You won't be disappointed!

A Masterpiece!

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It's a Powell showcase as he transitions from obscure gentlemanly lawyer to high-powered legal-eagle. Corruption is rife in Adam's (Powell) big city. After crossing head racketeer Gilmurry (Landau), Adam loses his standing in a respectable legal firm. So he decides to play the game their crooked way, and does so with maximo success, using people for his own ends. Only his intensely loyal and lovelorn secretary (Blondell) sticks with his ruthless climb.There's not much patented Powell charm here. Instead, he moves abruptly from quiet reserve to ruthless assertion, becoming a not very likable character in the process. Surprisingly for Warner Bros. and a gangster theme, there's no machine gun splatter or snarling thugs. Instead of city streets, criminal conduct here is more civilized, taking place in office suites and judicial chambers. Still, the shenanigans can't be taken too seriously since comedy relief pops in and out. The movie's real suspense lies in wondering how Adam's turnaround will end. In short, what sort of reckoning will there be. Can't say I was happy with the resolution that unfortunately retreats from 30's pre-Code toughness. It's like the Code is already in effect. All in all, the movie's not very memorable despite presence of two of the studio's leading performers—maybe because they're playing somewhat outside their strong suits.

That song, mentioned above, played throughout the film. William Powell is "Lawyer Man" in this 1932 film also starring Joan Blondell, Allen Jenkins, Helen Vinson, and Claire Dodd.Powell plays Anton "Tony" Adam, a lower east side attorney with a small practice. He comes to the notice of a higher-priced attorney who invites him to become a partner. His secretary (Joan Blondell) of course goes with him. But Adam runs into trouble almost immediately when he takes a breach of promise case. The case is merely a setup by the corrupt political machine to frame him. Adam is thrown out of the partnership. On the face of it, he decides that if he can't beat 'em, join 'em. Actually, he has something else in mind.Powell is very good, but he's too uptown to be a lower east side lawyer. The role was more suited for other contract players, such as Jimmy Cagney or Humphrey Bogart. Blondell is great as a secretary who's smarter than her boss, in love with him, and can see his mistakes before he even makes them.William Powell is worth seeing in anything, even something he's not quite right for, and Joan Blondell is always a delight. This was probably a B film as it's pretty short.

I just saw this in a local theater retro series of Pre-Code Hollywood films. I always liked Warner Brothers films of this era, be they hard hitting gangster or social dramas or fun musicals. Though there are serious issues touched on here (political corruption in the judicial system) it's handled with a light touch. William Powell is good as the title character Anton 'Tony' Adam and Joan Blondell is bubbly as his secretary/love interest Olga.Since the movie is a scant 72 minutes, things move along well, but you do get an episodic feel overall. Another 10 minutes could have fleshed out or explained a few plot points. And is it me or were Helen Vinson and Claire Dodd, two gals the skirt chasing Tony tangles with, twins? They kept popping in and out of the plot and it took me a few seconds each times to figure out who was who. Both were blonds, which doesn't help matters.For the Pre-Code curious there are two comical suggestive bits. One being Tony's case of mistaken identity as he's gam watching. Another, how his cigar reacts to a prospective tryst with Dodd.Possible Spoiler Alert....One reviewer mentioned here a lack of chemistry between Powell and Blondell and I lay the blame of director William Dieterle, who did a fine job overall. Olga pines for Tony, warns him of his womanizing but waits hopefully for him to make the first move. One kept waiting for her to storm into his office (as she does often) hop onto his lap and let him know how she feels. She never does.When last seen, Tony and Olga go back downtown, so Tony can champion the cause of the downtrodden. And they are happily arm in arm. It suggests they are now a couple...but one passionate kiss would have made their relationship clearer.

Tony (William Powell) is a lawyer of the people with an eye for the ladies. Olga (Joan Blondell) is his secretary and conscience. Granville Bentley (Allan Dinehart), a corporation lawyer, sees him in action and offers him a partnership. Babs (Helen Vinson) Granville's sister is also interested. Gilmurry the D.A. (David Landau) wants Tony to come into his organization as well.Ginny (Claire Dodd) needs help - "that's what happens when a smart lawyer gets mixed up with a dumb blonde" - she has love letters from a certain doctor - she wants to bring a breach of promise suit against him or at least sue him for thousands of dollars or does she???? Of course she calls on Tony and plays him for a sap. Bentley, meanwhile urges him to leave it alone and dissolves the partnership, Babs refuses to see him and Gilmurry thinks he's a "washout". He is determined to prove them wrong - he is going to play "dirty" - no job will be too demeaning. "a small time mouse planning to be a big time rat"!!!An elderly man comes to see him - he has a case against Gilmurry but no lawyer will take it. Tony does and wins a settlement out of court. Gilmurry is impressed and makes him Assistant District Attorney. Tony then gets some information on the doctor - he has been defrauding the city. The end of the movie sees Tony going back to where he started - to the little people that need his help.Helen Vinson was on hand as Babs Bentley, the sister of corporation lawyer Granville Bentley. She was always at her best in brittle, society "bad girl" roles - occasionally she would play a warm hearted "good girl" like Helen in "I Was a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" and proved she could handle these roles easily as well.Claire Dodd, in my opinion, was the most memorable bad girl of the 30s. She started out as a showgirl in films such as "Our Blushing Brides" (1930) and "Whoopee" (1930). For me her two stand out films are "Footlight Parade" (1933) where she plays Joan Blondell's old "friend" and "Roberta" (1934) as Randolph Scott's snooty fiancée. Both films have some classic one liners. In "Lawyer Man" she plays Ginny. Sterling Holloway also has a small scene as Olga's bar buddy who tells her exactly how things are. Allen Jenkins and Jack La Rue play two of Gilmurry's henchman who can be bribed with cream cake!!!!The music is nice too, including hits of the day - "Say It Isn't So", "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans", "If I Could Be With You" and "You've Got That Thing".Recommended.