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Counsellor at Law

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

Hollywood legend John Barrymore stars in this edgy pre-code drama as George Simon, a powerful New York lawyer who counts some of the city's most wealthy and influential figures among his clients. Simon, however, uses his position to engage in dubious insider trading and to bilk his wealthy clients out of thousands of dollars to help out those who live in working-class neighborhoods like he did while growing up. When his Robin Hood practices are discovered by a political enemy, Simon finds himself confronted with past indiscretions that could have him disbarred. As this public disgrace ruins his private life, Simon falls back on his prodigious legal talents to uphold his reputation with the help of only his loving secretary.

Adapted by Elmer Rice from his own play and directed by William Wyler (ROMAN HOLIDAY, BEN-HUR), COUNSELLOR AT LAW is a thought-provoking drama that exposes the shaky moral and ethical ground that lawyers must tread upon. Long considered one of the finest films made about the American legal system, COUNSELLOR AT LAW ranks among Wyler's finest films.
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 2612
Credits

John Barrymore, John Blythe Barrymore, Bebe Daniels, Doris Kenyon, Melvyn Douglas, Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, Isabel Jewell, Thelma Todd
Critic Reviews

"...William Wyler's first important movie is arguably the only one that gave Drew's grandpop a screen showcase to flex the dramatic skills that enthralled stage audiences....The movie has a pace that crackles..."
USA Today