The Man Who Talked Too Much

As much as Americans express pride in their political and legal system, it is also true that they hold politicians and attorneys in very low esteem. The popular perception of lawyers as unethical and devious is not new and here it permeates this modest 1940 feature. What George Brent does on the screen has little connection to reality (there is one particularly silly scene in which he grandstands by ingesting poison during a murder trial), but sets the stage for his reformation and a happy ending.

The movie flies by so it may be worth 76 minutes of a viewer's time as a reminder of Hollywood's long-standing tradition of disparaging the legal profession.

A man whom Assistant District Attorney George Brent convicted for murder dies in the electric chair. Then Brent discovers he was innocent. So he goes into private practice; it's better that a hundred guilty men go free than an innocent man go to jail. But his clients can't pay their bills. Then along comes gangster Richard Barthelmess, and he pays his bills. But when Brent's brother, William Lundigan, is sentenced to die for a murder one of Barthelmess' hoods committed, can Brent do anything?

It's a remake of 1932's THE MOUTHPIECE, and like many of Brian Foy's B productions, moves along at a good clip. Brent is good in the part, solid if a tad stolid, and backed by a cast that includes Virginia Bruce, Brenda Marshall, George Tobias, and John Litel. But that competent speed never quite reaches the point of panic, and the movie seems lightweight as a result.

Brilliant ADA Stephen M. Forbes (George Brent) gets an innocent man executed. In frustration, he quits to work for the innocent. Only it doesn't pay well. That when gangster Roscoe recruits Steve to be a mob lawyer. He uses the money to put his younger brother Johnny through law school.

I saw the punch coming a mile away and the KO really bugged me. I can take a bit of artistic license, but I can't take that. The stunts are too outrageous. This is based on a play and is the second adaptation. While I can accept the premise as written, it feels constructed. Mostly, I don't like Steve turning into a mob lawyer that quick. Maybe he could defend Roscoe first without agreeing to defend all his friends. This deals with a real lawyer issue, but does it in a rather ham-fisted way. This is borderline fine.

Boy, once Warner Brothers got their hands on a script, they remade it until the type faded from the page.

"The Man Who Talked Too Much" is a 1940 film that is a remake of a 1932 film, "The Mouthpiece" starring Warren William. I haven't actually seen "The Mouthpiece," and the trivia here says that this script wasn't completed at the time of production, so I'm assuming this is a reworking. In 1955, this movie was remade as "Illegal" starring Edgar G. Robinson, which I saw and liked, with the exception of one plot hole.

The basic story is this: A district attorney, Steven Forbes (George Brent) sends an innocent man to the gas chamber, quits, and becomes a defense attorney. He has a hard time making ends meet until he becomes an attorney for the mob. Once he hits the big time as a mob lawyer, he hires an assistant, Celia, and his brother John. John (William Lundigan) and Celia (Brenda Marshall) fall in love. John is concerned about the honesty of the firm, but his efforts to correct the situation get him into big trouble.

Though the basic premise is the same in each story, in "Illegal," the brother business is changed and the person in trouble is his assistant, played by Nina Foch.

This is an okay story. Despite the holes in "Illegal," I liked it better, Robinson being a stronger actor than George Brent.

I nearly always prefer watching the original film and not remakes. Yet somehow, I have managed to watch both remakes ("The Man Who Talked Too Much" and "Illegal") without yet seeing the first film ("The Mouthpiece")--so I can't really compare the remakes with the original. But, in nearly every case, I do prefer original films and I must knock a point off "The Man Who Talked Too Much" for being a remake.

Of the three leads from these three films, George Brent in "The Man Who Talked Too Much" is probably the most poorly cast. While a fine actor, it is harder to imagine him playing a rather crooked individual--whereas Warren William and Edward G. Robinson are a bit more at home with such roles. Also, I will admit it up front that the plot is really hard to believe. So, to enjoy the film you just have to accept that Brent could be bad and the rest of the plot. If you can't, the film just won't work very well.

The film begins with Brent playing a prosecuting attorney, Stephen Forbes. He convicts a man for murder and is quite pleased with himself--until they learn he was innocent. To make things worse (and HIGHLY contrived), they find out only seconds before the execution and they cannot reach the warden in time to stop it! Forbes is horrified and quits his job--which isn't too surprising. Now in private practice, he has a hard time making ends meet. But, when mobsters find out how talented he is, he immediately becomes a success--to the horror of his younger and very idealistic brother. What follows is amazingly contrived (you just have to see it) but also enjoyable in a brainless sort of way. Not a bad film--but one that could have been better.

UPDATE: I finally got to see the original version, "The Mouthpiece". It's significantly better...and a lot racier!