Criminal Court

Robert Wise’s Criminal Court is a simple, little B-noir that feels like it was released earlier than its 1946 vintage: flashing newspaper headlines to narrate plot milestones, exclusively studio-built sets, etc. Its story, compressed down to exactly 60 minutes, involves the brilliant attorney Steve Barnes (Tom Conway) whose girlfriend Georgia Gale (Martha O’Driscoll) takes a job singing in gangster Vic Wright’s (Robert Armstrong) nightclub, which eventually leads to her being accused of murder. Although the way Georgia becomes implicated is unbelievably stupid, Barnes’ legal defense of his girl embroils him in bribery, fraud, and corruption that threaten his legal ambitions. Despite the tiny budget, Wise, who can direct just about anything, creates an often beautifully lit and photographed little film with lots of dark offices at night, an interesting use of crime surveillance film, and a few clever transition shots.