THE VERDICT
US, 1946, 86 minutes, Black and white.
Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Joan Loring, George Colouris, Arthur Shields.
Directed by Don Siegel.
The Verdict was celebrated director Don Siegel's first feature film. He had worked at Warner Bros. for many years as editor and in creating many montage effects in their dramas. He uses the opportunity to direct in a creative way - a small budget melodramatic Victorian mystery.
Siegel's career in the '40s and '50s focused on small budget, even B-features. However, he created some classics of their kind e.g. Riot in Cell Block 11, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He moved to bigger budgets in the '60s and began work with Clint Eastwood. This collaboration was fruitful with such films as Coogan's Bluff, Two Mules for Sister Sarah, The Beguiled and especially Dirty Harry and Escape From Alcatraz. He worked with many of the stars of the '70s and '80s including Walter Matthau in Kill Charlie Varrick, Charles Bronson in Telethon, Burt Reynolds in Rough Cut.
The Verdict is an entertaining mystery, done with artificial style. It starred Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre (who had appeared in Casablanca and such films as The Conspirators). Greenstreet is excellent as the arrogant Scotland Yard inspector who makes a mistake and then contrives the perfect crime to humiliate his successor. Peter Lorre is the artist who is involved in giving evidence.
Entertaining, even if somewhat dated.
1. An entertaining period thriller, mystery? A film of the '40s in style and treatment?
2. The work of Don Siegel in retrospect? Visual art, photography, montage, action, skill in straightforward storytelling? Interest in crime themes?
3. Black and white photography, Hollywood Victoriana, the world of the police thriller, homes, society? Interiors and exteriors? Light and darkness? Night and day? Editing and pace? Mystery and clues? Atmospheric score?
4. The cast and their reputation? Playing off each other - adding to the mystery?
5. Interest in the film as a murder mystery: story, complications, suspects, clues and investigation, the locked door mystery and the explanation, Grodman and his contriving the perfect crime, the attempt to humiliate Buckley? Resolution, Grodman's urgency in saving the innocent accused?
6. Grodman as the focus of the film? Sidney Greenstreet and his size, an imposing person, voice and articulation? Thirty years of service to Scotland Yard? His negligence and error? Inspector Buckley waiting to upstage him? Grodman's immediate reaction? The execution of the wrong man? His resigning? Grodman at home, the party offered by Emmeric? The clashes with Kendall and Russell? The women? Grodman's response? The death and the perfect crime? The set-up for the locked door mystery? Kendall as a victim? Russell accused? Inspector Buckley and his handling of the case and Grodman's observations, continual offering of help? Lotte's role? Grodman's motivations and hopes? Russell arrested, the trial? Grodman caught in having to go to France, Lady Pendleton being dead, his return? The revelation of the truth at the last moment? Grodman in himself, hurt, humiliated, his scorn? Hubris? Clever, participating in the resolution? A portrait of an obsessed man?
7. The young men and their callowness? Kendall and his friendship? The truth and the irony of his being guilty? Grodman executing him? Russell and the clash? Similar to Kendall? A Member of Parliament with social concern? Relationship with Lotte? Lady Pendleton? The ordeal of the case, on the brink of execution?
8. Peter Lorre as Emmeric - friendship, the artist, curious, moods, fear, his interventions, evidence? Used by Grodman?
9. Lotte as singer, relationship with Russell, her song?
10. The landlady and her infatuation? Manipulated by Grodman? Her contribution to the case?
11. Buckley and his arrogance, supplanting Grodman, his ambitions, success? Work, investigations? Repeating Grodman's errors? The revelation of the truth?
12. An entertaining melodrama? Sense of period? Use of conventions? Exploration of behaviour, motivation, obsessions, pride - all in a heightened manner?
