The Sin of Nora Moran (1933)
Nora Moran, a young woman with a difficult and tragic past, is sentenced to die for a murder that she did not commit. She could easily reveal the truth and save her own life, if only it would not damage the lives, careers and reputations of those whom she loves.
- Phil Goldstone
- W. Maxwell Goodhue
- Frances Hyland
Rating: 5.7/10 by 21 users
Alternative Title:
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 05 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: death penalty, governor, circus, self-defense, flashback, rape victim, lucid dreaming, district attorney, pre-code, dark past, told in flashback, dream logic, dreamlife, political scandal, innocent woman, murder case, innocent person executed, noble sacrifice, death row inmate
Decent enough drama with a good performance from Zita Johann, though that poster is more evocative than the movie itself, but still an okay story. **3.5/5**
Whilst certainly not the cheeriest of topics for a film, it does feature two quite nuanced performances from the eponymous Zita Johann and from B-feature regular Paul Cavanagh ("Governor"). The story centres around young "Moran" - she came up the hard way - who is now on death row for a crime we know that she did not commit. It's told by way of retrospective for the most part, as we relive the scenarios and encounters that drove the young girl to her present predicament, and using quite effective theatrical devices - especially potent in black and white - I felt quite a degree of pity and respect for the character who had a sense of integrity sadly lacking amongst her associates. The dialogue is sparing, much of the imagery does the work and at times it could pass for a decent silent film quite easily. It's only an hour, but quite an emotional one, and though I can't say I enjoyed watching it - I did appreciate it.
