Hard-hitting and extraordinarily paced, CRIMINAL COURT is one of the best courtroom dramas ever made, combining a tense plot with excellent performances. Tom Conway plays Steve Banes, a bright young lawyer whose well-known courtroom antics have made him stand out among his colleagues.... [More]

Hard-hitting and extraordinarily paced, CRIMINAL COURT is one of the best courtroom dramas ever made, combining a tense plot with excellent performances. Tom Conway plays Steve Banes, a bright young lawyer whose well-known courtroom antics have made him stand out among his colleagues. But he soon finds himself in a bizarre situation: He accidentally kills a blackmailing nightclub owner whose girl (Martha O'Driscoll) just happens to stumble upon the body. Like so many others, she too was being blackmailed by her lover. It's all the motive the police need to book her for the crime. In a further twist, Banes has to defend her in court, using all his outlandish techniques to try to prove her innocence. Director Robert Wise's terrific pacing keeps this noirish story moving along, helping make it a lively and suspenseful joyride. [Less]