(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After an innocent man is executed in a case for which he was not responsible, a Scotland Yard superintendent finds himself investigating the murder of his key witness.”
The pursuit of justice has fueled a great number of pictures, especially some of the better Film Noirs to emerge from Hollywood.
What many have found so interesting about a handful of them is that justice is rarely black-and-white. In other words, the best Noirs have dealt with individuals who’ve had to seek out and explore some kind of restitution – personal or otherwise – by following their own codes of conduct. In the process, they try to do right, but they’re not opposed to – shall we say? – bending a few conventional rules here and there if and when the circumstances require it. They might rough up a suspect. They might plant a bit of evidence. They might even point the cops in the wrong direction so that they can operate freely away from judgmental eyes. And – in the most extreme cases – they might even serve as judge, jury, and executioner all rolled up in one.
The Verdict (1946) opens in those fragile moments after a verdict has been judiciously carried out: Superintendent George Edward Grodman (played by the great Sydney Greenstreet) listens as the bell tolls overhead, signaling that the death sentence of a murderer he sent to the gallows has been carried out. However, upon returning to his office days later, Grodman is shocked to learn that a key witness has turned up with an alibi that would’ve proven the man innocent. As a consequence, he’s summarily stripped of his position; and his arrogant and self-serving assistant – Superintendent John R. Buckley (George Coulouris) – is promoted to Prosecutor.
Forced into retirement after thirty years, Grodman decides to pen his memoirs of time in public service; and he enlists the assistance of long-time associate Victor Emmric (Peter Lorre) – a newspaper caricaturist – to provide artwork for the tome. Before the two can get themselves focused on the collaboration, an all-new murder takes place in the very block where they live; and the pair find themselves thrust into the center of this development which slowly begins to grow into a crime with no solution. How could a man be murdered inside a locked room with no means of entry or exit? Indeed, Grodman decides he will solve the caper if it’s the last thing he does!
Indeed, it’s this set-up that drew me – as a viewer – into the whole sordid affair which involved a lothario Arthur Kendall (Morton Lowry) and local showgirl Lottie Rawson (the fetching Joan Lorring), suggesting that the case might be somehow tied to the man’s philandering nature and the scorn of a woman earned. The problem, though, is that Kendall’s identity as it ties into the case that Grodman botched turns out to be the clue everyone forgets as the procedural unfolds – including Superintendent Buckley – and this is the crux upon which the script from Peter Milne (based on Israel Zangwill’s novel) revolves. Without spoiling it (which I generally avoid), let’s just say that this case becomes Grodman’s most personal effort in more ways than one.
The Verdict is the kind of story that only works because the audience has little to no way of predicting who committed the crime because, thematically, that would spoil the entire point of the picture. Because of this, the resolution might come across as more than a bit contrived since clues aren’t additive to answering any significant questions. What remains is a puzzle – one reasonably well delivered by director Don Siegel – but it’s also a quandary that might feel a bit toothless in the last reel as an authentic mystery. As a melodrama? Sure, that works! As a Noir? Of course, it’s in keeping with the genre! But … as a mystery? Well … not so much …
While the picture is modestly entertaining and boasts some great work by Greenstreet and Lorre, I can’t help but wonder if it would be entirely forgotten had lesser talent been cast in the lead roles. Siegel’s work in bringing all of it to life is equally impressive, but there’s no escaping the fact that inevitably answering the seminal ‘whodunnit’ removes any bit of freshness or originality to the whole shebang because it reeks of contrivance along with some somewhat forced twists and turns viewers are slogged through along the way. Yes, it concludes with the obligatory sense that justice has been served; and yet there’s no escaping the fact that the audience might feel a bit swindled for having spent 90 minutes waiting for a denouement of such artifice.
The Verdict (1946) was produced by Warner Bros. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are quite good throughout: there’s a flatness to some of the exterior studio shots – the streets are shrouded with fog – but it isn’t anything disastrous. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts some other entertainment from the era – cartoons and a few radio dramas – but nothing that’s directly tied to the main film.
Mildly Recommended.
As big a fan of classic films as I am – especially dark melodramas and Film Noirs – I’ll still admit to finding not all that much to love about The Verdict (1946). It’s good but a bit theatrically contrived in spots. While expertly made and compellingly set-up, it inevitably feels a bit flat even though a central character achieves a measure of redemption … not that that was much of a surprise, either. I mean … that was the point of the story, so kudos for sticking the landing, I guess. Still, fans of Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre should definitely check out their work here; and I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that Joan Lorring also turns in a wonderfully spunky supporting role here.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Verdict (1946) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After an innocent man is executed in a case for which he was not responsible, a Scotland Yard superintendent finds himself investigating the murder of his key witness.”
The pursuit of justice has fueled a great number of pictures, especially some of the better Film Noirs to emerge from Hollywood.
What many have found so interesting about a handful of them is that justice is rarely black-and-white. In other words, the best Noirs have dealt with individuals who’ve had to seek out and explore some kind of restitution – personal or otherwise – by following their own codes of conduct. In the process, they try to do right, but they’re not opposed to – shall we say? – bending a few conventional rules here and there if and when the circumstances require it. They might rough up a suspect. They might plant a bit of evidence. They might even point the cops in the wrong direction so that they can operate freely away from judgmental eyes. And – in the most extreme cases – they might even serve as judge, jury, and executioner all rolled up in one.
The Verdict (1946) opens in those fragile moments after a verdict has been judiciously carried out: Superintendent George Edward Grodman (played by the great Sydney Greenstreet) listens as the bell tolls overhead, signaling that the death sentence of a murderer he sent to the gallows has been carried out. However, upon returning to his office days later, Grodman is shocked to learn that a key witness has turned up with an alibi that would’ve proven the man innocent. As a consequence, he’s summarily stripped of his position; and his arrogant and self-serving assistant – Superintendent John R. Buckley (George Coulouris) – is promoted to Prosecutor.
Forced into retirement after thirty years, Grodman decides to pen his memoirs of time in public service; and he enlists the assistance of long-time associate Victor Emmric (Peter Lorre) – a newspaper caricaturist – to provide artwork for the tome. Before the two can get themselves focused on the collaboration, an all-new murder takes place in the very block where they live; and the pair find themselves thrust into the center of this development which slowly begins to grow into a crime with no solution. How could a man be murdered inside a locked room with no means of entry or exit? Indeed, Grodman decides he will solve the caper if it’s the last thing he does!
Indeed, it’s this set-up that drew me – as a viewer – into the whole sordid affair which involved a lothario Arthur Kendall (Morton Lowry) and local showgirl Lottie Rawson (the fetching Joan Lorring), suggesting that the case might be somehow tied to the man’s philandering nature and the scorn of a woman earned. The problem, though, is that Kendall’s identity as it ties into the case that Grodman botched turns out to be the clue everyone forgets as the procedural unfolds – including Superintendent Buckley – and this is the crux upon which the script from Peter Milne (based on Israel Zangwill’s novel) revolves. Without spoiling it (which I generally avoid), let’s just say that this case becomes Grodman’s most personal effort in more ways than one.
The Verdict is the kind of story that only works because the audience has little to no way of predicting who committed the crime because, thematically, that would spoil the entire point of the picture. Because of this, the resolution might come across as more than a bit contrived since clues aren’t additive to answering any significant questions. What remains is a puzzle – one reasonably well delivered by director Don Siegel – but it’s also a quandary that might feel a bit toothless in the last reel as an authentic mystery. As a melodrama? Sure, that works! As a Noir? Of course, it’s in keeping with the genre! But … as a mystery? Well … not so much …
While the picture is modestly entertaining and boasts some great work by Greenstreet and Lorre, I can’t help but wonder if it would be entirely forgotten had lesser talent been cast in the lead roles. Siegel’s work in bringing all of it to life is equally impressive, but there’s no escaping the fact that inevitably answering the seminal ‘whodunnit’ removes any bit of freshness or originality to the whole shebang because it reeks of contrivance along with some somewhat forced twists and turns viewers are slogged through along the way. Yes, it concludes with the obligatory sense that justice has been served; and yet there’s no escaping the fact that the audience might feel a bit swindled for having spent 90 minutes waiting for a denouement of such artifice.
The Verdict (1946) was produced by Warner Bros. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are quite good throughout: there’s a flatness to some of the exterior studio shots – the streets are shrouded with fog – but it isn’t anything disastrous. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts some other entertainment from the era – cartoons and a few radio dramas – but nothing that’s directly tied to the main film.
Mildly Recommended.
As big a fan of classic films as I am – especially dark melodramas and Film Noirs – I’ll still admit to finding not all that much to love about The Verdict (1946). It’s good but a bit theatrically contrived in spots. While expertly made and compellingly set-up, it inevitably feels a bit flat even though a central character achieves a measure of redemption … not that that was much of a surprise, either. I mean … that was the point of the story, so kudos for sticking the landing, I guess. Still, fans of Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre should definitely check out their work here; and I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that Joan Lorring also turns in a wonderfully spunky supporting role here.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Verdict (1946) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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