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.
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.