The Law in Her Hands

As this picture opens, we see fresh law school grads Margaret Lindsay and Glenda Farrell taking the oath and becoming lawyers. "All we need now's an office and a client," Farrell says.

They do set up an office but the clients don't come, so Lindsay works as a waitress and discovers that her boss is being shaken down for protection money. What can she do?

She soon encounters smooth talking Lyle Talbot, who runs the Restaurant Owners Benevolent Organization. Talbot doesn't like to do rough stuff but with an organization name like that, we know what his business is. However, instead of putting the pressure on this lady lawyer, he decides to put her on the payroll. Lindsay resists the idea but soon enough the lure of easy money has her working for Talbot - and she and Farrell have moved into a nice big fancy office.

Meanwhile, assistant district attorney Warren Hull has taken an interest in both the protection racket and in Lindsay herself. In fact, he would like her to quit lawyering and marry him. She resists him too but eventually, of course, things come to a head and Lindsay is forced to make a choice.

The cast do their best and they all talk very fast, but the silly plot here really defeats their efforts. Eddie Acuff has an amusing comic role as a process server who helps out his pals Lindsay and Farrell. Talbot as the crook is quite a bit more interesting than poor Warren Hull as the straight as an arrow prosecutor. Glenda Farrell is - most annoyingly - pretty much wasted as Lindsay's partner in law who apparently is little more than an assistant. Isn't she supposed to be a lawyer here too? You'd think they would have at least written in a few choice wisecracks for Glenda to deliver. Lindsay herself is good enough in the lead role but the whole thing is never remotely believable, even for a B movie.

It does move fast and has an exciting courtroom climax. Overall, though, not as much as fun as it sounds like it would be.