Thursday, April 11, 2019

Police Court (1932)

Heavy on melodrama, Police Court starts off in... a police court! We find drunkard Nat Barry (Henry B Walthall), who once was one of the brightest stars on stage, about to be sent to prison for a long sentence. After a last minute plea by his son (Leon Janney) he is given a final chance and a role in a film...

However Nat Barry is truly gone, he can't stick to his lines or stay sober. His decline continues, even ending up having to do an impression of Abraham Lincoln in a sideshow, and it all becomes rather bleak. Nat ends up in prison but his son begins his own movie career but when he needs help can his father come good for him...

The film could have done with a little more lightness but has some terrific performances especially from Walthall. The title of the film is a little confusing, very little of the film actually takes place in court.