambitious protagonist, Victor Scott (Edward G. Robinson of "Little Caesar") turns into a lush and then recovers and goes to work for a crime syndicate boss. As it turns out, someone is acting as a pipeline out of the District Attorney's office, and D.A. Ralph Ford (Edward Platt of "Rebel Without a Cause") suspects that the guilty party may be none other than Ellen Miles (Nina Foch of "Prison Ship"), a woman who works in the office. It doesn't help matters that Ellen shot and killed her husband Ray Borden (Hugh Marlowe of "Birdman of Alcatraz") and accuses him of leaking information.

Naturally, Ford believes that she is defaming the reputation of her murdered husband to keep herself from frying in the chair. Victor Scott (Edward G. Robinson of "Little Caesar") decides to defend Ellen because he put her through school and got her a job in the D.A.'s office. Scott is as shrewd as they come and doesn't mind stooping to pull a trick or two to keep his clients out of stir. The best scene involves a poisoning case that gets thrown out because Scott gulps some of the poison and survives. Of course, in a real situation, this desperate bid for victory would be challenged by somebody, but remember this is a movie. Our hero fends off too many questions and goes into hiding where a nurse and doctor are prepared to administer an antidote. Another good has Robinson confronting his successor in the D.A.'s Office and pointing out that every idea that Ford has is an idea that Scott has already had. Albert Dekker is satisfactory as a mobster chieftain and Jayne Mansfield makes her cinematic debut as one of the mobster's gals who answers the phone for him. Jan Merlin is terrific as a skull-faced gunsel who knocks off people for Dekker. The W.R. Burnett & James Webb screenplay contains several memorable lines of dialogue. "Desert Fury" director Lewis Allen keeps the action moving along rather nicely despite its formulaic plotting. "Waltons'" grandmother Ellen Corby plays Scott's secretary. Oh, yes, the poor schmuck who burns in the chair is none other than Deforest Kelly.

A big hole but good performances

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 7 November 2011]

Edward G. Robinson plays a disgraced D.A. who starts working for the very people he tried to put away in "Illegal," a 1955 film also starring Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe, Albert Dekker, Jayne Mansfield, and Ellen Corby.

When he is unable to stop the death row execution of an innocent man in time, Victor Scott (Robinson) sinks to the depths, turning to alcohol, until he realizes that he can have a lucrative career as a defense attorney for the mob. This is a disappointment to his protégé Ellen (Foch), who worked as his legal assistant and is still in the D.A.'s office along with her new husband (Marlowe). When someone from that office is suspected of leaking information to Scott, Ellen becomes a suspect.

This was not a huge budget film. Instead, director Lewis Allen uses a real building interior and the streets of LA for some scenes, which really adds to the atmosphere.

Robinson really dominates this film -- for a short man, he was a towering presence. I loved the scene where he admires the mobster's art collection -- it was actually loaned to the studio by Robinson. Besides Corby, future TV series stars DeForest Kelly and Edward Platt appear in smaller roles. Jayne Mansfield has a good part in her film debut, that of a singer/girlfriend of a mob boss. Nina Foch hands in a strong performance as the disillusioned Ellen.

I had one small problem with the denouement of this film. Everything hinged on a phone call, but couldn't one access phone records in 1955? There is no mention of this; instead, there is a scramble for a witness. Odd, but a good film nonetheless.

Powerful

[Handlinghandel · 6/10 · 20 August 2007]

This remake of an earlier movie packs a punch. The opening scene is marvelously lurid. It's a book jacket from this genre come to life: An attractive blonde is making up in her bathroom. Suddenly someone enters her apartment, shoots her. She screams; it's over for her.

This is NOT Jayne Mansfield, though she makes her movie debut here. She's good, too. (She was generally good but she's more restrained than the out-sized characterizations she took on later.) Edward G. Robinson plays an ambitious prosecuting attorney who nabs the killer in a good court room scene. But IS he the killer? I'm giving nothing beyond the first ten or 15 fifteen minutes away to say that he's not. The sequence in which Robinson desperately tries to get through to the prison where the guy is about to be executed is an eloquent plea against capital punishment.

Nina Foch is excellent as the woman who views Robinson as a father figure. She isn't given a whole lot to do but she has a very strong presence. There's a lot of Joan Fontaine in her appearance and delivery. And she presages the young, glamorous Kathleen Turner.

The supporting cast players are well cast too. Ellen Corby (yes, of "The Waltons") stands out among them.

This is not a great movie. Maybe that's because it's a reasonably faithful remake of a movie I've already seen. It's a thriller, though; so be sure to give it a try.

A Clever Man and a Wrong Move

[rpvanderlinden · 9/10 · 24 October 2011]

"Illegal" is an intelligent and nimble little crackerjack of a crime thriller starring Edward G. Robinson as a D.A who's maybe a little too smart - and smart-assed - for his own good. He's ruthless because his job requires him to be. He wins cases. That's what he's paid for. He's quick of wit and tongue. He's ambitious, canny and - technically, at least - in compliance with the law. He's, at heart, a good man, and he's in the public eye, but he's not universally well-liked. One day, he sends the wrong man to the chair. And he comes undone.

This sets in motion a plot that winds and twists without becoming outlandish. The picture, which doesn't strike me as a "noir", moves at a nice clip, each of the broad spectrum of characters is painted with a defining brush stroke, and the dialogue is efficient and snappy. It's the kind of movie that hooks you and hooks you good. It did me.

"Illegal" is, above all, an Edward G. Robinson picture. It doesn't seem like a star vehicle. Robinson shares the screen with everyone, yet he is such a forceful presence and creates such a complex and complicated character, sympathetic yet warped, you search him out in every scene. You want to watch him. He's magnetic. I'm becoming a real Edward G. Robinson fan on the strength of his 40's and 50's films alone, some of them comic reminders of his earlier gangster persona. He's as good in this movie as he is in "Scarlet Street", which I saw recently for the first time and which, well... kinda sorta blew my mind. I've lived a little and can recognize the truths that some of these lively, well-written B-movies shine a light on.

Brightly Lit Stiff With Some Talent At Work

[LeonLouisRicci · 6/10 · 4 November 2014]

This Could Only be Called Film-Noir in the Most Liberal of Definition, Despite, Once Again, a DVD Package that Claims it As Such. It has that 1950's Television Lighting where Everything is Glowing and Bright and that Decades Safe Presentation and Production that Screams "Assembly Line" in Every Scene.

But it is a Good Courtroom Melodrama with a Strong Performance by Robinson and a Supporting Cast Playing Some Interesting, if Standard, Characters. Albert Dekker Seems to have Wandered In from Kiss Me Deadly (1955, a true Noir), Nina Foch is OK if Bland, and Jan Merlin as a Pistol Yielding Gunsel Stands Out.

This is the Third Version of the Story and is Worth a Watch for Edward G. and for a Couple of Powerfully Violent Scenes, the first Murder, and a Bedroom Brawl Between Foch and Hugh Marlowe. The Rest is Pedestrian but Tolerable and Jayne Mansfield Makes Her Debut with a Scene or Two that Registers.

Overall, Not Much and it has the Stiffness of a Retread, but there is Talent at Work Here with a Max Steiner Score and Some Salty Dialog, but the Film Seems Outdated and Comes Off as a Moderate Revisitation.

The Best Training

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 29 October 2010]

Illegal marks the third time Warner Brothers told this tale of a lawyer's downfall and redemption. It was previously filmed as The Mouthpiece and The Man Who Talked Too Much with Warren William and George Brent playing the role that Edward G. Robinson does here. I've not seen the other two films as yet, but it's hard to imagine either of the other players doing it better. In fact both the other guys would certainly play it differently than Robinson.

Illegal finds Edward G. Robinson cast as a zealous prosecutor who convicts DeForest Kelley wrongly of murder. There's no last minute pardon from the governor however, no verdict set aside, because the evidence that could clear him comes as the switch is being thrown on the electric chair.

Robinson's an ambitious fellow who would like to have been governor or more, but this does set him back on his heels and he takes to drink. But soon enough he realizes he still has the skills so now he can put them to work for the other side.

That by the way is the standard way criminal defense attorneys are born, the best training they can receive can be as Assistant District Attorneys. After a nifty bit of legal legerdemain Robinson winds up working for mobster Albert Dekker. In the meantime his former assistant in the DA's office Nina Foch winds up killing her husband Hugh Marlowe when she discovers he's been a mole there for Dekker.

The legal legerdemain is by far the best bit in the film. Robinson gets James McCallion out of an embezzlement charge and fixes it so that McCallion's boss Howard St. John is left without a leg to stand on.

Jayne Mansfield lends her gravity defying presence to Illegal in one of her earliest films. She plays Dekker's moll and sings Too Marvelous For Words very badly. But as a singer it's not her voice that perks Dekker's interest.

In many ways the lead in this story is a dream role for a player. Every actor worth his salt wants a courtroom drama because of the histrionics involved. Robinson has several courtroom scenes on both sides of the fence and convicts and frees clients by some interesting methods.

In his memoirs Robinson called from 1949 with All My Sons until 1956 in The Ten Commandments as his B picture period. But I'm here to say that while the films weren't big marquee box office, they were pretty much well done dramas that Robinson brought his sense of professionalism to each role. Illegal is one of the best of them.

E.G. Robinson in legal thriller that's better than its parts, thanks to director Lewis Allen

[bmacv · 7/10 · 11 August 2002]

Illegal puts Edward G. Robinson through more perils than Pauline ever suffered. A tenacious District Attorney on his way to the governor's mansion, he resigns when a man he had sent to the electric chair proves innocent. But the civil practice he hopes to undertake goes bust, and he takes to the bottle (a plot development which goes nowhere).

Down and out, he defends a fellow inmate he encounters in a holding cell, and decides to apply his legal acumen to becoming a sharp, high-priced criminal attorney. To get off a guilty client, he grandstands in court by downing a bottle of poison placed in evidence, only to rush off to have his stomach pumped. (This particular ploy was originated by George Brent in 1940's The Man Who Talked Too Much.) He's such a brilliant mouthpiece he comes to the attention of civic crime boss Albert Dekker, whose blandishments he tries to resist.

Meanwhile, back at the D.A.'s office, he's left behind his protégé Nina Foch (looking matronly), whom he had taken under his wing when her father, an old mentor of his, passed away. Though he harbors romantic feelings for her, he gives his blessing when she announces her marriage to a young, ambitious lawyer, Hugh Marlowe. But a series of leaks from the office concerning Dekker's activities brings suspicion on all three. Ultimately, Robinson finds himself defending Foch for murder, during which Jayne Mansfield, Dekker's mistress, sashays to the witness stand in a wasp-waisted black outfit, replete with picture hat.....

The fast and too complicated plot takes a few pointless and baffling turns. Though on the talky side, there's a high quotient of gunplay. Still, it's absorbing. Robinson, still in his early-50s string of B-pictures owing to his guilt-by-association in the wake of the anti-Communist crusade, holds everything together with his bag of old tricks. And credit must go also to director Lewis Allen, who somehow brought a distinctiveness to several of his films which otherwise might have passed unnoticed: Desert Fury, Chicago Deadline, Suddenly. It's hard to point out just how, but he brought some of it to Illegal, too.

Solid E.G. Robinson Performance

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 7 December 2014]

ILLEGAL - 1955

Illegal is the second remake of the 1932 film, THE MOUTHPIECE. Here, Warner's lets W.R. Burnett (The Asphalt Jungle)punch up the story and move it up to the 50's.

Edward G. Robinson plays a slick D.A. who wins far more cases than he loses. He wins a big one and decides it is time to run for higher office. This idea goes south when the man he sent to the chair, turns out to be innocent. Robinson resigns and takes to the bottle in a big way.

One day, after spending a night in the drunk tank, Robinson helps a man, Jay Adler, beat a murder beef. He decides to dry out and open up a civil practice. He is soon in demand with all the wrong people. Mobster, Albert Dekker hires him to get various mob types off.

Nina Foch, a friend from his D.A. days is not amused with Robinson's working for the "dark side". The new D.A. Edward Platt, is sure that Robinson must have a source inside the D.A.s office. Platt is sure that the source is Miss Foch. Actually, it is Foch's husband, Hugh Marlowe. Marlowe got in deep with the mob over a large gambling debt. He is paying the debt off by feeding Dekker info on cases.

This arrangement soon ends when wife Foch learns the truth. She ends up shooting hubby Marlowe when he tries to silence her. D.A. Platt, believes that Foch had murdered Marlowe to stop "him" from informing on Foch. She is charged with murder.

Robinson quickly steps up and takes her case. Needless to say no one believes a word that Foch says. Robinson digs around and comes up with a witness to Dekker and Marlowe being in cahoots. Dekker is not the least bit amused with this, and sends a hit-man to deep six Robinson. Robinson survives the attack and presents his witness, Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield coughs up more than enough evidence to get Foch off and mobster Dekker in deep trouble.

A quite watchable film noir with Robinson as usual, giving a reliable performance. Foch, Marlowe and Dekker are also good. The hourglass figured Mansfield, in her first billed role, seems to spend all her limited screen time leaning her upper-works into the camera.

The director here, Lewis Allen is in good form as well. His other film noir include, SUDDENLY, DESERT FURY, A BULLET FOR JOEY, APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER and CHICAGO DEADLINE. The sharp looking film was shot by veteran cinematographer, Pev Marley. The two time, Oscar nominated Marley's work, includes, THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS, LIFE WITH FATHER, PRIDE OF THE MARINES, DRUMBEAT and KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE.

ILLEGAL (Lewis Allen, 1955) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 4 July 2008]

Due to his brush with HUAC, Edward G. Robinson's career suffered throughout the 1950s; I hadn't watched that much of his work from this period myself – but have now managed to catch two (coincidentally, both semi-noirs made for the same director) in one day.

Though actually the second one, this was the superior effort: in fact, I found it to be quite an underrated genre outing – whose courtroom milieu supplies an added treat; for the record, it was the third screen version of a popular play of the 1920s (the others were THE MOUTHPIECE [1932], the best-regarded one, and THE MAN WHO TALKED TOO MUCH [1940]). Robinson is perfectly in his element here as a crusading D.A. who hits the skids after he sends an innocent man (STAR TREK's DeForrest Kelley!) to the electric chair – trying to pick up the pieces as a common civil lawyer, he falls in with a powerful gangster but is ultimately redeemed (in both senses of the word). At this point, the actor must have relished such a meaty part – particularly one that so vividly recalled some of his earlier vintage work (but most of all BULLETS OR BALLOTS [1936], a Robinson vehicle I watched for the first time only recently and greatly enjoyed, and which also sees him playing on either side of the law).

The play was here adapted for the screen by two notable scriptwriters, W.R. Burnett (author of LITTLE CAESAR [1930], which had made the star's name in the first place) and James R. Webb. The supporting cast is also well chosen: Nina Foch as Robinson's diligent assistant and surrogate daughter, who stays on with the D.A.'s office once the hero is disgraced; Hugh Marlowe as another Robinson aide who loves and subsequently marries Foch; Ellen Corby, one more member of Robinson's staff but who devotedly sticks with her boss; Albert Dekker as the gangster figure; and a debuting Jayne Mansfield as Dekker's 'talented' moll (her role reminded me of Marilyn Monroe's celebrated bit in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE [1950], coincidentally drawn from another popular W.R. Burnett novel).

Eventually, the mole in the D.A.'s office – suspected to be Foch due to her ties with Robinson – is discovered to be Marlowe who, when confronted by Foch, she ends up killing him in self-defense; Robinson defies his boss by taking up her case (protecting himself by secreting evidence that would point the finger at Dekker in the event that something happens to him). Though the film is an atypical noir and contains just one action sequence, Robinson's unconventional courtroom tactics are at least as entertaining and arresting: knocking out a burly witness to a brawl so as to prove his unreliability; drinking a dose of slow-acting poison himself in order to smash the new D.A.'s case against his client (an associate of Dekker's); at the end turning up in court mortally wounded to acquit Foch. By the way, a handful of paintings from Robinson's personal renowned art collection are passed off as Dekker's in the film!

Warners' exemplary DVD – issued as a double-feature, as part of their "Film Noir Collection Vol. 4", with Don Siegel's even better THE BIG STEAL (1949) featuring the great team of Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer – contains the trailer, an Audio Commentary (an extra I used to lap up in the past but haven't listened to one in a long time – chiefly due to time constraints and a huge backlog of films!) as well as two featurettes. One discusses the film proper (all-too briefly) and the other a vintage TV piece in black-and-white, hosted by the ubiquitous Gig Young, about courtroomers produced by Warners (with clips from the Oscar-winning THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA [1937] and two 'brand-new' efforts – Otto Preminger's THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL [1955], which I haven't watched, and, of course, ILLEGAL itself with even a brief contribution from Edward G. Robinson).

Another unimpressive crime story starring Edward G Robinson

[Ed-Shullivan · 4/10 · 23 July 2023]

I enjoy the Crime & Film Noir genres so I keep watching all the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's and the 1970's crime and film noir feature films. Having said that, I am always hesitant to spend the time watching a film that includes actor Edward G. Robinson let alone watching him in a starring role.

This 1955 film title Illegal, was a cookie-cuttter crime film that I am quite sure was filmed in less than 30 days. Having verified that Edward G. Robinson appeared in five (5) films and two (2) Television series in the year 1955 when Illegal was released confirms my suspicions that this was a quick and easy film to start then finish.

As hard as I have tried to find Edward G. Robinson in any stellar performance the closest I can come is with his 1965 film, The Cincinnati Kid, where he plays the veteran poker player Lancey Howard, against Academy Award winner actor Steve McQueen who plays the up and comer card shark The Cincinnati Kid.

I did check Edward G Robinson's awards and not that it was any surprise, Edward G. Robinson was never even nominated for an Academy Award in any of his 100 or so films so I am not alone in not being impressed by Edward G Robinson. In this film he plays savvy prosecuting attorney Victor Scott who feels heavy guilt after sending an innocent man to his death by a guilty verdict, so he decides to become a defense attorney with some questionable clients.

I guess it was an okay time waster, but it was a crime that this film has an overall 7.0 IMDb rating which influenced me to want to watch it. Just another Edward G. Robinson disappointment that I give a more realistic 4 out of 10 IMDb rating.

Fry Dr. McCoy

[DKosty123 · 26 October 2011]

Edward G Robinson brings his great acting talents to be a top dog lawyer and his acting is excellent. The supporting cast includes Nina Foch, Ed Platt (later chief of control on Get Smart), and in a brief role DeForest Kelly (later Dr. McCoy on Star Trek). This Warner Brothers film is a remake of an earlier Warner film.

Still, the retread works out nicely. Right from the beginning when Robinson railroads Kelly to the electric chair, Robinson is in top form. The cast is good, and the directing is solid to go with the acting. Overall, especially if your a Robinson fan, this is worth while to watch.

Robinson seems just as well suited to play the over bearing and shady lawyer as he is to play a mobster.

Edward G.........the Man

[gromsall-1 · 6/10 · 28 June 2019]

Edward G. Robinson is one of my favorite old-time actors. Who could play a better Johnny Rocco that EGR. Good average movie that has some classic B-movie character actors. The story tho is somewhat contrived and corny especially the ending. The lawyer falls to the ground (possible heart failure) and no one calls for an ambulance. Everyone stands there and gives their closing lines. But one good reason to sit thru the whole thing is to look at Jayne Mansfield. She could beat out 99% of the actresses today in the " Looks" department. Marilyn Monroe may be the All-time Blonde Bombshell in many lists, but Jayne comes in a very close second.

Never heard of it before seeing this-good movie

[gazzo-2 · 7/10 · 20 July 2008]

Who would have thought? Edward G Robinson as a scenery chewing DA who fricasees Bones McCoy by mistake and winds up losing his career. Becomes a drunk. Then becomes a theatrical defense attorney and hires as his assistant Grandma Walton(who is very good), proceeds to get entangled w/ gangsters(paging Frank Costello!)-personified by Albert Dekker and and the rat in the DA office Hugh Marlowe. Nina Foch who has stars in her eyes for Edward G but is 30 years his junior, winds up shooting Marlowe when she catches him giving up the goods on their case, and has to be defended by Edward G. Jayne Mansfield is there for Jessica Rabbit like eye-candy and isn't that bad considering she has but 3 lines and is in her debut role.

I really enjoyed this, warts and all. The casting is fun-hey it's Chief(Platt) from Get Smart! It's got that Other Richard Widmark wannabe from all those westerns on there(Jan Merlin!) playing a Tommy Udo type. It's directed smartly and the budget is more of a solid TV movie by the looks.

Give it a try. *** outta ****, I think you'll enjoy.

Illegal eagle.

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 16 March 2022]

Frank J. Collins reportedly used an unorthodox and dissolute lawyer named William Fallon as the inspiration for Vincent Day in his play 'Mouthpiece' which was adapted for the screen in 1932. This starred Warren William and in two subsequent versions the character has been reincarnated as Stephen Forbes and Victor Scott, played respectively by George Brent and Edward G. Robinson. Each of the three versions has its strengths and weaknesses but the third has a definite edge courtesy of Mr. Robinson, indisputably one of the greatest actors ever to grace a sound stage.

His character's win at all costs courtroom antics are utterly outrageous and one has serious doubts as to whether, even in America, such behaviour would have been tolerated but assuming them to be fictional they are eminently entertaining, especially when performed by such a superlative artiste.

This was not exactly an easy period for Mr. Robinson, neither financially nor professionally, thanks to the unwelcome attentions of the confounded HUAC and an expensive divorce. Not only was he obliged to sell much of his art collection but appeared in a succession of 'B's' although he himself remained an 'A' in every respect. Ironically it was staunch right-winger Cecil B. De Mille who put him back on the 'A' list where he belonged, in 'The Ten Commandments'.

Yes, this opus is a 'B' but Lewis Allen's competent direction, taut editing of Joseph Reilly and tremendous support from Nina Foch and Albert Dekker contribute to one of the best films of its type one is likely to see, weakened only by a rather pat ending.

Pneumatic Jayne Mansfield plays a 'dumb broad' in this and could be seen to be treading the same path as Marilyn Monroe in John Huston's 'Asphalt Jungle'. The earlier film was based upon a novel by W. R. Burnett who just happened to write the screenplay for this. Is it purely coincidental that Monroe's character is Angela whilst Mansfield's is Angel? I wonder. Both ladies were to be ill-fated but whereas Miss Monroe went from strength to strength, Miss Mansfield's limitations soon became evident.

As for Mr. Robinson, he is one of the finest actors never to win an Oscar and even his Life Achievement award had to be given posthumously. He has since however received the ultimate accolades of inspiring a character in 'The Simpsons' and appearing on a postage stamp. Oh, well....

"I Don't Blame People; I Bury Them!"

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 16 February 2008]

This movie may not look like a film noir, but there are some great film noir-type lines here, like the one I used in the subject head. I heard at least a dozen that I almost laughed out loud at because they were so good and/or clever. This is a not a "B" film with its dialog and terrific cast.

I agree it's not one that is terribly exciting, either, but it has more than its share of good points. One good starting point is the star: Edward G. Robinson. It's tough to knock a film with him in the lead. It's a little talky but there are some dramatic, surprising moments, too, with Robinson's "Victor Scott," doing some things you have to see to believe.

Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe and Albert Dekker are all good in key roles, but I found it more interesting at times to see familiar faces in the supporting characters. Actors such as Ellen Corby ("Miss Hinkel"), DeForest Kelley ("Edward Clary"), Edward Platt ("Ralph Ford"), Jayne Mansfield ("Angel O'Hara"), Henry Kulky ("Taylor), Jan Merlin ("Andrew Garth") and a few others, were all fascinating. I liked Corby, in particular. You may not know all their names, but you know their faces. Kelley starred for years on "Star Trek" and Platt was the boss in "Get Smart." In Mansfield's case, you know more than just her face!

This is the first half of a film noir twin-bill recently offered on DVD. The other film is "The Big Steal," so you get two pretty good movies for the price of one.

Not bad, but it sure ended on a weak note

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 31 October 2009]

Considering that this film stars Edward G. Robinson, it's of course worth watching. Heck, I'd watch him in any film. However, I must admit that this is one of his weaker films--especially because it ended in a very clichéd manner.

The film begins with Robinson working as a prosecuting attorney. He has just done a masterful job and sent a man (DeForest Kelley) to the death house. However, in a twist, they discover another man was the murderer and Robinson tries, in vain, to stop the execution. Having him call only a second or two too late was a good way to build tension but it was also a cliché--you just KNEW it would be too late and this lacked realism.

As a result of this, Robinson has a breakdown and spends the next few scenes drinking, getting in fights and quitting his job. He just can't stand the idea of prosecuting another innocent man. But, in an odd twist and through a strange series of events, he soon finds himself defending mobsters--and manipulating the law and ethics as much as he possibly can to get these obviously guilty men off. So, you are expected to believe that Robinson went from crusading prosecutor to a sleazy shyster in such a short amount of time--an interesting idea but one that is hard to believe.

By the end of the film, however, the mob is trying to convict an old lady friend of Robinson. He tries, in vain, to get the mob to relent, but when they won't Robinson springs to her defense--and incurs the wrath of the mob bosses for which he used to work. The final scenes, with Robinson being shot and yet convincing the court and then dying right there was once again exciting to watch but very contrived.

Overall, there were just too many situations in which the impossible occurred. Credibility is strained to the breaking point by the end of the film. Exciting and worth watching, but also tough--very tough-- to believe.

By the way, Jayne Mansfield appears here in her first film. Yet despite it being a very small role, I noticed she was very prominently displayed on the DVD case (I'm actually surprised they could fit her on it considering her ample...assets). The same thing has been done with many early Marilyn Monroe films--she barely appears in it at all but is front and center on the DVD art.

UPDATE: I finally got to see the original version, "The Mouthpiece". It's significantly better...and a lot racier!

Disgraced D.A. Finds His Road To Redemption

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 9 January 2016]

Screen legend Edward G Robinson is on top form in this low-budget crime drama about a highly successful L.A. District Attorney whose life goes into a downward spiral that continues relentlessly until he gets an opportunity to redeem himself. Robinson's ability to convey toughness and emotions with equal ease is remarkable and one of the reasons why his character in this movie becomes more sympathetic than he might otherwise have been.

Victor Scott (Edward G Robinson) is a politically ambitious prosecutor whose regular successes in court have earned him a great deal of respect. The attention he pays to the selection of jurors and the skill with which he delivers his closing speeches, consistently produce the guilty verdicts he seeks and then celebrates with his legal assistant Ellen (Nina Foch) and his Chief Investigator Ray Borden (Hugh Marlowe). One of these successes turns sour after evidence of the convicted man's innocence suddenly emerges and Victor's unable to intervene in time to prevent the execution from going ahead.

Horrified, ashamed and consumed with guilt about his role in this spectacular miscarriage of justice, Victor resigns from his job, starts drinking heavily and soon finds himself behind bars accused of drunkenness and assault. Following his release, he defends one of the men who was incarcerated with him and stands accused of manslaughter. After winning this case, he then embarks on a new career as a defence attorney and although he prospers in this endeavour, his success is achieved through being unscrupulous and using some outrageous courtroom stunts.

Ellen is the daughter of Victor's mentor who had passed away some years earlier. Since that time, Victor had assumed the role of her guardian and adviser but had also been determined that that their deep affection for each other should never grow into anything other than a father/daughter type relationship. In the circumstances, Ellen, with Victor's encouragement, decides to marry Ray.

Victor's work brings him into contact with local crime boss Frank Garland (Albert Dekker) whose expensive apartment is adorned by his high-value art collection and his sultry blonde mistress, Angel O'Hara (Jayne Mansfield). Since his appointment, the new District Attorney, Ralph Ford (Edward Platt) had been frustrated in his efforts to bring any criminal charges against Garland and becomes convinced that this is because someone in his office is regularly passing information on to the mobster. After Ellen shoots Ray in their apartment, Ford concludes that because of her relationship with Victor, Ellen must've been "the leak" and that she killed Ray because he'd discovered what she was doing. When Ellen's charged with first-degree murder, Victor naturally steps in to defend her in what turns out to be a very dramatic trial.

Remarkably, "Illegal" was the third movie adaptation of Frank J Collins' 1929 play "The Mouthpiece" and its lively pace, sharply-written screenplay and moments of off-the-cuff humour, add enormously to the enjoyment of watching the action unfold. A number of good performances ensure that the movie remains entertaining throughout but it's Edward G Robinson's contribution that ultimately proves to be the most critical factor in the movie's success.

"It was legal and in my client's interest," says Edward G. Robinson. "What more can you ask of an attorney?"

[Terrell-4 · 7/10 · 14 January 2009]

This movie starring Edward G. Robinson brings mixed feelings: Admiration for Robinson's skill and stature as an actor; affection for the man, who was a decent and admirable human being; and sadness bordering on disgust for the kind of movies, such as this one, Robinson made beginning in the early Fifties. He'd been unofficially blacklisted during the Commie witch-hunts of the late Forties and Fifties. The studio heads wanted no trouble from Congressional investigations or write-ups in such virulent rags as Red Channels. Robinson's crime: It was whispered that he was too liberal. To make a living and to continue acting, Robinson had to take on such things as Vice Squad (1953), Black Tuesday (1954), Tight Spot, A Bullet for Joey and Illegal (all 1955). It wasn't until Frank Sinatra insisted Robinson be cast in A Hole in the Head in 1959, when Robinson was 66, that studio heads decided that he was safe enough to be used in A-level movies.

Ambitious, competitive D.A. Victor Scott (Robinson) sends an innocent man to the chair. It was a mistake, but that doesn't help the man who was executed. Now the man the newspapers called the Napoleon of the Courtroom not only has his career destroyed, but his belief in himself as a prosecutor. He quits as D.A. From now on Scott will fight for the defense. Well, you know how it goes. Before long Scott is defending crooks and killers. He's aggressive in the court, using every trick, emotion and manipulation to win. It's not long before he finds himself ensnarled in the affairs of the powerful Frank Garland, a kingpin of oil wells, breweries, trucking, hotels, investment companies and vice. Garland is a man who buries his mistakes. Sooner or later Victor Scott, manipulator extraordinaire of juries, is going to come face to face with his conscience, especially when Ellen Miles (Nina Foch), a woman he realizes he may love, is charged with murder and Garland is involved. He'll have some decisions to make.

Illegal isn't an A-movie. It's a melodramatic not quite B-movie. The difference, or course, is Edward G. Robinson. While the melodrama piles up, Victor Scott stays tough and smart. Robinson makes him effortlessly believable. Robinson, a noted art collector, loaned two paintings from his collection for a scene in the movie he shares with Albert Dekker as Garland. It's an amusing moment watching Robinson as Scott comment on Garland's collection of Impressionist masterpieces that were owned by Robinson. "Degas!...and isn't that a Gauguin?...I've always had to content myself with reproductions." Robinson plays it absolutely straight.

It's always a pleasure to watch Nina Foch at work. Jayne Mansfield shows up in her first movie as a singer in a nightclub who earns Garland's pay in more ways than one. What she does to "To Marvelous for Words" should have stopped her career in its tracks.

"I forgot that free advice was never worth the money".

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 26 May 2016]

Has anyone else noticed that some of the best underrated or little known movie gems of the Forties and Fifties have only one word titles? I'm thinking of films like Bogart's "Conflict (1945), "Detour (1945) and "Impact" (1949). All of these turned out to be nifty noir thrillers, and although "Illegal" may not totally fit the noir definition, it still packs a decent punch with it's compelling story line.

This one also has Edgar G. Robinson as a less than scrupulous prosecuting attorney who switches sides after a man who's convicted of murder turns out to be innocent, but winds up in the electric chair right before Victor Scott (Robinson) can make the save. You know, there was something odd about that courtroom scene when Edward Clary (DeForest Kelley) was found guilty. The jury delivered their guilty charge immediately after Scott's closing argument, so why wouldn't they have deliberated on a verdict? Somebody goofed big time on that one.

Now I'm not familiar enough with courtroom proceedings to know if Scott's antics could ever fly in a court of law, but they certainly livened up this story. How about Scott decking Henry Kulky coming off the witness stand to prove a point? Or downing the vial of poison with a narrow forty five minute window to get his stomach pumped? I think Robinson's character probably stretched the legal definition of being out of order to the max with those stunts, but the judge and the opposing attorneys in those cases didn't seem that fazed by it, so who am I to say?

In hindsight, this film has an eclectic cast of supporting actors on hand, with folks like Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe, Ellen Corby and Ed Platt appearing in the story, and if you keep your eye on Jayne Mansfield (and who wouldn't?), you'll notice that she lent new meaning to the definition of hourglass figure when she appeared as a witness in the final courtroom scene. Not bad for one of her very first screen appearances.

Middling Drama

[kenjha · 7/10 · 4 July 2010]

After sending an innocent man to the electric chair, a district attorney's ambitious career plans are disrupted. The film is entertaining enough but has some silly moments, including a ridiculous finale. Robinson is fine as the tough attorney, a decent fellow who unwittingly becomes involved with the mob. Unfortunately, the supporting cast is not up to par. Foch in particular gives a weak performance as an associate of Robinson's. In only her third film, Mansfield is quite alluring as (what else?) a dumb blonde. There are three actors here who would gain fame on TV: Platt (Maxwell Smart's Chief), Corby (Grandma Walton), and Kelley (Dr. McCoy).

Passable Robinson Fantasy - Illegal

[arthur_tafero · 5/10 · 29 December 2021]

Rivaling Perry Mason with over the top court theatrics, Edward G goes above and beyond the realms of believability of courtroom procedures. Even Mason would not try the three stunts that Robinson pulls in this entertaining courtroom drama. The storyline is a bit unusual in the beginning; a rising DA's career is sidetracked by sending an innocent man to the chair (none other than Bones from Star Trek). After his disgrace, he has to be content taking big fees to get connected crooks off with light or no sentences. But his conscience gets the better of him and he tries to go straight again. Entertaining, but not too believable. Weak script is main culprit.