Crime Without Passion (1934)
Caddish lawyer Lee Gentry is going out with Katy Costello, but carrying on an affair with dancer Carmen Brown. When he wants to end the dalliance with Carmen, she is so distraught that she becomes suicidal. Seizing the gun from Carmen, he accidentally shoots her, and thinking she's dead, concocts a series of increasingly outlandish alibis to cover his tracks under the guidance of a ghostly apparition that is his alter ego.
- Ben Hecht
- Charles MacArthur
- Lee Garmes
- Ben Hecht
- Ben Hecht
- Charles MacArthur
- James L. Shute
Rating: 5.8/10 by 20 users
Alternative Title:
Verbrechen ohne Leidenschaft - DE
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 10 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: murder, lawyer
Claude Rains is good in this as the smug, intelligent lawyer "Gentry" who prides himself on being able to get even the most odious of criminals acquitted. That ensures that just about every one in law enforcement loathes him - until, that is, serendipity strikes a blow as he gets very jealous about the antics of girlfriend "Carmen" (Margo) and is soon having to establish an alibi for himself - and things really take a turn for the bizarre. Indeed, that's probably the word for much of this production. The opening scenes are quirky, to say the least - though it does revert to a better trodden path as it progresses. The writing is basic, and it's delivery frequently quite staccato in style which doesn't help the pace much, but it is still enjoyable to see the star playing well.
