Directed: Jean di Lemur

Year: 1929

Nominated: Best Actress – Jeanne Eagels

Plot in 25 Words: A bored housewife takes a lover, and kills him. Tried for murder, she bribes her way out of a jail sentence while being incredibly evil.

In My Opinion: I quite enjoyed this one, though if I’d been a paying cinema goer in the 1920s I most certainly would have asked for my money back. With a running time of barely over an hour, it’s barely long enough to be considered a film, but on saying that, at no point did I find myself wishing for scenes to be shorter.

It could maybe have done with a little fleshing out at the start of the film. The argument between Geoffrey Hammond and his cast-aside lover Leslie Crosbie seemed to blow out of nowhere. A little more background on their relationship would have helped me understand how it went from a simple lovers quarrel to a vicious verbal attack from him, followed by some hilariously deadly shooting from her!

The film quickly jumps to the trial. I have to say again, it was incredibly fast paced and on this occasion it helped. I quite enjoyed seeing the inside of a 1920s courtroom. Mrs Crosbie taking ‘the stand’ – turns out to be an actual stand, a tiny stage at the front of the room with a tiny fence.

I know the era was terribly sexist, it was further proven when the suspected murderess was constantly referred to as Mrs Robert Crosbie, or she was given rest times to protect her delicate nature. Which is funny, given I’m not convinced she had a delicate nature. She killed her lover for running off with a Japanese girl – a girl who was painted up like a whore, and referred to as vulgar for wearing bangles and bracelets.

My least favourite comment would be when Mrs Robert Crosbie referred to her competition as a ‘vile, yellow thing.’ I know it was, well not acceptable perhaps, but the norm for the time, but I still cringed and winced. I’m really looking forward to getting to more racially & socially aware films.

Star Performer: O. P. Haggie as Mr Joyce, the Crosbies’ attorney, charged with defending Leslie of murder. As the film goes on, and ‘the letter’ is revealed, he slowly comes to the realisation that she is guilty, it was no accident and she’s playing his friend Robert, for a fool. He defends her, and then ensures she’ll never live the life of luxury she wanted. Towards the end he played the part very sinister. brilliant!

Overall: Decent enough film. The shortness helped keep the story moving on quickly with no dragging or unnecessary scenes. Jeanne Eagels was deliciously evil and unrepentant.